The Making Project

Abstract

Staff at Plymouth School of Creative Arts (PSCA) are considering pedagogy of practice-based research, where a collective inquiry through making explores its impact on the individual, and on the community. The inquiry sits alongside our curriculum - pedagogy of making, using data and research evidence in order to make meaning for the school’s understanding of learning.

PSCA has a clear and distinctive purpose: Creating Individuals, Making Futures. Making is therefore at the centre of our what we create:

“Life is not a theoretical process. It involves doing alongside being and is a ‘whole body’ experience. We recognise that to fulfil our potential requires us to be active in mind and body together; making something connects us to ourselves and to others.” (Excerpt from, ‘Learning in Our School; Why and How We’re Different’)

In order to continue to grow and develop, we are committed to an engagement with research and ‘looking closer’ in order to reposition our understanding for moving forward. We recognise that our ‘learning village’ is a place where 'meaning-making' happens, no matter what your age or position in the school.

The Making Project facilitates inquiry through a research question. In broad terms, this requires all learners to make, make meaning and find an audience with which to share their story. The project may be individual or collaborative. However, it will always create a personal significance and repositioning; where collaboration is sought (skill share; new learning; challenge…), individual meaning can be drawn from that as a path to better understand [my] language of learning and onward journey.

Our starting point has been through the eyes and hearts of staff. By engaging all staff in this process, we begin to build a community of researchers, who examine through inquiry - through the eyes of the learner. Furthermore, in line with our commitment to co-construction and collective responsibility, The Making Project shapes periods of curriculum time for our Phase Three students (current Y7) and emergently Phase One (Reception to Y3). During these periods, students’ process follows a parallel flow of inquiry. Teaching draws in alongside the learner and the project they are developing. This armature for teaching and learning has significant resonance with great early years practice, which creates something of interest and significance for our all-through school (Nursery to GCSE) and The Continuum (PSCA and Plymouth College of Art).

This position paper shares our journey through The Making Project, so far, and aims to contribute to our future Crafting of Education.

Plymouth School of Creative Arts opened in Millbay, Plymouth in September 2013. Our purpose-built school opened fully in February 2015. In making a school, we aim to transform the way creative action can enhance learning and thereby fulfil our purpose of Creating Individuals, Making Futures.