Children are Artists: Supporting Children's Learning Identity as Artists

✍ Scribed by Penny Hay

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2023
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 201
• Series: Routledge Research in Arts Education
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This book explores how we can better understand and support children’s learning identity as artists. It discusses an innovative pedagogical approach that outlines parents’ and educators’ roles in developing and supporting children as artists.

Drawing on original research, the book discusses rich case study examples and vignettes to give new insights into children’s learning and developing identities as artists. It identifies the key characteristics of children’s creative learning and outlines a creative and reflective pedagogy while highlighting the role of adults in the process. The chapters discuss topics such as curiosity, creative skills, self-directed learning, real-life contexts for learning and ways of engaging creative learning and imagination.

The book provides a new model for children’s art education and will be essential reading for academics, researchers, and students in the fields of arts education, creativity, and learning. It will also appeal to specialist art educators and policy makers within the arts and arts education.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
List of figures
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1: Why art?: Context and rationale
Being an artist
Children working with artists and the development of artistic identity
Developing a creative learning environment for art practice alongside children
Chapter summary
References
Chapter 2: Children as artists
Defining the terms artist and artistry
Defining the term: identity
The terms artist and identity
Children working with artists and the development of artistic identity
Towards a working definition of ‘artist’
The notion of children as artists and the role of the adults
A process model of children’s developing artistic identity
Pedagogy
The pedagogical approach to arts and creativity in House of Imagination and Reggio Emilia
A pedagogy for creativity and being an artist
Creativity in relation to being an artist
The notion of artistry within the educational literature on creativity
Developing a creative learning environment for art practice
The relationship between creativity and the arts in the UK government's educational documentation
References
Chapter 3: A creative methodology: Principles and processes
Research methodology
Data collection
Data collection overview
Data analysis
Ethical issues
Validity
Rethinking the methodology
Illuminating glow moments
Chapter summary
References
Chapter 4: Vignettes: Lily, Luc and Kitty
Vignette 1: Lily
Vignette 2: Luc
Vignette 3: Kitty
How do I know the children are developing an identity as artists?
The role of the adult
Creative values, relationships, environments and dispositions
Creative values
Creative relationships
Creative environments
Creative dispositions
Children’s creative thinking and representation
Chapter summary
Vignettes: Lily, Luc and Kitty that focus on the following aspects of creative and artistic learning
Creative dispositions of children
Children’s developing identity as artists through creative enquiry
Relationships and collaborations between adults and children
Creative values, attitudes and perspectives of the adult (artist, parent, teacher or teaching assistant)
Creative learning environment
References
Chapter 5: Case studies of children as artists: Glow moments
Presenting the case
Codes emerging from both cycles of the data
1 Creative dispositions of children:
2 Children’s developing identity as artists through creative enquiry:
3 Relationships and collaborations between adults and children:
4 Creative values, attitudes and perspectives of the adult (artist, parent, teacher, teaching assistant):
5 Creative learning environment (nature and characteristics of the physical and emotional learning environment):
Case study 1, Bo
Creative dispositions of children
Children’s developing identity as artists through creative enquiry
Relationships and collaborations between adults and children
Creative values, attitudes and perspectives of the adult (artist, parent, teacher or teaching assistant)
Creative learning environment
Reflections on Bo
Case study 2, Jay
Creative dispositions of children
Children’s developing identity as artists through creative enquiry
Relationships and collaborations between adults and children
Creative values, attitudes and perspectives of the adult
Creative learning environment
Reflections on Jay
How can I usefully define what it means for children aged 4–8 years to develop their learning identity as artists?
What strategies can adults (educators, artists, parents) employ to support children’s creative development and learning identity as artists?
Key themes emerging from the case studies: reflections on Bo and Jay
The concept of being an artist
A playful context
Universal themes in art
Open-ended materials and processes
Observation, documentation and using sketchbooks
Importance of drawing as a process of communication and making meaning
Attunement and the quality of attention
Time and space
Reflection and dialogue
Panning out
Creative dispositions
Creative relationships
Creative values
Creative environments
Summary
An aside
Questions emerging
Creative dispositions
Creative relationships
Creative values
Creative environments
Acknowledging resonances, conflicts and new ground
Chapter summary
References
Chapter 6: How do adults support children’s developing identity as artists?
Emerging theory: how do adults support children’s developing identity as artists?
Becoming and being an artist
Quality of relationships and dialogue
Art and affect
Exploration and choice
Self-directed enquiry
Collaboration and creative provocation
Deep documentation
Space, time and attention
Structure and freedom
Aesthetic experience
Inviting a ‘hundred languages’ of thinking and expression
Thinking through making
The aesthetic third
Working with contemporary artists
The value of uncertainty
Children working as artists
From pedagogy to heutagogy
Chapter summary
References
Chapter 7: Everyone has the potential to be an artist
A continuous unfolding
Art as idea, opening up possibilities
Challenges, tensions and dilemmas
Contributions to knowledge
Implications for practice and research
Potential for postdoctoral research
References
Index