CreatAbility (2006)

Lead Dance Artist: Amanda Drago

Lead Visual Artist: Teresa Grimaldi

Lead Visual Artist: Claire Simpson

Lead Musician: Sharon Quinn

Regional Muscian: Lou Bradbury

Regional Dance Artist: Natasha McKenzie

Regional Visual Artist: Jane Chalk

Creatability Project Manager: Sara Samson

Arts & Creativity Officer, West Sussex County Council: Claire Halstead

CreatAbility project began in 2005 with Teresa Grimaldi and Claire Simpson running weekly visual arts sessions in nursery settings in West Sussex introducing children and early years practitioners to a wide variety of arts processes and materials.

The project continued on a larger scale in 2006 with a wider range of artists working together offering opportunities to develop visual arts, music and dance. Lead visual artists Teresa Grimaldi and Claire Simpson returned to the project however they were joined with visual artist Jane Chalk, musicians Sharon Quinn and Lou Bradbury and dance artists Amanda Drago and Natasha McKenzie.

As well as an eight week programme of workshops in nursery settings, the project offered great opportunities for collaborative working and led to the publication of a new book about creative learning for under fives; Creative Activities for the Early Years and its own mini site with downloadable resources. Click here for the mini site to open in a new window. To purchase a copy click here.

'An excellent resource for all those working with young children... jam-packed with exciting, inspirational activities that encourage young children to nurture their creativity and imagination while helping practitioners to facilitate what children do naturally... It is a book that celebrates and encourages original thought and action to support learning through exploration and investigation, recognising that creativity is about representing one's own image and not reproducing someone else's' - Early Years Educator

The book was launched at the CreatAbility Conference (May 2007) where delegates were also able to take part in some of the activities and ideas explored during the project in the CreatAbility Studio. Delegates commented.

“Well done, fantastic workshops especially the CreatAbility tents - great ideas can’t wait to put ideas into action”

Rather repeated what I saw in Birmingham EXCEPT FOR THE STUDIO WHICH WAS OUTSTANDING!”

CreatAbiity was funded by Arts Council and West Sussex County Council