Gifts and Occupations – August 2009 Residency

It seems that Froebel and his teaching techniques received alot of opposition in his Victorian era…

The proverb “Children should be seen and not heard” keeps popping into my head. I think this is what Froebel was working against…

Here, I am surrounded by poster paint, pipe cleaners, felt-tip drawings and childrens books, but yet there is silence.

I found this written in a book about musical instruments, related to the Froebel technique. It seems so relevant to our modern worlds – my recent investigations into ASDD support it perfectly…

“In a world where the ears of the young child are bombarded with sounds, due to the incorrect use of the wireless and so on, it is vital that we should teach the child to listen”

Were our childhoods shaped by sounds as much as sight? I suppose that we can hear before we see….

Today I’ve been exploring…

{The tick of the old pendulum clock in the portrait room competing with the buzz of the sound system}

{The almost static-like noise of the rain on the plastic roofed corridor}

{A long lost leather belt strewn in the undergrowth}

{The smell of damp moss reminding me of my Grandmothers lawn}

I’ve been reading about Froebel – a biography of sorts – it describes him watching a hairy legged fly on a window pane when he was 5 years old. When i got into the studio, the biggest, hairiest fly i have ever seen was resting on the door frame. It didn’t move. I thought there must be something wrong, but its gone now.

The rain has kept me away from the lakes and lawn of this beautiful campus, but Ive been thinking about sites and media for my piece… it feels daunting to have a deadline and such a specific need to achive a piece, despite its open brief. I suppose this is how i always feel when i’m starting something new!

{In the library – the distant rumble of airplanes overhead….}

Spent my first day unpacking, organising, sorting through my archive research…

Froebel’s theories focus on education through self-activity – achieving knowledge through interaction. “Gifts” involve arranging and discovery – providing insight – “Occupations” involve controlling, creating, and invention – producing a sense of power.

I’m going to spend a few days looking at the site and what i find here, investigating, and hopefully learning….