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Creative Kitchen

by Juliet Brain ARTSMONKEY January 2010

Toolkit

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Copyright © 2010 Juliet Brain.

The right of Juliet Brain to be identified as the author of this work has been

asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Background To Creativity4Health Page No.

INTRO: WHY CREATIVITY? 4

CREATIVE LEARNING JOURNEY 7

ARTS AWARD 13

2 KITCHEN PREP

Preparation: good practice, practical considerations 14

Delivery 19

Evaluation & inclusion 23

3 CREATIVE KITCHEN - WALK THROUGH 26

Can’t Cook, won’t Cook?

Mini Me: What I like, what I do, what I’d like to do

Fruitbasket:

Simple, fun low energy exercises for one to one activities

Using materials to create, shape and interact

(creative play)

Utensils:

Laminating, photo printing, washing line, using your mobile phone

Make Me A...

Group activities

Precious Object, Jam Factory, Wish list, Mapping my Journey

(drama/visual art)

Between the Chair and the Floor...

Brief intro to ideas for introducing imaginative storytelling

(creative writing/cartoon/story boards/story-shaping and sharing)

Cooking Pot

Sharing favourite games and exercises

Mopping Up

Feedback, reflection and Clearing up

4. CREATIVE RESOURCES

Links, reference, further reading, websites 38

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CREATIVE KITCHEN TOOLKIT

THIS TOOL KIT HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND COMPILED TO HELP

PEOPLE DELIVERING CREATIVE KITCHEN SESSIONS

WITH IDEAS, TIPS, SUGGESTIONS AND RESOURCES.

YOU CAN ALSO DOWNLOAD THE ACCOMPANYING CREATIVE COOKBOOK

FULL OF SUGGESTIONS AND IDEAS FOR CREATIVE ACTIVITIES FROM

THE CREATIVITY4HEALTH WEBSITE

www.creativity4health.com

DISCLAIMER:

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided in this

book at the date of publication, readers are advised to check that the information supplied has

not changed since going to press. The information contained in this document is of a general

nature and the author and publisher cannot accept liability for its use in conjunction with a

commercial context or other decision, nor for errors or omissions. The information contained

herein does not constitute professional advice. Readers are advised to consult their own

professional advisor.

time space imagine

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BACKGROUND TO CREATIVITY4HEALTH 1|ONE

WHY CREATIVITY?

Creativity isn‟t just about art and craft. We can be creative in the language

we use, the sounds we make, the clothes we wear... we use creativity to

solve problems and think of new ways to deal with challenges,... to widen

our horizons. It is important because it helps us to adapt and respond to a

rapidly changing world...

From DCFS Why Creativity, 2005

BACKGROUND TO CREATIVITY4HEALTH

Creativity4Health(C4H) was a groundbreaking three year project funded by the Big

Lottery fund and Wellbeing Southeast and Arts Council England which saw 62 projects

across the south east as part of Chances for Change from 2007 to Dec 2010. The C4H

project was developed out of a growing body of evidence and research on the positive

impact creative activity has on our emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. Key

national policy developments across the UK emerging have led to an emphasis that all

children and young people can benefit from developing their creative abilities, we have

seen a rise in the promotion of creativity in education and it is a key component at the

heart of programs and strategies to produce positive outcomes for young people outside

of the education sector.

From Food Art programmes, „pimping your bike‟ projects, holding public art exhibitions

that address the issues that young people face in the care system to taking part in

young people‟s festivals and running Family Day picnics, the participating local

authorities across the South East have provided creative events and activities across

the region and looked at how they embed and sustain access to creativity for young

people in the care system and their foster carers, to improve physical and emotional

health and well being.

“Making things boosts self esteem and creative thinking. Learning

to confidently handle materials gives people another way of

communicating meaning and expressing ideas.”

Access Art, 2010

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Gillian Lynne‟s story as told by Sir Ken Robinson

“...I said, "How did you get to be a dancer?" She told me that when she was at school, she

was really hopeless. She couldn't concentrate; she was always fidgeting. The school wrote

to her parents and said, "We think Gillian has a learning disorder." I think now they'd say

she had ADHD. But this was the 1930s, and ADHD hadn't been invented at this point. It

wasn't an available condition. People weren't aware they could have that.

So Gillian's mother took her to see this specialist. She sat on her hands for 20 minutes

while her mother talked to this man about all the problems Gillian was having at school:

She was disturbing people, and her homework was always late, and so on. In the end, the

doctor sat next to Gillian and said, "Gillian, I've listened to all these things that your

mother's told me. I need now to speak to her privately. Wait here -- we'll be back. We won't

be very long."

As they went out of the room, he turned on the radio sitting on his desk. When they got out

of the room, he said to her mother, "Just stand and watch her." The minute they left, she

was on her feet, moving to the music. They watched for a few minutes, and he turned to

her mother and said, "You know, Mrs. Lynne, Gillian isn't sick. She's a dancer. Take her to

a dance school."

I asked, "What happened?" and Gillian said, "She did. I can't tell you how wonderful it was.

We walked into this room, and it was full of people like me. People who had to move to

think." WHO HAD TO MOVE TO THINK.

She eventually auditioned for the Royal Ballet School and had a wonderful career at the

Royal Ballet and became a soloist. She later moved on, founded her own company, and

met Andrew Lloyd Webber. She's been responsible for some of the most successful

musical theatre productions in history, she's given pleasure to millions, and she's probably

a multimillionaire. Somebody else might have put her on medication and told her to calm

down.

I don't mean to say we are all dancers. But in a way, we are all Gillians. There are millions

of Gillians. I believe our only hope for the future is to adopt a new conception of human

ecology, one in which we start to reconstitute our conception of the richness of human

capacity. Our education system has mined our minds in the way that we strip-mine the

earth: for a particular commodity. And for the future, it won't serve us.

“WE HAVE TO RETHINK THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES ON WHICH WE'RE

EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN. AND THE ONLY WAY WE'LL DO IT IS BY SEEING

OUR CREATIVE CAPACITIES FOR THE RICHNESS THEY ARE, AND SEEING OUR

CHILDREN FOR THE HOPE THEY ARE. OUR TASK IS TO EDUCATE OUR WHOLE

BEING SO THEY CAN FACE THIS FUTURE. WE MAY NOT SEE THIS FUTURE, BUT

THEY WILL. AND OUR JOB IS TO HELP THEM MAKE SOMETHING OF IT.“

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Sir Ken Robinson is an international leader in creativity, innovation, and educational reform and author of

Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative. This article is based on a talk he gave at the 2006 TED

conference.

This article was also published in the Oct 2006: Technology in Action issue of Edutopia magazine as "Take a Chance . . . Let Them Dance".

WHY IS CREATIVITY IMPORTANT?

See Also Why Creativity factsheets in section 3 of this toolkit

Here are just a few ways you can encourage creativity in young people and adults :

Provide a special, private area for young people to work creatively (Piirto, 2001);

Supply materials (costumes, instruments, etc.) for creative activity (Piirto, 2001);

Display creative work, but avoid excessive evaluation (Piirto, 2001);

Avoid sex-role stereotypes (Piirto, 2001);

Allow children to be unique and express their individuality (Piirto, 2001);

Create a safe, favorable environment for creativity (e.g., reduce anxiety about being correct,

prevent ridicule, promote respect for the unusual) (Cropley, 1992);

Teach adolescents to appropriately question assumptions by considering and evaluating

alternatives (Sternberg & Williams, 1996);

Help teenagers to redefine problems and “think across subjects” (Sternberg & Williams, 1996);

Encourage creative fluency with brainstorming activities (Meador, 1997);

Develop flexible thinking by helping teens to take other perspectives (Meador, 1997);

Advocate originality by assisting adolescents to come up with new uses for objects (Meador,

1997);

Promote elaboration by asking teens to clarify and add details to ideas, thoughts, and

arguments (Meador, 1997);

Support cooperation and a co-operative work environment (Honig, 2000);

Sharpen young people's vocabularies (Honig, 2000);

Use humor (e.g., jokes, puns, silly stories) to enliven activities and minds (Honig, 2000);

Employ music, art, drama, dance, and movement into lessons (Honig, 2000);

Develop a passion and enthusiasm for your subject or program (Hamza & Farrow, 2000), and

be openly creative in front of others (Piirto, 2001);

Play word creation, "What if ___" and "What's good about ___" games (Manzo, 1998).

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MY CREATIVE LEARNING JOURNEY

Creative Learning Journey

Here‟s my own personal timeline through Creative Learning.

Showing some of the different ideas and theories that have

influenced approaches to education and learning

1960‟s

Here‟s me in the sixties grouped round a table playing educational

games as part of a new „modern‟ approach to learning. We didn‟t

learn sat in rows facing front but sat in groups around a table.

Creative Learning - Background

• Since the 1960‟s educationalists and

scientists have been working together to

explore and research the way in which we

learn and the kind of environments that

stimulate the most effective learning.

• They have been seriously considering the

impact of creative approaches to learning.

A brief reminder of what creative learning is: I wonder how many

of you have actually found out what your own learning style is,

what your work style is, not to mention what side of the brain you

favour and what multiple intelligences you score highest in? Of

course you may know all of that. I have picked out some of the

key theories for the purposes of a brief dip through the history and

development of „Creative Learning‟.

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Right Brain - Left Brain

Whose side are you on?

In the 1960s Robert Ornstein and Roger Sperry made important

advances in our understanding of how the brain works. They

discovered that the brain is divided into two halves, or

hemispheres, and that different kinds of mental functioning take

place in each. Thus, in most people the left hemisphere operates

sequentially and deals largely with 'academic' activities, such as

reading, arithmetic and logic. By contrast, the right hemisphere

operates holistically and deals more with 'artistic' activities, such

as art, music, colour and creativity.

Since then there has been considerable interest in the

implications of these discoveries. Traditionally, education has

placed emphasis on (dominant) left brain thinking; but increasingly

it is being recognised that the involvement of both brains can

make dramatic improvements in learning. It is also suggested that

a synergistic principle operates between the hemispheres, with

the functioning whole brain being significantly greater than the

sum of its parts.

Looks at wholesLooks at parts

Subject iveObject ive

SynthesizingAnalyt ical

Holist icRat ional

Intuit iveSequent ial

RandomLogical

Right BrainLeft Brain

How Right-Brain vs. Left-Brain Thinking Impacts Learning

Most individuals have a distinct preference for one of these styles

of thinking. Some, however, are more whole-brained and equally

adept at both modes. In general, schools tend to favor left-brain

modes of thinking, while downplaying the right-brain ones. Left-

brain scholastic subjects focus on logical thinking, analysis, and

accuracy. Right-brained subjects, on the other hand, focus on

aesthetics, feeling, and creativity.

Curriculum--In order to be more "whole-brained" in their

orientation, schools need to give equal weight to the arts,

creativity, and the skills of imagination and synthesis.

http://www.jwelford.demon.co.uk/brainwaremap/lrbrain.html

Processes information

based on whether or not it

feels right know answer

but not sure how it was

derived.

Intuitive

Processes information

with creativity; less focus

on rules and regulations

Fantasy -

Orientated

Processes thought as

illustrations.

Nonverbal

Processes things that can

be seen, or touched

- real objects.

Concrete

Processing information

with out priority, jumps

form one task to another.

Random

Processing information

from whole to part; sees

the big picture first, not

the details.

Holistic

Brief Description

Type of Right

Brain

Cognitive

Processing

Processes information based

on reality; focuses on rules and

regulations

Reality-

Based

Processes thoughts and ideas

with words.Verbal

Processes information piece by

piece using logic to solve a

problem.

Logical

Processes symbols an

pictures; likes to use letters,

words and mathematical

symbols.

Symbolic

Processing information in order

from first to last.Sequential

Processing information from

part to whole; in a straight

forward logical progression.

Linear

Brief Description

Type of Left

Brain

Cognitive

Processing

Here are examples of right and left brain processes we use when

engaging on learning activity. You may recognise traits of your

own approach, most likely it will be a mix of these processes. You

can test your preferences on this website….

http://brain.web-us.com/brain/braindominance.htm

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My Creative Learning Journey

(Mind Map)

MIND MAPS created by Tony Buzan

Here‟s my mind map of my creative learning journey from primary

school to 2007.

Using images over words helps release ideas and thoughts

otherwise suppressed by the brain when writing lists etc. Flowing

free-form rather than linear lists helps balance our left and right

brain.

1980‟s

In the eighties the buzz word was MI or Howard Gardner's

Multiple Intelligence Theory. It quickly became established as a

classical model by which to understand and teach many aspects

of human intelligence, learning style, personality and behaviour -

in education and industry. H. Gardner initially developed his ideas

and theory on multiple intelligences as a contribution to

psychology, however his theory was soon embraced by

education, teaching and training communities, for whom the

appeal was immediate - Gardner had created a classic reference

work and learning model.

Multiple Learning Intelligences

• Kinaesthetic – Body Smart

• Linguistic – Word Smart

• Logical – Number Smart

• Interpersonal – People Smart

• Intrapersonal – Myself Smart

• Musical – Music Smart

• Visual/Spatial – Picture/Image Smart

• Naturalistic- Nature Smart

Howard Gardner was influenced by psychologists Jeane Piaget,

Jerome Bruner, and philosopher Nelson Goodman, with whom

Gardner co-founded 'Project Zero' in 1967 (focusing on studies of

artistic thought and creativity). Project Zero's 1970's 'Project on

Human Potential', whose heady aim was to address 'the state of

scientific knowledge concerning human potential and its

realization', seems to have been the platform from which

Gardner's multiple intelligences ideas grew, and were

subsequently published in Gardner's Frames Of Mind 1983 book.

1990‟s

In the 1990‟s the buzz word became „Learning Styles‟

Every human being has a learning style regardless of their IQ,

achievement level, or socioeconomic status, and there are

no “good” or “bad” learning styles. Although style can change

overtime as a result of maturation and practice, strong

preferences change only slightly over the years, and when

students are taught in ways that complement their styles, a

significant increase in their academic achievement, improved

attitudes, motivation and better adjusted behaviour are the results.

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Work Style Pyramid model

And then came „Work Styles‟ !

Learning Style

is the way each person begins to

concent rate on, absorb, process, and retain

new and diff icult informat ion and skills

(Dr. R. Dunn).

A definition

10 False Beliefs About Learning

• Students learn best when seated upright at a

desk

• Students learn more and perform better in

an absolutely quiet environment

• Truancy is related to poor attitudes, home

problems, lack of motivation and other

factors which have nothing to do with the

students‟ preferred learning time.

IN 1994 Professor Barabara M. Prashnig M.A. and Director of

Creative Learning in Auckland (now based in the UK) produced an

article in Education Today, NZ ‟10 False Beliefs about Learning‟

which included these opposite.

Learning Styles

1. If students cannot learn the way we teach them,

we have to learn to teach them the way they

CAN learn.

2. There are no learning disabilities - only

TEACHING DISABILITIES.

3. Students are not failing because of the

curriculum, they can learn almost any subject,

when the instructions are matched with their

individual learning style strengths.

She concluded that there is ample evidence that the following

groups of students benefit most from learning styles programmes:

underachievers, slow learners, learning „disabled‟, and/or at-risk

students. For these students even the process of assessing their

learning style is usually a big event, receiving a learning style

profile which describes preferences and strengths is a revelation

not only for the students but also for their teachers and parents. In

many cases it might be the first time for such students with a very

poor track record of academic achievements and very low self

esteem to find out that there is nothing „wrong‟ with them, that

their needs are somewhat different from other students‟ needs

and that they will be able to help themselves in learning situations.

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2000+ In the new millenium we have seen a burst of new initiatives and

gained better understanding about neuro linguistic pathways

(brain function).

Movement

Learning and coordination are linked. Change the way you think.

Change the way you move.

Movement is the principal function and primary concern of the

brain. Movement is the most significant and therapeutic influence

on the brain. Numerous studies conducted involving exercise

routinely report how most health conditions are improved with

exercises and movements. Muscles and joints provide a vast

network that stimulates and nourishes the brain. This promotes

health and well-being. Nothing happens without movement.

Movement is the first concern of the brain.

Posture alone accounts for half of the stimulus received by the

brain. Sitting, standing or moving the brain receives its biggest

and most nourishing influence from the efficiency of weight

delivery and motion quality. Movements like walking provide the

brain with its most common and significant informational stream.

Your nervous system organizes these informational streams. It

orders this informational flow. The informational streams from

muscles and joints are the most significant.

Half of the brain's stimulation is a result of body weight as it

passes through muscles and joints. By exploring how joints move,

by emphasizing structures that carry body weight and by

experimenting with movement strategies the brain receives its

greatest beneficial stimulus.

Music

The consequence of this is that even in a person with severe brain

damage, a musical capacity will be retained, providing a vital

channel of communication in a situation where speech and other

channels may have been completely lost. There is a wealth of

evidence to support the positive impact of creative learning on

people.

Elements of Vision The greatest gains in learning have been achieved by re-teaming

the eye muscles. Without any conscious effort on our own part our

brains are constantly processing and reprocessing all the visual

information received thus far to create stored representational

maps of our environment, e.g. of our home, workplace and city.

And so without any difficulty, and indeed without even being

aware of it, we habitually use the maps to find our way about.

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2002 Science and the Creative Arts

In 2002 Southampton University were awarded a grant by the

Leverhulme Trust - 'The aim of the scheme was to support the

residency of artists of any kind (visual artists, creative writers,

poets, and other producers of original creative work) in a

university or other institution of higher education in the UK to

foster creative collaboration between the artist and the staff and

regular students of that institution.„ Dr Matt Cuttle writes:

From a School perspective, hosting an artist-in residence position

has provided a number of benefits, including new opportunities to

enhance the public awareness of the important research that we

undertake at Boldrewood at both a local and national level. The

educational aspect of the project, the Sci-Art workshops for 8-18

year olds, has allowed us to introduce students to exciting science

not covered by the National Curriculum. Young people in the

Hampshire Youth Dance Company will be exploring the

complexities of the brain through dance and images.

NESTA also began to look at the impact of creativity on young

people including this research report based on primary school

children in 3 areas in the South West „5x5x5‟

http://www.5x5x5creativity.org.uk/cms/user_files/files/Nesta555Re

port.pdf

Creative Partnerships

The Creative Learning Journey

You may already be aware of other initiatives such as Creative

Partnerships and the Creative Learning Journey piloted in Bexley

in the South East, as the concept of Creative Learning becomes a

more acceptable and useful tool in the minds of educationalists

and industry leaders, for instance, did you know for instance that

Pizza Hut used the „creative learning exercise „outrageous

opposites‟ to design their stuffed crust pizza. They started with the

objective to design an innovative pizza, took the traditional idea of

new toppings on the base and came up with old toppings in the

crust as an outrageous opposite).

What made Isaac Newton think

of gravity when an apple

whacked him on the head?

What gave someone the idea of frying sliced potatoes? And what

was going through the head of whoever looked at a loaf of bread

and decided to slice it up? Who thought of the putting a telephone

and music player together? Just how did something conjure up

the idea of reverse mortgages? Who thought up franchising?

2004

And here is one of the ways we recognise and celebrate and

endorse young people‟s creative learning journeys

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Arts Award is a national qualification which supports young people to develop as artists and arts leaders.

• It supports young people aged 11 -25yrs to enjoy the arts, develop creative and leadership skills, and achieve a national qualification.

• Doing an Arts award helps to develop creative skills and the ability to communicate well and lead projects. An Arts Award is useful when looking for further education and job opportunities – in the arts or other fields

• It aims to be inclusive, as young people set challenges at their own level of development. It‟s suitable for many different kinds of settings from schools to youth clubs to youth theatres and arts organizations

National Arts Qualification for

young people aged 11 - 25

Offered at three levels. Level 1 (Bronze), 2 (Silver) and level 3

(Gold). It is on the Qualification Credit framework and is

accredited by OFQUAL. Level 3 Arts Award now has UCAS points

attached.

How is the Arts Award run?

The Arts Award is an evidence-based qualification and young

people choose which media to use to provide evidence of their

achievement eg. Video or audiotape, written or web-based etc.

Arts Award assesses how young people develop in their chosen

arts activities rather than achievement of a specific skill level

Trinity College, London is responsible for running the award,

including registering young people and moderation. They are the

awarding body.

A young person can do an Arts Award in any area of the arts or

media from fashion to poetry, rapping to dancing, photography to

film. They can be the creator or performer of their own work, or

develop their skills in backstage or technical roles. They can take

part in Arts Award at their school, college or youth project, or with

an arts organization or youth arts programme.

Each young person must have an adviser. Advisers are attached

to Arts Award Centres and can be found via the online map on the

arts award website here www.artsaward.org.uk/centremap

Interested? To get going visit the arts award website „getting

going‟ section

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“Arts Award is a valuable means of engaging young people from a diverse range of backgrounds

and contributing towards an alternative progression route to higher education. The flexibility of

the award opens up possibilities for people regardless of their background or situation; the award

can be delivered in a setting with which they are familiar, it can be completed at their own pace,

and in a subject area which they choose”.

Mark Crawley, Director of Widening Participation, University of the Arts London.

“Whatever your artistic interests or talents, it‟s really important that you make the most of any

opportunity that gives you the chance to learn, develop and expand your creativity.”

Graham Norton, Comedian

2. KITCHEN PREP 2|TWO

2. KITCHEN PREP

YOU NEED TO BE WELL PREPARED FOR YOUR

CREATIVE KITCHEN SESSION, KNOW YOUR MATERIAL

AND HAVE THE RIGHT TEMPLATES AND SUPPORT

RESOURCES TO ENHANCE YOUR THEME*

*WE HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH A TEMPLATE SESSION TO USE LATER IN THIS

TOOLKIT. YOU CAN USE ALL OR SOME OF IT AND ADD IN YOUR OWN FAVOURITE

CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

You need to be prepared to be flexible within your session and to adapt your

exercises/training to deal with any issues or specific „black holes‟ that may arise during

the training.

For instance :

Sessions will work best when people know what they have signed up for and WANT to

be there. Experienced workshop leaders often offer a „drop in‟ style of session but it

takes a lot of energy and requires the deliverer to really know their stuff.

15

Concentration: i.e. too much of any one thing – talking, power point, discussions. Keep

it short, keep it moving, keep it inter-active but also allow people time to „have a go‟ and

keep moving round the room to make sure you can offer help, re-assurance and

motivation. Frustration leads to a lack of concentration if someone feels they haven‟t

„got it‟ or can‟t do it, they tend to give up quickly.

Limited or wide range of experiences: may mean you have to start at a different level

or from a different perspective. Have things up your sleeve for people to do if they

quickly complete an activity or encourage them to help others. You might have to

motivate people if they spend more time chatting and not enough time „doing‟.

Sensitivity: i.e. undertaking an activity could lead people to reveal sensitive information

about themselves (disclosure *see also Good Practice). Make sure you have

established „ground rules‟ at the start of the session. For instance “we will respect

other‟s opinions” or “no swearing”.

Also:

Preconceptions may prevent full participation.

Reluctance to work „creatively‟ (preconceptions again!)

There may be conflicts of interest within group.

There may be personality clashes.

Awareness of status may prevent some adults from participation or they

may feel the need to dominate the session.

Have some exercises up your sleeve or ways to extend activities to motivate, open-up

debate or regain focus, the more sessions you deliver, the more you will learn how to

pre-empt problem areas and how to deal with them. So write down a brief report after

each session you deliver on an index card or in a journal, so you can learn from your

mistakes and remember your successes.

Be in control or use your host (when present) to help deal with any personal or practical

issues.

Don‟t be afraid to use your judgement if you feel one persons presence is detrimental to

the rest of the group, you can discreetly take them aside during a break and suggest

that the session isn‟t for them at this time and that their time may be better spent

elsewhere. We all have bad days or times in our lives when too much is going on and

often just need someone to gently tell us „go home‟.

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Consent: People attending Creative Kitchen sessions will expect them to be creative but may also not feel themselves to be a creative person and worry about what they may be asked to do. If someone is reluctant to take part in an activity allow them to do so without punishment or shame and ensure they are comfortable. We now know so much more about neural linguistic patterns of the brain and how the brain is affected by trauma. For instance, did you know that if you were to publicly „tell off or put down‟ someone suffering from „trauma‟ that a part of their brain shuts down and they are unlikely to function normally again for at least an hour, maybe longer.

Media: Creative kitchen sessions are not training sessions (although they can be

educational), so we focus on „hands on‟ interaction, sharing, talking and doing. Keeping

it simple we have avoided the inclusion of powerpoints etc. in order to achieve this.

GOOD PRACTICE

Children and young people attending activities at, or organised by your organisation are

the responsibility of the staff and volunteers of your organisation. The model for good

practice contained within the Children Act 1 , can be used to help express your

commitment to this in every aspect of your work with young people, the following is

adapted from „Keeping the Arts Safe‟ produced by Arts Council of England and

downloadable from their website www.artscouncil.org.uk.

Good practice2 in planning a project/session/event for work involving children, young people and vulnerable adults means:

undertaking at the outset of project planning, a risk assessment, and monitoring risk

throughout the project

identifying at the outset, the people with designated protection responsibility

engaging in effective recruitment, including appropriate vetting of staff and volunteers

knowing who to contact in case you have to report a concern to them

Good practice in a physical environment where there is contact with children, young

people and vulnerable adults means:

always ensuring that adults from the Sunday school, youth group, choir etc, are present

and meeting their responsibility for ensuring the safety of those in the setting

Good practice in physical contact means:

maintaining a safe and appropriate distance from participants

only touching participants when it is absolutely necessary in relation to the particular arts

activity

1 The Children Act, Department of Health, 1989

2 adapted from Keeping the Arts Safe

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seeking agreement of participants prior to any physical contact

making sure disabled participants are informed of, and comfortable with, any necessary

physical contact

Good practice in interpersonal dealings means:

treating all children/young people/vulnerable adults equally, and with respect and dignity

always putting the welfare of each participant first

building balanced relationships based on mutual trust which empowers children/young

people/vulnerable adults to share in the decision-making process

giving enthusiastic and constructive feedback rather than negative criticism

making the session fun, enjoyable and promoting equality

being an excellent role model for dealings with other people

recognising that children or young people with disabilities may be even more vulnerable to

abuse than other children or young people

Good practice in managing sensitive information means:

having a policy and set of procedures for taking, using and storing photographs or images of

children, young people or vulnerable adults

careful monitoring and use of web-based materials and activities

agreed procedures for reporting any suspicions or allegations of abuse

ensuring confidentiality in order to protect the rights of employees, and volunteers, including

safe handling, storage and disposal of any information provided on leaders, guests or

facilitators (or others involved in events/sessions/projects) as part of the recruitment

process. (Data Protection Act 1998)

Good practice in professional development means:

keeping up-to-date with health and safety practice

being informed about legislation and policies for protection of children, young people and

vulnerable adults

undertaking relevant development and training

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PRACTICALITIES

Things you need to check before your session:

No. of attendees (how many photocopies will you need for instance, and amount of creative materials)

Age range of attendees (age groups tend to work in different ways, a large mix of age range can be fun but you may cover less, as activities may take longer. You will need things to do for those who complete activities more quickly).

Do any of them have special needs i.e. need large print copies

Talk to „BOOKER‟ so you have established a line of communication and have sounded them out ref. venue and why they want the training/session etc.

Contact number for VENUE in case you are unavoidably detained, or lost

Directions to venue

A contact name and number for organization/group booking training/session,

who should provide you with details of venue, a map and or directions.

You will need to let the booker know your requirements for the session:

Make sure the venue knows you will need to be in the room to set up 30/45 mins

beforehand and you will require 30 mins to clear up after the session. Make sure they

are happy for you to use creative materials in their venue, re-assure them that mess will

be controlled and kept to a minimum.

Ask if water can be available throughout session

Do you want tea/coffee on arrival and then during a break and mid-afternoon session?

You will need to know:

Where and when and how coffee/teas are served

On arrival:

You will need to check where the toilets are, what the procedures are in case of fire or

emergency, is their air conditioning or heating, how is it accessed/operated. Do the

windows open. Is there anything else you should be aware of (i.e. at a certain time, a

practice fire bell will be sounding, etc.)

Try to find a venue space that is uncluttered and light, with both floor space and

table space for activities.

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DELIVERY Example of a Trainers Tool kit:

Newspaper or disposable tablecloth to protect surfaces

Your work box

Bin Bag for instant tidying up

Your Creative Kitchen Toolkit and your notes to accompany the session.

Any photocopies you need.

Any equipment you need (Laminator, Photo Printer & Camera, extension cable)

Your Health & Safety check list

Support resource materials i.e.info on Arts Award, A resource sheet of useful

addresses and websites, Leaflets etc.

Tissues, Bottle of Water

Creative Kitchen WORK BOX: Suggested MATERIALS

These will usually include:

Rolls of sellotape, blue tack, newspaper, scissors, sharpies or good thick

felt-pens, postcards, post-its (supermarket/stationers) Glue (type that

doesn‟t splurge everywhere, also Pritt Stick dries out quickly when stored)

An A3 sketch pad, blank paper, sheets of card

Sequins, beads, glitter

String, clothes pegs/bull dog clips.

Recycled materials you have collected: ribbon, wool, stick on shiny stuff,

postcards, beads.

Sheets of A4 coloured paper, A3 Sketch pad or a roll of cartridge paper

(available from consortium or Arts Shops)

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Add your essentials here:

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………….……………………………..

BUDGET £££

£30 will usually buy enough creative materials for 12 – 15 people from discount stationary shops

and supermarket stores. Or you can ask people to bring a contribution to the session with them,

for example, a ball of wool, a stack of coloured paper, a pack of felt-tips, a bag of sequins – its

amazing what people have in their house that could be used up and the idea of sharing in this

way adds to the enjoyment of the session.

BEFORE YOU START CHECK WITH BOOKER OR

VENUE REP. WHAT THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SESSION

WILL BE. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED TO TELL THEM OR

THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, YOU NEED A FEW

TABLES AND CHAIRS?

At the start of your session it is important to relax everyone,

re-assure them and make them feel comfortable. Your group may or may

not know each other, they may have different levels of experience, it may

be their first creative session or their hundredth!

Your first five minutes are crucial in setting the right atmosphere.

Make sure you have filled out your trainers Health & Safety check list

INTRODUCTION: Housekeeping: Fire Exits, Loos, Awareness of hazards (loose cables etc.)

Is everyone comfortable? Heating, light, seating etc.

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About you: Who you are, your background

Why everyone is here: the session itself: content, what you hope everyone will get out of the session, what you will be doing.

Ground rules: Is it okay to interrupt? (Red Card*) Loo breaks etc.

Warm-up Exercise (ice-breaker)

It is always a good idea to outline what you’re going to do and how

you’re going to do it and what it will achieve. Be as clear as you can.

Describe the objective(s) of the exercise:

To stimulate discussion?

To stimulate ideas?

To create enthusiasm for a new idea or project?

Share skills and knowledge?

To discover what is already known or perceived to be known about a topic.

For example: To challenge perceptions i.e. ‟I know all I need to know‟ or,

there is only one right way to approach something.

RED CARD

Some facilitators hand out red cards for people to hold up if they need to interrupt for

any reason: they can‟t hear, can‟t see, don‟t understand etc. Young people often

enjoy it and it avoids everyone talking over each other at inappropriate times.

“I love taking photographs, I love telling a story in an image. I don‟t always achieve technical brilliance or actually achieve anything that creative but each photo I take tells a little piece of the puzzle which is my life” Rachel Phillips, writer and blogger

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CREATIVE KITCHEN ACTIVITY SAFETY CHECKLIST

Please complete this form before you begin your Creative Kitchen session and

add any other items which you feel would affect the safety of the activity.

1 Has a risk assessment been completed for this activity? Yes/No

2 Is there a phone for emergency situations? Yes/No

3 Do the participants know where the First Aid Kits are located and have the First Aiders been identified to the group?

Yes/No

4 Are the emergency exits clear and been identified by participants? Yes/No

5 Do you know where the fire extinguisher is located? Yes/No

6 Is all the equipment safe to use and the operators aware of how to use safely? Yes/No

7 Are all workers aware of the Health and Safety Policy? Yes/No

8 Are all workers and volunteers aware of the Child Protection Policy? Yes/No

9 Have all hazards been identified and marked out? Yes/No

10

Is there clear access from the door to participants‟ chairs/desks?

Yes/No

11

Are there any loose wires or cables running across the floor?

Yes/No

12

Are any of the chairs/desks broken and unable to be used?

Yes/No

13

Is the room at a suitable temperature and is there suitable ventilation e.g. air conditioning, windows etc?

Yes/No

14

Is there sufficient lighting in the room?

Yes/No

15

Are the noise levels of the room adequate for training e.g. loud equipment that could be turned off, piped music, traffic noise from open windows etc?

Yes/No

16

Have participants been told where the nearest toilet facilities are?

Yes/No

17

Have participants been informed of venue smoking regulations?

Yes/No

18 Have you a suitable ratio of adult supervision to run the activity? If no the activity should be stopped

Yes/No

19 Is it safe for the event to take place? If no, then the event should be cancelled

Yes/No

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In Session

Split into individual, pair and group : craft, drama, visual, indoor, outdoor. High energy, low

energy, wind down, motivate,

Your aim is to generate responses to your activities by

stimulating conversation, debate, discussion and to ensure

your meaning is clear and understood

Make sure you have created the right environment to work in .

TIP: SET A LIST OF RULES SUGGESTED BY THE GROUP, YOU CAN START

WITH: IN THIS SESSION THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID QUESTION

Use games and exercises to “warm up” your groups creative thinking .

Change the dynamic; putting people into larger groups or breaking into smaller groups or opening up a debate to all may be helpful in keeping the session alive.

MAKE SURE YOU CAPTURE IDEAS AND COMMENTS SO PEOPLE CAN LOOK BACK

AT THEM (EITHER IN WRITING OR IN IMAGES: IMAGES) AND YOU CAN REFER TO

THEM IN SUMMARISING THE SESSION

Summarize

REVIEW IDEAS AND COMMENTS AT END OF EACH SECTION, MAKE SURE YOU ARE ADDRESSING THEIR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AND EXPLAINING THINGS CLEARLY

INCLUSION & EVALUATION Thought needs to be given to ensuring you have made everyone feel „included‟ in your

session, you need to be aware of how individuals respond to discussions, tasks and

group activities and throughout the day plan in points for „health-checks‟ i.e. is everyone

comfortable, happy, able to absorb the information you‟re imparting. Evaluations are a

useful tool for allowing people to express any concerns or to highlight any concerns they

experienced. Equally, it enables you to find out what worked well which you can take on

to your next session.

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The Good Facilitator‟s Essentials Check List:

1) Good planning will help you avoid misunderstandings and make sure

everyone involved is informed and working towards the same goals

2) Keep planning simple, don’t make mountains out of molehills and aim

for simplicity

3) Make sure you have the right equipment and supporting resources

4) Ensure/check that targets and timings are realistic.

5) When setting tasks/facilitating activities check, clarify and communicate

clearly your instructions/aims and/or objectives

6) Instant Health checks: throughout your session take time to check - is

everybody happy, if not why not?

7) In discussions aim to reach a shared understanding and seek out common

ground for participants.

8) Be positive, sincere and listen well

9) Be clear and concise

10) Flexibility is the first dimension of good planning (what is the third?)

“It’s easy to work at your own pace in familiar ways, challenge

yourself to work outside your comfort zone, measure and evaluate

your progress.”

Things don‟t and can‟t always go as planned, but there is always something positive you can take from any experience

Those positive experiences: the outcomes, the structures, the relationships etc. will inform and enable your future work, making things progressively easier to clarify and simplify

Be aware that subconsciously we are more likely to take negative experiences with us.

Dump the bad just take the good!

Mistakes are acceptable, learn from them and move on!

Give yourself time to re-visit and reflect on your Creative Kitchen „journey‟, record the successes so you can use them again. Keep notes on how each session went (on postcards, on your computer, in a Diary or notebook)

Don‟t attempt to re-create the good experience just remain open to the possibility of another good experience

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FINAL IMPRESSIONS: FEEDBACK

Feedback is essential to retain quality of delivery, ensure attenders have understood and

retained the content of the session, gain an understanding of what worked, what made an

impression. Usually people are asked to fill in a form, they know it‟s coming but often they have

no idea what to say and sometimes feel they need more time to absorb the day before they

comment. So here are some more creative ways to gather instant feedback without putting

people „on the spot‟.

1. Instant impressions

What was your impression of today?

Draw it!

Were there any surprises?

If you had five minutes left to do one thing what would it be?

List three emotions you‟ve experienced today and what it was that caused them?

Ask for feedback on the following: (Post-it notes on wall)

What will you take away with you?

What will you directly apply to future work?

2. Target : instant Feedback

Draw a „Target‟ on a sheet of paper with a bulls eye in the middle. Ask people to use post-its to

show how they rated the session, with the bulls eye being 10/10 but they have to negotiate how

they rate the outer circles either by numbering their experience 1 to 10 (ten being great) 1 being

poor, or, you can describe the chart as follows:

bulls eye = Spot on, the middle circle = nearly spot on, the next circle = alright but room for

improvement, etc.

You can use a similar chart when everyone arrives. It is an easy way of getting people to think

about how they feel /where they are on arrival and can provide a useful comparison at the end

of the day. This is a simple way of asking for feedback and you can draw deeper responses or

detail based on the cluster of post-its.

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3. CREATIVE KITCHEN – A WALK THROUGH 3|THREE

3. CREATIVE KITCHEN

Session outline:

Intro, Housekeeping, Ground Rules

Can’t Cook, won’t Cook?

Why Creativity?

What I like, what i do, what I‟d like to do

Fruitbasket:

Simple, fun low energy exercises for one to one activities

Using materials to create, shape and interact

Utensils:

Laminating, photo printing, washing line, using your mobile phone

Make Me A...

Group activities

Make Me A… Jam Factory, Wish List, Mapping the Journey

(drama/visual art)

Between the Chair and the Floor...

Brief intro to ideas for introducing imaginative storytelling

(creative writing/cartoon/story boards/story-shaping and sharing)

Cooking Pot

Sharing favourite games and exercises

Mopping Up

How was it? Reflection or Head, Heart, Bin, Bag,

Pass it on Challenge.

Website and links to support resources such as Creative Cookbook

Each section has several suggestions so you can pick and mix, plus you can use

your own ideas and favourites and ideas from the supporting „Creative

Cookbook‟

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Walk Through: 10mins

1. Intro & Housekeeping:

Introduce yourself and remind people why they are here and what you will be

doing today.

Point out (or get venue rep to) Fires Exits and Toilets.

Make sure people are: Comfortable, do you need to open a window, close a

door?

Get the participants to agree a set of ground rules for the day ie. Mobile Phone

Policy, No such thing as stupid question, Must have fun, etc.

2. Can‟t Cook Won‟t Cook: 15 mins

Help relax everyone and make them feel confident they won‟t be doing anything

embarrassing or difficult by introducing your work box and the concept of „creativity‟

by asking them to introduce themselves by making a 2D or 3D sculpture a „Mini Me‟

using for instance, playdoh or postcards and glitter or a box of random objects and

post it notes. Give them only a short time 2 -3 minutes as the time pressure will help

them be more decisive and ask them to make something that represents them, their

interests and lives.

After time has run out, ask if anyone wants to show their finished work, and get them

to display their mini me‟s somewhere in the room.

Follow this by commenting on how creative people have been, even in using really

simple methods that have a strong impact. Great art may be about great skill and

technique but creativity is about impact and how you use things to provoke thought,

or make a statement or simply through repetitive active to relax and de-stress..

Have some facts to hand about why creativity is important to our social,

mental and education wellbeing. You could use FACT SHEETS 1 & 2 as hand

outs.

You could write some facts and myths about creativity on cards and get people to

put them on a sheet on the wall entitled CREATIVIITY IS….? and bearing two

columns YES and NO and see which columns these facts get put under. Get

everyone present to say what they have done in the past that is creative (do they

listen to music? Knit? Sew? Doodle?) What they like about creative activities and

what they haven‟t done but would like to try.

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CREATIVITY FACT SHEET 1.

LEARNING

We know that through cultural learning children and young people can:

increase self-esteem, confidence and resilience, as well as developing creative

qualities such as questioning, critical reflection and considering new and different

approaches to situations

become inspired and motivated to learn

re-engage with learning and change their behaviour , including hard to reach young

people such as young offenders

develop specific skills and knowledge in the wide range of cultural forms

improve learning in literacy and numeracy

develop better understanding of others, increase patience and develop a better

understanding of difference

change their views of cultural resources, such as libraries, and of cultural activities

like reading

have improved aspiration for their futures and understand about different career

paths they could take

And we know that this is facilitated by:

partnerships between the education and cultural sectors, which contribute to children

and young people‟s learning and personal development

good professional development and improving subject knowledge,which is a key

factor in encouraging creative approaches to learning

teachers and cultural practitioners improving their own skills and knowledge by

working together, particularly in longer term partnerships

from THE CULTURAL LEARNING ALLIANCE www.culturallearningalliance.corg.uk

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3. Fruitbasket: Creative Play: 20 mins

This section is about low energy exercises that are easily achievable and start

getting the „creative juices‟ flowing

Shape Shifting:

Draw a shape on a piece of paper, pass it on, the person receiving it has to try and

turn it into a picture.

Squiggle Art

Draw a squiggle on a piece of paper, your partner has to colour it in.

Blind Drawing

You demonstrate this first by doing this on the flip chart, so everyone can see its not

about being able to draw but about trusting yourself

Everyone has a sheet of paper in front of them and a pen, they are asked to close

their eyes. You ask them to draw a simple object: an apple, a box, a tree, an

aeroplane, an elephant. They mustn‟t cheat or lift their pencil from the paper but just

have a go and see what the results are.

Then they can cut or tear out their work and make a group collage from the results,

colouring in and adding to it.

Ink Splots

From Synoiz, a musician and film-maker

“I was talking to an artist friend the other day and he said that when he wants

inspiration, he spills ink onto paper.”

You can do the same with paint. Take a sheet of paper and drop a big blob of paint

in the middle, fold the paper in half, press and then open out and leave to dry. When

dry have a good look at the shape, what do you see? an arm a tentacle? Use a felt

tip to draw over the silhouette to turn it into something; a creature, an object, a

face......

Shoe Box:

Equipment: One Shoe box or box filled with a variety of non precious small objects.

Fill a shoe box with as many small objects as you can fit in. Ask participants to

choose three or four objects each and to create a miniature representation/sculpture

of themselves or on a theme, ie. Christmas, happiness, family, friendship etc.

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Ask participants to tell the group about themselves by introducing their artwork to the

group.

N.B. Sometimes this exercise can be used as more than a warm-up exercise. For

instance the facilitator could ask the group to interpret anothers work rather than

their own (The rule is it must be a positive evaluation).

Random Objects:

Using your shoe box of objects, you pass the box around the circle. Each person

takes an object out of the box and relates it to themselves (they can be honest or

they can just make it up) for instance, “this pen is like me because it is colourful and

has many uses” or “this eraser is like me because it is flexible and soft”

My Space

From Elena Thomas, IOW

YOU WILL NEED

A sheet of A4 or A3 paper, glitter, stickers, scissors, glue, stick on things, felt tips, a table to work at.

Ingredients

Demonstrate technique first before asking people to have a go themselves.

To make your favourite space, your room or your dream room: Fold your sheet of paper in half from A4 to A5 and then twice more (from A5 longways and then shortways).

Then unfold paper to first fold and cut first fold to middle crease (along last fold). Open paper out, and pull open at cut to form a diamond shape, and use two end folds to make room dividers by folding in or outdoor walls by keeping out and create your space.

You can, open paper out flat and draw and stick things onto the four panels which represent your room walls. You can cut out windows, doors, turrets, battlements etc. You can also decorate the outside as well. Re-fold paper and stand up – room done. You can also put loads of rooms together to make an interesting visual paper

sculpture or design a floor map and put your rooms along these, or mount them on

card and display them on your wall.

NB. Fruit Basket is also the name of a circle game and can be found in the Creative Cookbook

section

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CREATIVITY FACTSHEET 2.

CREATIVE ACTIVITY

Michael S. Brockman, University of California, Davis

Stephen T. Russell, Ph.D., University of Arizona

Research has shown that the cultivation of creativity is a key component of programs and

strategies to produce positive outcomes for youth. Programs that teach children creative

problem-solving skills help them to become successful adults who can question the

accuracy of information and put information to constructive use (Todd & Shinzato, 1999).

Moreover, student involvement in creative activities (such as performing arts and group

activities) has been found to reduce drop out rates and to improve student motivation

(Sautter, 1994).

Mental health practitioners have also discovered that creative activities can serve to

safeguard children from stress (Honig, 2000).

Creative thinking allows both young people and adults to “avoid boredom, resolve personal

conflict, cope with increasing consumer choice, accept complexity and ambiguity, make

independent judgments, use leisure time constructively, and adjust to the rapid

development of new knowledge” (Strom, 2000, p. 59).

Furthermore, for societies to prosper in the midst of rapid scientific and technological

advancement, people need to be inventive and flexible (Cropley, 1992). Therefore, it is

important for adolescents to be creative thinkers in order to keep up with today's

accelerating social and technological developments (Fryer, 1996).

Creativity isn‟t just about art and craft. We can be creative in the language we use, the

sounds we make, the clothes we wear... we use creativity to solve problems and think of

new ways to deal with challenges,... to widen our horizons. It is important because it

helps us to adapt and respond to a rapidly changing world...

From DCFS Why Creativity, 2005

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4. Utensils: using „kit‟ to produce art: 20 mins

This section is just to demonstrate how you can enhance the impact of

your work by using simple bits of „kit‟ to present your work.

1. Lamination: a laminator can protect and show off your work. You can have hours

of fun in autumn, laminating leaves and flowers to make bookmarks, name labels

and gift tags.

If you make simple books, you could laminate the pages for added effect.

2. Washing Line: With some tent rope or string and some pegs you can create a

washing line to hang your work on, it can add impact and of course you can hang

other objects and or photos amongst your artwork for added impact.

3. Photo printers: Taking photos that can be instantly printed up make a nice

„memory‟ of the day, you can also take photo‟s of objects or artwork made by

groups so everyone gets a copy to take away. Or take a „before and after‟ photo

on the day.

4. Materials: you don‟t have to spend a lot of money to have a fun creative session

but thicker tipped felt tipped pens are always a good investment rather than the

cheap thin ones and if you buy the sketch pads in discount stationers or

supermarkets you get cheap but better quality card for drawing and making

objects with. Keep an eye out in the sales for bargain supplies!

5. Young people use their mobile phones to make videos and record voice

messages. A mobile phone is a great tool for making „art‟. You can record a

„soundscape‟ (a series of sounds that evoke a journey or tell a story or just make

a 60 second video or use it to photograph the work created. Although there can

be „sensitivity issues‟ so do check whether it is appropriate.

Split your group into two:

Get one to create a washing line display using objects in the room and the other to

create a „soundscape‟ using the record button on their mobile phones (a collection of

sounds in the room) OR a short film using their video if available and preferred.

10 mins only. Share results afterwards.

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5. Make Me A: Group activities: 20 mins

MAKE ME A……..

Equipment: None, but a large space is needed.

Entertaining and useful exercise that is very flexible and easy to facilitate

Leader gives groups ten seconds to make a simple object i.e. a ball or a cake or the

number ten, a starfish etc. using their own bodies as imaginatively as possible. At

facilitators command every one freezes and leader points out good, imaginative shapes,

groups who have worked well as a team used bodies imaginatively to create more

interesting shapes and scores each group between 1 and 5.

This can be developed by giving less and less time to make larger and larger, more

complicated objects so teams/groups have to work quickly without too much time to

think in order to create a washing machine, a lift, a bridge, automatically opening doors,

a whale, a church etc.

Make me a… usually ends in all groups joining together as one big group to make

something seemingly impossible for instance a Desert Island, a Cathedral, Cinderella‟s

Coach, Poole Harbour, Gateshead Centre, Scottish Parliament Buildings, The Taj

Mahal etc.

N. B. Groups are never given any longer than fifteen seconds (although it‟s up to you

how fast you count of course!)

This exercise is great for team building, ice-breaking, building up a story and general

fun-making.

Jam Factory

Repetitive games are re-assuring and help to build confidence as people grasp the rules

and can become more imaginative in what they do.

Ask someone to stand (or sit) and perform a simple action such as picking up a pencil,

once the action is clear they must repeat this action, one by one people slot themselves

into the picture by performing an action that links into this (creating a machine like

quality). Everyone repeats the action until the machine is complete (or people are

getting tired) a photo is taken or the group freezes for a moment. The machine can be

created in a line or in a group depending on whether people are more comfortable

sitting or standing or a mix!

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You have to watch for the over ambitious action-er who won‟t be able to keep the action

up for very long or who needs to simplify their action to avoid confusion.

This exercise is great for getting people to work together, team building and creating

scenes within stories.

Mapping the Journey

Equipment: Masking tape, balls of string, scissors, blue tack, small bits of card or A4

paper (anything else you have in your work box).

This exercise is a fun way of getting people to introduce themselves or to evaluate their

day, or a project.

Using the room as their map base, participants as a group or individually map out their

journey. Facilitator sets the parameters i.e. from birth to present day, or a map of places

in their life where they have felt good or a map of their experience of a project from start

to finish. Or if you‟re using it as an „ice-breaker‟ their journey to the training session that

day, or if they all work for the same organisation their journey through a days work.

Encourage them to think first and then list, their start point and destination and then

about „crossing places‟ where their journey may link up with someone elses in the room

and for way points of importance or interest (allow a maximum of six). Any other points

they can add in once they have their initial map laid out.

The room will be chaotic for the ten minutes you give them to map out their journey so

do mention Health & Safety and being aware of others (no strings from chair legs to

tables or door handles etc.)

You can also ask people to invent a future journey they hope to take – a career map for

instance or a dream ambition like becoming a footballer or a singer.

6. Between the Chair and the Floor

This section is about the value of story telling, from producing handmade books to the

re-counting of tales „story telling‟ is an important part of our diverse cultures and also in

terms of identity, history, warnings/morals (fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood) and of

bringing people to together for „shared experience‟.

We now know that the act of writing about personal experiences can be hugely

empowering and releasing. They are also a source of great fun, humour and

entertainment.

35

Giants & Superheroes: Group Activity

In groups give everyone 5 minutes to discuss and list their preferred qualities for their

ideal role model, for example

„Super Hero / Foster Carer / Best Friend‟

Using a large roll of paper (or wall paper), someone volunteers to lie down and be

drawn around. The rest of the group then create their ideal superhero or Foster Carer

etc. using the sparkly box to add in elements like wild hair, googly eyes, etc.

This should take no more than 20 mins

When finished, each group shares their work with the other groups and the finished

„giant‟ is stuck up on the wall.

You can then create the story of the giant:

Where does the story begin? What happens in the middle? How is it resolved (the end)?

Brainstorm lots of random questions to get ideas and inspiration for the story: Get

everyone to write down a question, like what‟s our giants favourite colour? Why does

our giant hate squirrels? Who is their best friend? What‟s the first thing they do when

they wake up? Just remember that some questions can remain unanswered in a story

You can retell your story using wooden spoon puppets, or glove puppets or

by making wooden peg dolls. Or you could turn it into a cartoon or series of

pictures.

Between the Chair and the Floor

Ask people to look at a chair you place in front of them, get them to think about the

space underneath the chair ie. The space between the chair and the floor.

Get them to list as many words as they can think of that relate to this space ie. Dark,

dusty, empty, etc. Don‟t prompt them too much. Tell them to just think for a few minutes

in silence and then to write down whatever word come into their heads.

After a few minutes ask people to share some of the words they had written down and

then ask them to turn their words into six lines (could be less but no more) of poetry or

thoughts entitled „Between The Chair and the Floor‟

There is no right or wrong but the end result will always be interesting and better than

people expect.

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“The chair is hard and cold, you feel quite nice”

Hat on Head

From Anna Jefferson, Creative Learning Manager at New Writing South, who have a

professional team of Writers experienced in bringing alive all forms of creative writing in

schools, the workplace and in the community. NWS offer bespoke workshops informing

practical, memorable and tangible experiences.

YOU WILL NEED Hats, enthusiasm, pens, paper, a lot of fun and imagination. It‟s great

to chose a place where the young people can have a bit of desk space or surface to

write on, and also a little bit of room to „perform‟ if they‟d like to read to each other

afterwards.

Collect a selection of hats; these can be any size, colour or style, but the more diverse the better. Each young person chooses a hat, and with that an identity. They might choose one for each other. Then they decide the name, age, job and location of the person they have become when they put the hat on. This can be as silly as they like. With the hat on a young person could become Miranda, the 72-year-old lolly pop lady from Swansea, or Mr Bryant, the 32-year-old fire-eater from South Africa, for example.

Once everyone has decided on who they are, they become that person and describe what it‟s like to be them for a morning. Where they wake up, what their plans are for the day and who their friends are. They might then chose to read out their writing (wearing the hat of course).

This is a great way for young people to come out of themselves, to play at being someone else and to write for fun. I have used this workshop with young people aged 7- 13, both boys and girls and it has always gone down well.

If you have time you can also make your own hats out of newspaper, card and other materials.

7. Cooking Pot

So in the spirit of „sharing‟ this is the part where we share our favourite games or

exercises. You will need to prepare people by asking them to bring something and don‟t

worry if people forget to bring something – this should be a relaxed part of your session

It might just be people talking about their favourite games or they may be confident to

demonstrate, either way the act of sharing is always a positive one.

Set a time limit no more than five minutes. And give people time to take notes

afterwards of what they liked.

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8. Mopping Up:

Feedback is always useful. Here‟s my favourite way of asking people to reflect on the

session and what they will take away from it.

Head, Heart, Bin, Bag

Put 4 sheets of paper out,

On one, draw a large head and ask people to write in them (or on post it notes which

they place on the appropriate sheet) One thing they‟ve learnt in the session

on another, draw a large heart and ask people to write in it something they‟ve loved

about the session (as above)

On another, draw a large dust bin and ask people to write in something they haven‟t

liked about the session

And finally draw a large bag or briefcase, and ask people to write in it something they‟d

like to take away with them

Give people time to have a look and comment on what others have written, make notes

or take photos of the final result so you don‟t have to carry large sheets of paper home

with you.

Pass it on!

We hope you enjoyed your creative kitchen session, now the

challenge is for you to go away and find an opportunity to pass it on

(Jamie Oliver stylie) either to a group or individuals. It’s up to you.

You can photocopy the templates in this pack and pass on the

session as a whole or just a part of it, there’s lots of ideas in the next

section and on the Creativity4Health website for you to try.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Learning is a matter of attitude, not aptitude. Georgi Lozanov

Reading List: some ideas and suggestions

Tony Buzan: Use your Head (also) Mind Maps

Betty Edwards: Drawing on the right side of the Brain

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason (novel) – Power of Music

Playing The Game by Christine Poulter for Macmillan (Games for young people)

House of Games: Making Theatre from Everyday Life by Chris Johnston published by Nick Hern Books London

Messy Play for Children with Special Needs by Tracey Beckerleg

Curtains Up! Theatre Games and Storytelling by Robert Rubenstein published by Fulcrum Publishing

Using Drama to Bring Language to Life: Ideas, Games and activities for Teachers of Language and language Arts by Sheila Robbie for Players Press

It‟s All Talk: Speaking & Listening through Games & Drama (years 7 – 9) by Stan Barrett for Carel Press

Impro for Storytellers by Keith Johnstone published by Methuen

The little Book Series: The Little Book of Messy Play by Sally Featherstone and Liz Persse

Last Child in the Woods: saving our children from nature deficit disorder by Richard Louv

Some Creative and useful Websites:

The Childrens Commissioner http://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk Arts Council England www.artscouncil.org.uk

Arts Award www.artsaward.org.uk

Creativity4health www.creativity4health.com

Oxfordshire Youth Arts Partnership www.oyap.org.uk

English National Youth Arts Network www.enyan.co.uk

Wellbeing Southeast www.wellbeingsoutheast.co.uk

Centre for Confidence and Wellbeing http://www.centreforconfidence.co.uk/flourishing-lives.php

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Creative Learning

All ways Learning:

www.allwayslearning.org.uk

www.culturallearningalliance.org.uk

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www.teachertomsblog.blogspot.com

www.campaign-for-learning.org.uk

www.newwritingsouth.com

www.creativelearningjourney.org.uk

www.funderstanding.com/right_left_brain.cfm

www.businessballs.com

www.surfaquarium.com/MI/inventory.htm

www.colormatters.com

www.inspiration.com/vlearning/index.cfm

Bursted Wood Primary School, Bexley

www.thecreativelearningjourney.co.uk

www.positivecomedy.com

www.storynory.com

Fun Googles

Creative learning or Creativity 4 Health

Creativity for kids

Bear Hunt

Thanks to creative activity contributors:

Company Paradiso www.companyparadiso.co.uk

Beatrice Cole, The Stade Education Officer, Hastings Old Town Museum

Hoodwink Theatre Co., www.hoodwinktheatre.co.uk

New Writing South www.newwritingsouth.com

Helen le Broq, OYAP www.oyap.org.uk

Rosy Prue, C4H Creative Consultant

Helen Cadbury www.theatrestudy.com

Matt Jones, Creative Director, Creative Hub for Young People

Graeme Donaldson, Musician www.synoiz.com

Dwayne Wyatt, Artist www.theboywyatt.blogspot.com

Anna Fruen, arts student http://thiefree.deviantart.com/

And to

Helen Mason Discern2consultancy

Alan from Alive With ideas www.alivewithideas.com for some early input to get it going.

All the Foster Carers from Southampton and Eastbourne who gave of their valuable time to

help shape the creative kitchen session.