Yesterday was a very full day at our local
Arts Centre, starting with this energetic and full audience participation version of Peter And The Wolf. Absolutely packed studio performance. Great fun.
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| M moved to the very front to dance and act out the story. |
The packed studio meant I was sat towards the middle of the room and persuaded M to go sit at the front with the other children. M wasn't too keen to start with, but once the concert started she engaged with the performance, answering questions, joining in and making suggestions.
After the concert was over we enjoyed an indoor picnic hiding from Storm Doris which was raging outside, then went to take in the current exhibition in the Mead Gallery.
There were only three installations and the first was a bit lack-lustre, but we walked around the corner and M stopped, stunned.
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| M stopped and said 'Wow!' |
M showed great restraint here. She desperately wanted to touch and to get underneath the thing. It isn't every day you see hundreds of pots and pans suspended from the ceiling. Instead she walked around it, viewing the installation from every angle she could while standing a good couple of metres away.
She turned around and had another 'Wow!' moment, but refrained from touching as I stood by.
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| Time for dinner. |
I love introducing M to art and talking about what we see, which is why we drop into art galleries and museums on a fairly regular basis. I know a lot of six year olds might not be so appreciative, but M thoroughly enjoys anything art related.
As usual, The Mead had set up a creative space following the current themes in the gallery. M enjoyed playing with cutlery on an OHP, telling stories, singing and moving things around.
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| M has fun with cutlery and an OHP |
Then she got creative.
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| Making a thing. |
Another girl was talked to and consulted on how to use the resources available. Staff and gallery visitors were talked to. Singing happened. I helped where requested. which meant wielding sticky tape (there was no glue) under close direction. Fun was had, until at last a very tired little girl declared she was finished and we could go home.
Even I got involved, drawing the following with graphite sticks when not facilitating M's creative needs.
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| Mummy's effort. |
A long day, which left M very inspired and me very worn out!
