Dynamic New Animation - Imaginary Leaps

DNA are producing a series of theatre workshops, professional training and playkits for Early Years Providers, Libraries, Museums and Galleries, as part of their Imaginary Leaps programme. An external evaluation of the Imaginary Leaps impact can be read here. The theme running through the core of the programme is "Communicating visually, inspiring creativity".

Experts offer training in the benefits that puppets, creative play and performance can bring to the intellectual, emotional and physical development of young children, including:

• Creating bespoke, hand made play kits for hands on interactive play for young children and their families.
• To extend participatory creative learning experiences in museum and gallery environments.

These special play kits are made to commission by skilled visual artists and are extremely tactile, colorful and hard wearing for lots of play. Successful kits have been made for Eureka Childrens Museum in Halifax, to extend children's creative experiences in the Sound Garden and Desert area. Rebecca Johnson, Eureka's Director of Early Years and Play, writes:

‘At Eureka we have two galleries designed for children 0 - 5 which provide a range of multi-sensory experiences, however we wanted to help bring these galleries to life, encouraging creative play and the use of imagination. Having worked with DNA before we were confident that their puppets would create a trigger and focus for this play - though we wanted more than just puppets and commissioned a range of bespoke play boxes.

Items inside the playboxes include fruits made from soft, tactile material, fabrics, and puppets designed to encourage creative play. DNA also provided Eureka! staff with training on how to be a partner in play with the children and the boxes. The training highlighted the importance of allowing children to use materials in new ways, make their own discoveries and empowering them to take the lead.

We wanted to tap in to children's innate curiosity about the world around them, to be intrinsically motivated . What better way than to engage in creative play, most importantly we did not want to focus on an end product but to leave the children to be free to explore all sorts of possibilities.'

Early year's providers are also offered training by skilled DNA professionals to develop story telling and puppetry skills emphasizing free creative participation and facilitation for the very young.

Play Kits are based on different themes, from the immediate environment such as from a gallery or museum collection, children's literature and other visual site specific references.

Cost of commissions are subject to consultation with full design brief and development. DNA work closely alongside with their clients, to deliver an effective creative learning tool. For more information This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Artistic Director

DNA Puppetry and Visual Theatre
Studio 13
The Watermark
9-15 Ribbleton Lane
Preston
PR1 5EZ
01772 253100