Mission Statement:
My mission as an emerging practitioner is to work with Early Years, creating workshops for children between the ages of 2 and 9. This is because I want to help their developmental systems. I believe that “we educate our children to cut off from their bodies, to line in their heads, to reject their innate capacity for a whole-hearted experience” (Greenland, 2002, 18).
Vision:
My vision for my company is to create workshops for children to help enhance their imagination, memory, balance and coordination to help them to become fully embodied in the future. I believe that “if we equip children to work with feelings, with sensation and with movement they are more likely to be able to monitor and maintain their own health” (Greenland, 2002, 58).
Aims and Objectives:
- I will enhance their imagination by helping them express themselves within the games and to play with props in a variety of ways.
- I will help focus their minds, this will help stop attention deficit struggles in the future.
- I will incorporate both dance and theatre into the workshops to help engage their imagination and memory as well as work with props (toys such as Lycra, elastic, feathers, balls and scarves) and play games.
I will be working with young participants because I believe these activities will help them become embodied. This type of person is “someone who involves every cell of their being in everything they do; they know how they feel; they are obviously comfortable in their body; they can identify their symptoms and sensations with brevity and precision; they know how to celebrate physically as well as intellectually” (Greenland, 2002, 46). I also believe that the culture we live in today undervalues this as they don’t fully understand that the “neurological organisation is a natural phenomenon […] [that] doesn’t have to be taught, but it does need to be supported” (Greenland, 2002, 16).
My Principles:
- To work within a safe environment with the children
- To play in a range of ways that help the children to feel comfortable and confident
- To help them express themselves through imagination with stories and improvisation games
- To help them engage effectively in team-work
- To develop a sense of trust between myself and each member of the group
- To work with the whole body in a variety of ways to help them focus on balance and coordination, such as body crawling, crawling, jumping, hopping, skipping and freezing when asked to
- To work in pairs through mirroring each other and playing ‘call-and-response’ games
Processes:
The weekly sessions will contain a variety of improvisation tasks to emerge the young participants in their own creativity. I will also teach set exercises, these will be mainly the warm-up and cool-down exercises however for new dance routines or theatre techniques, tasks and exercises may be set so that they may be repeated each week. Some content will be text based but only small, simple phrases or a few words that will help to engage the participants with their own creativity. I will not use scripts as the participants will be too young to read mature texts but will allow them to contribute to a whole script, week by week, which will be the basis of their end performance.
Complaints Procedure:
If there is any dissatisfaction during the participants time with Inspiring The Young you may contact a member of staff.
Complaints may come from any participant, parent or carer.
Complaints can be made in writing, email or with a meeting with whom the complaint is made about.
All complaints will be kept as confidential pieces of information and will not be shared with anyone.
Once the complaint is received, action will be made.
Data Protection:
The types of data we require are: names, ages, gender, date of birth, medical information and parental / carer contact details. These are compulsory details that we need however within our company we may wish to gather extra data from the participants. For example, Inspiring The Young may wish to take pictures or film specific rehearsals or workshops, for future reference or for the staff’s individual feedback. The photos and videos will not be shared with anyone outside of the company.
We also need the addresses of all participants so that we may send reminders by post about up-coming events or any vital information that they may need to know.
All photos, videos or addresses and any other information that we may store of all participants will be entirely confidential and will be used within the company only.
All information will be stored both electronically and in paper documents.
As parents and carers of our participants you have the right to withhold personal information from us. There will also be a signed contract between parent of participant and practitioner for whether we are allowed to film or take pictures of the young participant.
The information we will receive will be kept securely and will be used appropriately and stored for no longer than is necessary.
Equal Opportunities & Vulnerable People:
There is available access for all participants. Within the building there is a working lift as well as stairs, wide doors for wheelchair access and large studios.
We do not discriminate against any gender, age, race or disability. We treat everyone with the same respect and dignity and allow all to participate (between the ages of 2-9 years).
Works cited:
Greenland, P. (2002) Hopping Home Backwards Body intelligence and movement play. Leeds: Jabadao.
