The GENERATE project: curriculum and pedagogical inspiration from parents and their children working together

GENERATE brings together two generations of learners in the context of the visual arts. Twelve artist-parents from the University of the Creative Arts (UCA) have shared the process of art creation with their own young children (3-14 years). Over two years, in their own studios, university workspaces and exhibition venues, artist-parents have made art alongside their children. This has involved the interchange of creative, attitudinal and sometimes technical approaches with them but sometimes involved no more than physical proximity. Much adult work has arisen and will arise from expression of the playful, free flowing, often process-dominant approaches of their children. A series of public and family workshops and two major exhibitions with the Turner Contemporary gallery have already brought this cross-generational but child-centred, child-led practice to communities in east Kent.

The GENERATE project however has lessons for education which go far beyond the arts and parent-child relationships. This article uses the evidence of diaries by artists and children and a series of formal discussions to explore the way in which the project challenged established views on children and creativity, intergenerational collaboration and child-led learning.

The GENERATE project is jointly funded by Turner Contemporary in Margate and UCA and this report has been supported by research funds from Canterbury Christ Church University. The report concentrates on key issues from the project:

1. Play, creativity and children
2. What motivates us to be creative?
3. Can creativity be taught?
4. How can new knowledge [from the GENERATE project] be applied to the teaching of adults and children?