#Chances4Children: Activity packs set to spark creativity in Bradford
Friday, July 17, 2020
More than 2,000 children living in and around Bradford are set to receive activity packs to encourage them to take part in creative activities at home this summer.
The packs have been created by Bradford Council’s museums team following a successful online programme sharing weekly online ‘Inspire me to …’ activities for children and families as museums closed during lockdown.
This online activity uses creative ideas from the museum services’ family and school workshops to get children and families drawing, playing, moving, exploring and even building.
The team initially extended the online ideas by creating 200 family activity packs on the theme of exploring which included sketchbooks, maps and telescopes. These were distributed by Keighley Healthy Living Centre.
The team have now put together more than 2,000 packs with all the items needed to enjoy 12 museum-inspired activities at home.
The new packs will see children enjoy creative story ideas from across the district and the museum collections and encourage activities including paper weaving, creating creatures, foil embossing, designing stained glass windows and collaging.
‘Inspire me to …’ packs have been supported by funding from Arts Council England and the Department for Education Museums and Schools.
They are being distributed across the district through community hubs and schools including Keighley Healthy Living Centre, Cliffe Castle Support Group and Cliffe Castle Park.
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford council’s executive member for healthy people and places, said: “It is hoped these packs will help children to get creative and remind children and families across the district of our much loved collections and museum buildings.”
Nina Baptiste, senior relationship manager, Arts Council England said: ‘‘I’m delighted to see that Bradford Museums and Galleries has been providing support for children to explore their creativity during lockdown. I hope that by using the museum’s collection to engage their audience online more people will be encouraged to visit the museum in person when they can.”
Online resource centre Kids in Museums has named Bradford Museums and Galleries ‘Inspire me to…' online activities in their ‘top ten’ of online resources.
A further 1,000 activity packs will be available for children aged two to 16 through a partnership between IVE, the Bridge Organisation for Yorkshire and the Humber, the Local Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP) and Bradford Council’s Social Services and the Education Partnerships Team.
The bags of creativity programme has brought together a group of 20 local creative practitioners and organisations, including Julia O’Keeffe, the Learning Co-ordinator at Bradford Council’s Bradford Theatres, to design activities for Bags of Creativity drawing on inspiration from local theatre shows.
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For two- to six-year-olds, an orange bag contains vibrant chiffon scarves, a space blanket, and many other materials to enhance imaginative play.
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Seven-to 11-year-olds will receive a bright green bag full of colouring pencils, pipe cleaners and tactile materials for creative expression.
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And, 12-to 16-year-olds will receive a navy blue bag with contents including watercolour paints and modelling clay, giving them additional ways to explore their creativity.