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Robert Brown
Jennifer Andersen
Heidi Weatherald
University of Melbourne
The importance of the arts to the creative, cultural and social development of
children is increasingly acknowledged. In recognition of this, ArtPlay was established
in 2005 by the City of Melbourne. Open to children aged three to 12 years, the facility
provides a wide range of artist-led programs that serve a broad community, including
parents and teachers. While institutions such as ArtPlay are emerging in response to
a growing community demand, there has yet to be significant and sustained research
into processes and outcomes of such organisations.
This paper reports on a three-year Australia Research Council-funded research project
(2007–2009) that has been designed to identify, map and evidence the practices
of ArtPlay in relation to engagement, learning and cultural citizenship. Through
reference to the responses of children, families and artists to one key ArtPlay program,
Pocketfool for preschoolers, this paper explores the question: What factors influence
the engagement of children and families in an artist-led community-based workshop?
Australasian Journal of Early Childhood – Volume 35 No 3 September 2010
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