Starcatchers - Stripey Nest Project

In September 2019 Trefoil awarded £2,000 to Starcatchers’ Stripy Nest Project ( https://www.starcatchers.org.uk/engagement/stripy-nest/)

Starcatchers is Scotland’s National Arts and Early Years Organisation specialising in creating exceptional arts and creative experiences for babies, toddlers and young children aged 0-5. One of the ways they do this is through engagement projects that connect early years artists with local communities, offering consistent and longer-term creative intervention. 

“C was really happy and calm while making art - he was curious and experimented with lots of ideas… I think being able to express himself and make his own enquiries outside was really positive for him and the difference in his behaviour while pursuing something creative was really stark.’ – Artist ”

Stripy Nest was a creative project with an Edinburgh primary school, focusing on supporting children as they transitioned from nursery to Primary 1. There was a particular focus on children with additional support needs (ASN), including those with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The playground can sometimes be an intimidating and anxious experience for younger children, particularly those with ASN and the aim of the project was to reduce anxiety and stress. The approach was to engage artists to work with the children to co-design an interactive playground installation together which could continue to be on site once the artists completed the sessions.

“One parent stated, ‘This is the first time J has been involved in an activity for this long without wanting to leave the room.’”

The project took place between June and October 2019 and saw 13 creative art sessions take place with three early year artists working with children aged 4-5 years old during the nursery and school day.

The artists and children explored a wide range of creative arts-based activities including: creative gardening; sculpture using clay, playdough and plasticine; outdoor drawing and painting; weaving; positive destruction sessions with a range of materials; and building proprioception-focused obstacle courses.