Reggio Emilia Study Trip

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Sixteen delegates from East Lancashire, including teachers, head teachers, practitioners and Creative Partnerships staff participated in the Reggio Emilia International Study Trip in Northern Italy to learn about the innovative work in Early Years education which happens in the region. Creative Partnerships East Lancashire funded the delegation and Action Factory was fortunate enough to be able to participate.

The study week was a life changing experience for many, bringing us back to the basics of why we work with children and provided opportunities to observe and learn from the experience of Reggio Emilia.

Many of the key principles of the Reggio approach are closely aligned to those of Action Factory and it was inspiring to be part of an education study week which had so much resonance with our work in participatory arts.

Key shared principles are

  • The image of the child as an innate and creative knowledge builder, explorer & co-constructor
  • The power of the ‘Hundred Languages’ in forming learning environments
  • A flexible and creative cycle underpinning the work
  • Educators and artists as enablers within pedagogy of listening
  • The process of children’s exploration is the focus, not the end product
  • Documentation as an important tool in aiding reflection and analysis
  • Professional development is an important part of the whole process
  • Development of a creative learning community to maintain a continuous supportive dialogue
  • Family and community involvement, not only in the education of the children but also for themselves as lifelong learners.

Action Factory hosted a reflection event for East Lancashire delegates at our new building. The session gave us all the opportunity to reflect on our learning and the impact on our work since our return in a creative and hands on experience. A conference and sharing experience will be held in Lancashire in September 2007.

For more information about the Reggio approach go to http://zerosei.comune.re.it/inter/reggiochildren.htm or http://www.refocus-network.net/ (the uk network). We also have a number of Reggio publications in our library now and Cath would be more than happy to share her experience of the study week with you!