The projects in East Sussex and West Sussex have both been looking in detail at what happens when artists and early years practitioners collaborate with each other.
This section offers more insight into the value of both projects, drawn from reflection sessions and project evaluation reports. Although they were developed in different ways, the two projects provide similar evidence that early years practitioners and artists working together:
• develops the confidence of early years practitioners to use creative approaches and take risks – for example making more use of outside space
• provides effective ways to involve parents and make contact with the wider community and cultural sector
• supports opportunities for shared sustained thinking and holistic learning
• supports inclusive practice, children’s schemas, independent learning, communication and social skills
• supports reflection and experiential learning and skills sharing for both artists and early years practitioners, and given sufficient time a supportive learning community develops
• demonstrates the benefits of using simple materials and the possibilities for learning, creativity and play offered by them
• provides opportunities for children to engage for long periods of time in activity and for activities to engage children who are usually hard to reach
• results in activity that supports learning in all areas of the foundation stage curriculum.