researCh and the seLfa place that is distinctly homely to the students concerned. and most significantly, it is
an insight gained from the research presentation itself, which loses force and meaning
if it is reduced to simple text.
as i continue to reflect on my practice, the study is continuing. There will be no
obvious endpoint. i am reminded of a large canvas hanging in my lounge. at the
time of painting i was confident that the painting was finished. over the years i
have developed the urge to make changes deterred only by the glass covering. i have
changed since creating the artwork. nothing is static. We are all stardust. This process
of reflection interrogates the whole self of the researcher not just the part focused on
the technicalities of teacher education.
The Cosmos Project: using performance, narrative and new media technologies to
support young children’s understanding of complex scientific topics^1Nettie Scriven, Peter Rumney and Iryna KuksaThe Cosmos project aims to explore the use of narrative and performative languages
as well as new media technologies in relation to delivering complex scientific topics to
school children aged three to six. The fulcrum of the project is found in the theatre
performances. They are preceded by a series of creative collaborations with a wide
range of partners and followed by a lengthy evaluation. at the time of writing the
performances have taken place (march and may 2009) and the evaluation is on going.
The roots of our work can be found in the Theatre in education movement (Jackson
1993) in which performers see themselves as ‘actor- teachers’, rather than simply as
‘actors’. Currently we see ourselves as within the broad movement known as Theatre
for Young people. We are a research and learning company. each show is developed
through reflective practice in smaller Research and development laboratories, over
a two year period. We work with a wide range of partners across the disciplines. as a
learning Company, we protect time to reflect upon our practice as part of creating the
performances, and the education programmes that support them. We take the time to
incubate ideas. We take risks in a practice- based research culture of reflection.
The Cosmos project has developed from our previous work (dragon Breath 2003–4
and icarus 2005–7), examining how theatre in its most interactive forms can enable
young people to connect with complex scientific ideas and explore ethical and moral
issues. We are currently developing our practice working with scientists. The project
explores solomon’s (1999) view that learners can develop their understanding of
science through creative narratives instead of through an emphasis on memorizing
precise scientific definitions. The project also examines the nature of didacticism in
the performative context. our aim is to maximize the engagement of our very young
audiences through kinaesthetic activities during the performance, connecting with their
emotional development which is in the early stages of ‘looking beyond themselves’. We
explore the potential for breaking the boundaries of audience participation by young
children: how far they can be both spectator and ‘spect- actor’, interacting with the
performers and with the staging of the performance.
We use the multi- layered and multiple languages of theatre to communicate with
young people, making something visceral and very present to stimulate engagement