Just Playing

We all talk about creativity and how important it is. But, how often do we really, actively, promote, model and provoke it? How often do we, or students, take risks? How often do we just play? This is just to note one such occassion where a group of creative practitioners and some KS3 students spent a day in a blacked out drama studio to find out what they could do with the space using objects, light, sound, film, animation and whatever came to mind. The video just captures a few moments towards the end of the day but it gives a flavour of the piece - reminded me of a Soft Machine gig of the 1960s, but no one else was old enough to know what I was talking about.
Chalfonts Community College are funded through Creative Partnerships as a 'Change School'. They have found space in their timetable each term for all KS3 students to spend two days working with creative partners to develop familiarity and skills using new technologies - sound, animation, film, photography and collage. This event brought all the creative partners back into school for a final day in which they and the children were given the opportunity to make/do something using the space. It was in effect simply giving permission to play. I guess one interesting question might be, who, was giving, who, permission to play - teachers, students or practitioners?