Tiny Arts Club

The big creative idea & moodboard

A creative, social, members club for 0-5’s and their parent or carer

Given the impact on brain development that early experiences have, it is not surprising that several studies have uncovered significant long-term impacts of creative environments. They highlight how creative activities that encourage positive relationships have a direct bearing on helping a rapid blooming of synapses, leading to the formation of well-rounded personalities, good attachment, self-esteem and better mental health.

[Full research report with evidence based studies available on request]

Why I think this is needed

I live in Lewisham and became a parent in 2022 and experienced these things first hand:

• Expensive 1 hour baby classes

• Experiences at these classes and drop-in centres is crying out for more innovation and creativity - to stimulate both the children AND the parents. Same songs, same nursery rhymes, tired uninspiring spaces.

• Lack of places to go and just hang out or play with babies and toddlers even in London (we have 2 local Stay and Play places - 1 of them is ok but repetitive and experience for carers could be better. At worst, oversubscribed, busy and a stressful experience for all. Libraries - free but little to do and stressful trying to keep little ones quiet for others, social element missing)

• Summer - a lot of the provisions, spaces and classes stop entirely even though most parents don’t get 6 weeks off work or their weekly childcare routines.

• Little or no places for little ones to get messy and create, play with high quality art materials or build and make. 

• Disappointed by nursery’s provision for ‘creative education’ even though this is specified as a required in the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum. At my daughters nursery this mostly involves the same activity playing with cornflour or shaving foam each week (2-3 year olds).

• Little space or opportunities for artists to experiment with this type of work or connect with this age group.

• The need for IRL connection following Covid - we need more spaces in the community to help with loneliness and provide support at what is often a difficult and testing phase of life; parenthood with young children.

• I want to encourage parents to swap fragmented attention via phones to be present and play with their children - supported by the space and activities we create.

  
  

Key ideas for the Tiny Arts Members Club

• As an immersive installation artist myself with a background in theatre design, interior design and events, I would lead the re-design and transform of the building as well as creating some immersive experiences & installations for the club members.

• 0-5’s would be at the heart of the consultation process to design and install things in the space THEY wanted and co-created.

• Work and areas would be further split down into 0-1’s, 1-2’s, 3-5’s as they will need different considerations.

• We would invite other artists who have AND haven’t made work for this age group before to use the space and create an experience, performance, installation or interactive piece for 0-5 year olds. Giving artists another string to their bow and hopefully encouraging a new cohort of artists to be excited to develop work for a new age group. This could be a series of workshops, or a one off.

• The Club would provide opportunities for artists to work WITH this age group for R&D making the work, and give the community an exciting opportunity to be part of  the creative process.

• Training, professional development, advice, workshops and learning sessions could be provided for artists, delivered by sector leaders and exemplars of work for this age group. (eg. Assemble Play, Fevered Sleep, Gift Theatre, Theatre Hullabaloo, Seven Stories) 

• Connect and learn from local nursery childcare workers who have incredible experience, knowledge and insight into working with this age group.

• Provide creative experiences and workshops for nursery staff which might feed into a collaborative nursery project where we take work IN to nurseries, or organise trips to the Members Club with nurseries i.e. a weekly 2 hour slot for different nurseries in the borough.

• Create a community hub for people to meet, make new friends, spend unhurried time with their little one exploring new art forms and creativity with regular drop-in time available.

• Provide an enjoyable, multi-functioning space to spend time outside the home to aid mental wellbeing of both parent/carer and child.

• A social space for parents to connect with each other and gain confidence learning about creative activities they can do at home with their child.

• A re-usable ‘materials bank’ for creative practitioners and artists to use and borrow for activities with the children - to help with costs and sustainability. Some of which could be donated by local businesses.

  
  

What would happen in the space?

Activities that could take place and be experienced (these activities might be a mix of open drop-in sessions and scheduled, ticketed events)

• Workshops

• Messy creation sessions with natural materials (already have a florist who is willing to donate event flowers to the club) or unusual sustainable materials

• Whole room interactive installations

• Live music performances (perhaps playing with ways to create music with little ones as co-collaborators)

• Other performances (focusing on a mix of visual, non-verbal, multi-sensory) and splitting down into very age specific sharings

• Artist takes on multi-sensory rooms

• R&D sharings from artists inviting feedback

• Participatory workshops using lots of art forms (making but also music, dance, live art, writing and more)

• Play sessions led by artists and their favourite media and materials (think microphones, sound mixing, projection and light amongst more traditional media)

As well as these creativity-focused activities, the whole experience of being in the space will be considered and focus on the wellbeing of all those in the building. 

• Nap/chill/calm areas for parent and baby and breastfeeding

• No phones, or one designated area to use phones if arranging to meet people etc.

• Pop-up (external company i.e. coffee van) Cafe element to provide good quality coffee and simple but good food and baby/toddler friendly snacks selections

• Shoe-free soft areas for lounging, reading and play

• Possible evening offering with bar provided for evening artist sessions and socials (tbc)

• Nappy change area

• Pram & wheelchair accessible

• A warm and tactile space that is nice to move around

Ideas for structure:

Models for using the space could include a monthly or quarterly membership fee which would enable access to everything, or a PAYG or PWYC model where carers might just pay to come for a whole afternoon or morning.

Past relevant experiences…

Getting in empty buildings and filling them with creative experiences & art

Exploring creative experiences for 0-3’s

Collaborating with other artists

HIVE Project at Wooler Primary School

For Experiments in Happiness I invited 6 artists in to the space to respond to it through an all day workshop, 4 were then invited to respond to the space and subject matter to create their own pieces for the event which spanned performance, crafting with audience members, live art, dance and mixed media.

Possible connection ideas

Smartphone Free Childhood & The Offline Club

Early Research material and influences