Background
- Engagement (with arts in recreational settings) is linked to learning experience and initiative
- Question: are the participants in the activity invested in and committed to the experience offered, and if so what conditions support or restrict such engagement?
- Creative experiences are linked with wellbeing
- Artistic experiences for children extend their aesthetic awareness and communicative capacities
- Stimulating creativity with artistic challenges is a precondition for innovation and ‘excellence’
- Social connectedness is increased through engaging with arts collaboratively as it facilitates social exchange/interaction between people with shared interests
- Social connectedness and ‘cultural citizenship’ are cornerstones of community development and well being
Concept
- Organised through ArtPlay (public arts space managed by the City of Melbourne that caters for children aged 3-13) and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO)
- Free school holiday program (workshops) that targeted disadvantaged children (who have limited access to instrumental music)
- Exploration of music through games, improvisation and collaborative composition
Outcomes
- Children immersed in environment that facilitated and encouraged use of their innate musicality – stimulated high levels of engagement
- Reduced disruptive behaviour
- Playful and social, introductory games effectively promoted concentration and listening, established teamwork and exposed youngsters to the creative process
- Emphasis on exploration as opposed to technical ability instilled confidence in participants, further fostering their originality, innovation and experimentation
- Group activities bred social connectedness
Relevance
Co-creation and collaboration between people increases the level of engagement between participants to activities, i.e. users of a particular experience, and stimulates creativity and social connectedness.
Design Practices: Identity 