Families - Victoria and Albert Museum
This week we are interviewing Harriet Curnow (Programme Manager, Families) from Victoria & Albert musem to find out more about what role is art playing in children's life and how we can create a better environment for them to develop their creativity.
Why is art and creativity important from early childhood?
There is a lot of research into the importance of creativity in early childhood. Being creative through making, performing and digital activities help children develop their cognitive, language, social, emotional, and physical abilities. Visiting a museum as a family is a great way to explore with children and are great places for adults too.
How do you engage children with art?
At the V&A we run free activities for children every day of the year. During the holidays we have free making, performance and digital activities that are social, playful, fun and for all ages. For example, during the Easter holidays this year, we will have a drop-in collage making activity on the Imagination Station and a Digital Kids activity using green screen photography. There will also be a Pop-up Performance celebrating the dance of spring three times a day. Every weekend during term-time, we have Pop-up Performances on Saturdays and Drop-in Design making activities on Sundays. Themes rotate each weekend – see the website for details.
If you visit during the week, you can borrow a back-pack or do a trail and explore a variety of rooms across the museum.By exploring the museum through art, design and performance, children see and learn new things with their families and friends.
How is art important in the language development?
Art can really help with language development and objects can be a real starting point for storytelling and sparking conversations about a wide range of topics. Visual literacy can develop as children become more confident about talking about what they can see and how they feel about it.
Our Agent Animals bags have been designed for very small children and introduce six animal words and the sounds that they make. The Architecture back-pack by contrast explores architectural terms and ideas for older children. Our performances will often be pitched at a variety of ages so everyone, young and old will get something from the experience.
Are children natural creative thinkers?
Children are naturally very creative. From an early age they can make amazing marks on paper and have no problem expressing themselves. As children become older they can lose that confidence as they become worried about what is right and wrong, but that is the beauty of art, there is no right and wrong. And if you think that the scary tiger is in fact very friendly then that is your opinion!
What are the best methods that you would recommend for parents to encourage children’s creativity?
Learning through play is the best way of encouraging your child’s creativity. Many of our events at the V&A are free and all you have to do is turn up and take part. At home, you could get some paper, pencils, paints and stickers and create a collage. Explore shapes, marks or draw something in your home or outside! Have fun and don’t worry if it doesn’t look ‘correct.’ Many artists plays with the size and colour of objects. Don’t be afraid to make a mess. Cover tables and chairs and clothes and go for it! To practice performing, dress up, write a story and act it out together as a family. Inhabit the character as you go about your day! To explore digital activities there are lots of free online software that enables you to create and make. Alternately, visit your local museum or gallery and take part in events that they offer.
My top tips for enjoying a museum visit
At the V&A we have something for you to do every day, we also have a café, a lunchroom, a garden, lifts, baby changing and a buggy park. If you can check these things before visiting a museum for the first time it could make your visit more relaxing. Have a plan of action so that you can keep everyone in your group interested. You could do one thing or plan a whole day!
A suggested visit:
Plan to arrive at the V&A for 10.30am. You could pick up information about what’s on from staff and then drop off your coats at the cloakroom or leave your buggy at the buggy park. If it is a Saturday you could go to the Pop-up Performance at 11am (1pm or 3pm) or if it’s a Sunday, drop into Drop-in.
Design open from 10.30am – 5pm. You could then eat lunch (café or lunchroom), then go and explore the hands-on interactive areas in the new Europe Galleries. Weather permitting it might be time for some fresh air in the garden and a coffee for the adults. If you have the energy, perhaps you could then explore the museum with a back-pack or trail (available from the Grand Entrance or Learning Centre) with the aim of heading home at 3.30/4 before rush hour, knowing that you have had a fun filled, interesting and entertaining day at the museum!
Which exhibition at the museum would you recommend for families?
We have lots of displays that children can enjoy with objects from around the world. We have just opened the new Europe 1600 – 1815 Galleries. In Room 6 visitors can explore the natural and man-made world in The Cabinet. You can make a rubbing, solve riddles, play games and touch the lizard. In Room 2a, copy the Harlequin’s moves in The Masquerade. This full-height interactive film begins at a masked ball in Venice. You can also follow the parrot to find 30 special family labels and play the digital game Terrible Trades in Room 4 – can you progress from apprentice to master? Explore The Ommegang painting in detail in Room 7 and when you get home, Design a Wig (available on V&A website only at http://www.vam.ac.uk/designawig)
The idea behind Digital Kids
We want to offer activities for children that explore a variety of making skills that include digital.
Using a digital device can sometimes be a solitary experience but in Digital Kids we create activities that involve all the family and create intergeneration learning opportunities where the child can take the lead.
We look forward to welcoming you to the museum. Victoria and Albert Museum, SW7 2RL.
Tubes South Kensington or Knightsbridge. Buses C1, 14, 74 & 414.
Find out more: www.vam.ac.uk/families
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