Wednesday 28 August 2013

Unit 2 - arts project leadership

Play Scheme Mask Making Plan

I am currently working at local children's summer holiday play scheme as a volunteer and I have been given permission by the scheme leader to run a mask making workshop with a group of around 12 children. The age range of the children who attend the play scheme is 5 – 11. I will be able to accommodate a maximum of 12 children as this is the number that can fit around the table safely and comfortably. If the uptake is considerably higher than 12 children I can repeat the workshop on the same day with a second or third group of 12 children. I plan to run the workshop in the play scheme space on 29th August as the following day is the last day of the scheme when a party takes place where the children will wear their masks.

The theme for the workshop will be animals. I feel that if I limit the participating children to a choice of just a few selected animals their imaginations will be restricted. Similarly if I offer them no theme at all the end products would be very disjointed as a collection.

Materials
For this workshop I will need to get:-

mask bases (full or half face)
coloured feathers
animal print paper for detail
tissue paper
plastic fake gems.

I am able to use some materials that are part of the play scheme supplies:-
PVA glue
poster paints
beads
full face mask bases
tissue paper in limited colours.

Documenting and feedback
I plan to record the workshop by taking photos of the children making their masks at various stages and will also take photos of them wearing their masks in a tableau at the end of the workshop to show off their creations and the animals' characteristics.

After the workshop I will briefly interview each child to get feedback and to find out what worked well and what could be changed and how. Questions will be as follows:-
How well did I explain each stage?
Would they have liked other materials to use which were not available?
If yes, what other materials should be included?
Was there anything they did not understand?
If they could choose a theme for making a mask what would that theme be?
What part of the making process did they like the most?
What part of the making process did they like the least?

Health and safety assessment
Health and safety regulations are already in place for the play scheme which is funded by BBC Children in Need.
There is at least one qualified first aider present at all times.
The helpers and the children all know what to do if the fire alarm goes off and the fire doors are unlocked at all times.
The work table will be around 5 metres away from the fire door.
If a child needs to leave the table for any reason there are other helpers available to take them to wherever they need to go, enabling me to be present at the table at all times.
The materials that will be available to use during the workshop have been carefully selected.
I will not be using glitter because it it hard to monitor the children when they use it and they often end up throwing it at each other rather than using it constructively. I have also observed some of them trying to eat it, which is a health and safety risk.
The children will be supervised at all times and I can call on other helpers to intervene if required.

I had planned that once the masks had been made they would remain overnight at the play scheme. The following day was the end of play scheme party and the children were going to be allowed to wear their masks and be in character for some of the time, acting out their particular animals. However, other play scheme workers were not aware of these plans and so they allowed the children to take their masks home the day they made them and despite me telling the children that they would be wearing their masks to the party none of them brought them with them the following day to the event.



Some of the children who were involved in the mask making workshop went home early before I had a chance to interview them so as to gain feedback. I was able to collect feedback from some of the children who were available. Their responses were simple and direct because of their young ages. They were all enthusiastic and positive. I collected feedback by asking them questions and writing down their answers.