“Museums inspire powerful and identity-building learning in children, young people and community members“
(DCMS, 2003-2004)
This week’s session took place in Kelvingrove art gallery in Glasgow. I had never been to this particular art gallery so it was a fantastic experience. We were able to take part in various workshops and activities while visiting that are widely available to primary classes across the country.
One particular activity which I found to be interesting if doing with children was the feely bags. We had to put our hand into the bag and feel an object whilst looking at the painting ‘Still Life’ by David Horn, and find the object in the painting. This activity is great to stimulate a child’s imagination as they are using multiple senses, not just their sight. This also introduces children to a wider range of vocabulary when describing objects. Activities like this would engage children more than just looking at a painting, especially children who are more ‘hands-on’ learners.
We then proceeded to take part in creating a drama performance, using the painting ‘Windows in the West’ as our stimulus. The class worked as one big group and chose a scene from one of the windows to act out. I thought this was a great idea as there were so many different options for different types of dramas that could’ve been created, due to the wide variety of artwork throughout the gallery. This could even be related to a class topic such as the Ancient Egyptians, as there are many exhibits and displays in Kelvingrove, as well as artwork.
According to DCSM (2003-2004) museums “Target and motivate disadvantaged individuals and groups effectively”. This is something which I have witnessed while on placement. There was a child who struggled to focus and stay on task, however, when it cames to the arts he excelled and engaged fully. Therefore, visiting an art gallery would be hugely beneficial for this child as he could explore, imagine and create the arts in a practical manner.
References
- DCSM (2003-2004) Inspiration, Identity, Learning: The Value of Museums. [Online] Available: http://moodle.uws.ac.uk/mod/folder/view.php?id=715071 [Accessed 5 April 2017]
