Playful Gardens are monthly, inclusive family play days held outdoors within the Dundee Botanic gardens. Those involved in Playful Gardens see the huge benefits for families, but we wanted to learn more about families’ experiences at the events. In 2023-24 Playful Gardens were able to host Tara O’Leary, a research student from University of Dundee …
The ‘Wee Art in the Wee Forest’ pilot project was a collaboration between the learning team at Dundee Contemporary Arts and the GP’s at Douglas Medical Centre. The Medical centre had recently developed a ‘wee forest’ – a nature scot initiative to increase biodiversity and community engagement in urban spaces. The staff were all keen …
We were delighted to be involved in running Playful Gardens in 2022, along with NHS Tayside, Barnardo’s, DCA, Scrap Antics, Dundee Botanic Gardens and lots of other amazing organisations who joined in. You can read our repot on this pilot project to offer inclusive family play days below. Tip for viewing: Make the report full …
We have been working with some amazing families to develop the ideas from our Home Art box project into a book, to encourage more families to try art making with their very young children. We have been testing and co-designing the activities with the families and a great photographer, David P Scott, has been capturing …
Over the Covid-19 restrictions Art at the Start have been sending out boxes of art materials and ideas to try at home to vulnerable families. The first 50 were funded by Vicky’s School of Social Sciences research budget and then we were lucky to win funding from the University’s Public Engagement Seed Fund to do …
Inspired by the current exhibition at the DCA by Stuart Whipps, we have collaborated with the University of Dundee Botanic Gardens to offer families from Homestart and Dundee International Women’s Centre free visits and creative activities when they are there. There is now an amazing mud pit for wee ones to explore, try out some messy …
All this week Art at the Start, DCA and Dundee Science Centre have teamed up to do science and art activities, all themed on art and looking. You can find them all on the science centre’s home learning portal here www.dundeesciencecentre.org.uk/early-years-week You’ll find some colour theory, optical illusions, remembering games and more. There are also …
During the social distancing measures for Covid-19 we have had to end all our public messy play sessions and all our art therapy groups. We are posting art activities that are easy to do at home on our website and posting these regularly on social media. To keep up to date with these you can …
We have sadly had to take the decision to postpone all our Art Therapy groups, home visits and public messy play sessions for the time being to help social distancing in the Coronavirus pandemic. We are really sorry to all the mums and little ones but of course everyone’s health and wellbeing is our highest priority. If you are …
Holly has been working with Dundee Contemporary Arts on a couple of projects, and it seems Autumn is the time to share them! Engage Journal Firstly, she interviewed Sarah Derrick, Head of Learning, about the development of the learning programme at DCA over the course of 20 years. This article has been published by Engage, …