How It Works
We have created a safe environment in the picturesque Wye Valley village of Llandogo, the perfect place where children can be curious and connect in a joyful and active way with visual arts projects, poetry and the performing arts including singing and music. Our days are non-competitive, relying on co-operation, teamwork and social awareness with an appreciation of others. Everyone is valued and our groups are small enough for all to develop their individual skills going from imagination to creativity with the help of our wonderful staff and volunteers.
The children are happy and spontaneous, developing confidence for free-thinking and problem solving, an appreciation of themselves, a genuine love of learning and kindness and co-operation with others. There is nothing more important to young children than being able to express themselves. Kidzart is about fostering their imagination. The joy of learning should be nurtured and requires personal knowledge in small groups where everyone gets to know each other. In teaching for creativity, the children are encouraged to believe in their own creative potential, to understand who they are as an individual and to have the self-confidence to express themselves.
Stimulating Imagination
All should have the opportunity to learn in a place where people know each other well and treat each other with respect. Groups will be small enough so each child has genuine relationships with adults and other children. A personalised group will encourage individuality with a respectful, diverse, creative, exciting, and reflective approach.
When children find the medium that most suits them, they discover their real creative strengths and come into their own building their confidence for expression. Helping children to connect with their personal creative capacities is the surest way to release the best in them.
We aim to provide the right environment for stimulating imagination, creativity, and innovation.
For the present we have started here in our small corner of the UK, in Llandogo on the border between England and Wales with our pilot year to provide free educational creative days for children from three Newport inner city primary schools.
Participation
Each participating school sends four children from one year group with one adult. The children are chosen by the individual school heads as those who will most benefit from the creative days and who may not otherwise have access to any extra-curriculum activities.
Each group then consists of a maximum of 12 children and 3 adults from three local schools. The four age groups will be year 3(7-8 yr olds), year4 (8-9 yr olds), year5(9-10yr olds), year6(10-11yr olds). There will therefore be opportunities for children to meet others from different schools. Each age group will have 3 days per year with us (one each term) and will with their adult companion continue with their learning in between back at their own schools.
A typical day at KIDZART
Venue
The Wye Valley Arts Centre in Llandogo is the perfect venue for our Kidzart creative days and WVAC is pleased to be able to donate the use of the building for these, to meet all the overhead expenses and to contribute by donating profits from a cottage holiday let and the educational courses run for adults at the Centre.
Structure
Initially there are 12 days per year, all Tuesdays, allocated at the WVAC and the dates for these have been agreed with the heads of the schools. As there are 4 age groups and 3 terms it means each of the four age groups will have one day allocated each term.
Timetable
Fresh fruit and water will be available at all times.
9.00-9.30am Arrival and breakfast.
9.30-10.55am A double session for Art with breaks at the discretion of the teacher.
10.55-11.05am Break for a drink and healthy snack, a walk outside or around the building.
11.05-12.30pm A double session for Clay work with breaks at the discretion of the teacher.
12.30-1.00pm Lunch time eating together and clearing away, a walk outside either in the field or around the building
1.00- 2.45pm A double session of Music, drama, singing with breaks at the discretion of the teacher for snacks and drink
Or a double session drawing from Nature either from items collected from the field or if a walk is not possible from the items provided by the teacher.
2.45- 3.00pm Appraisals and Goodbyes
Staffing
The charity employs teachers for the different sessions and we have wonderful staff and volunteers. If you are interested in being one of our teachers, assistants or volunteers please get in touch. Our small groups ensure that each child gets the individual attention needed.
We have a part-time manager for the charity and this person coordinates the WVAC with the charity, managing the funding sources, including the adult courses at WVAC and the cottage holiday let which belongs to and helps to support the WVAC which in turn donates proceeds to Kidzart. Helpers and volunteers are always very welcome.
Teachers
Debbie Devauden
Debbie gained a Diploma in Botanical Illustration from the English Gardening School at the Chelsea Physic Garden and has been teaching since then. She has worked in schools’ programmes and adult education classes. Her teaching methods inspire her students, from beginners to more experienced artists, to enjoy producing beautiful botanical paintings. Debbie’s classes are renowned for being relaxed and good fun!
Lesley Chapman
We feel very fortunate to have Lesley Chapman as our music tutor with her wealth of experience and inspirational energy. She has spent all her working life in Music Education, teaching Reception to ‘A’ Level pupils, preparing pupils for performance and conducting a myriad of ensembles, orchestras, and choirs. She has always been passionate about music, making sure that each pupil performs to their best and to their full potential. In her career she was Head of Sixth Form and Deputy Head of the Cambridgeshire Music Service, before moving to Hereford where she worked for Encore – the Herefordshire Music Service – supporting Music GCSE pupils for their exams. Now retired, she plays in a variety of recorder ensembles and has the privilege of conducting a couple of groups too.
Maz Balaam
Maz Balaam is a ceramicist living and working in the Forest of Dean. She was born on the banks of the river Thames, trained at Windsor Art College and the Royal Forest of Dean College and is an active member of a local co-operative of potters based in Newnham, plus other artist collectives. Maz has been strongly influenced by the Forest around her and the Welsh coast and this is reflected in her work. She has tutored at a number of festivals and local schools as a volunteer and her work has been exhibited at the Gardens Gallery Cheltenham plus a number of local galleries.
Yvonne Thompson
Yvonne has an MA from The Royal College of Art. She has a wealth of teaching experience, having taught as a specialist art teacher for 16 years at primary school level where she succeeded in getting children’s art work into the Saachi Gallery and the Young Person’s Royal Academy Summer Show. Yvonne has also taught at Art Foundation Course and degree levels.
Aside from Kidzart, Yvonne is a freelance illustrator and designer and also produces her own art works. In her spare time she enjoys tennis, cycling, reading and gardening.
You can see Yvonne’s teaching strategy here.