Execution
By combining the planning of the schools’
ordinary activities with the project, it’s possible to arrive at solutions
where art strengthens childrens’ feeling for geometry, numbers,
relationships and proportions, social patterns, etc. Some examples of this
are as follows:
In order to strengthen understanding of basic
mathematical principles: building patterns using geometric forms. Building
shapes with different-coloured blocks, as illustrated in a number of
different pictures. Playing with counting sticks to help develop a feeling
for size and proportion, to train motor skills and a sense of aesthetics.
Examining and producing painted studies of pine cones, sunflowers, seashells
and other objects which are built up around the double spiral. Calculating,
in order to arrive at the conclusion that the relationship between the
number of spirals follows the Golden Section, and talking about its
influence on our culture.
Odd and even numbers: dancing around in a ring, in double and triple time
respectively. in order to really feel, in a fundamental physical sense, what
it is that distinguishes odd and even from one another. Expanding this to
include other rythms and their subsequent effect on the pattern of movement.
Starting out with the work of artists like Kandinsky and Eschers:
understanding the connections between the various geometric forms and how
these can vary. Comparisons can be made with the structure of a mosaic.
To make room for the individual at the same time as pursuing a group dynamic:
Practicing a rythm or a song. When it’s fastened, the children have the task
of developing it; the rythm gets more swing and the song a broader and
deeper sound. This is an exercise in improvisation as well as in singing in
parts, and an example, in a form both simple and striking, of how the whole
can be more than just the sum of its parts.
These are very simple examples of the basic principle. Obviously, the level
of complexity increases in tact with the expanding knowledge of the child.
Art of course has a distinct intrinsic value all of its own. Through the
actual physical practice of different forms of artistic expression, so too
will their grasp of the fundamental artistic concepts, such as form,
movement and direction, be able to develop. This makes them conscious of the
fact that it is not only important to mouth the lines associated with a
particular roll, but also of the importance of creating an atmosphere in the
space concerned, of directing a performance towards the right part of the
room, of being conscious of the weight of the body’s visual presence on a
stage, etc. At the centre here are complex notions which strengthen us as
human beings, both in terms of personal self-esteem and as part of the
collective as a whole.
As a consequence, the project in no way needs to be boring or tiresome for
those children who are already gifted in terms of their grasp of abstract
thought. At the same time, the project has the chance to expand creative
thinking and stimulate the imagination of all who take part. This in turn
has a positive effect on the number of synapses in the brain, which cements
the discoveries which the child makes and results in deeper understanding.
