Shapes 2014-2017

Inspired by the pedagogy of early years pioneer Friedrich Fröbel and his influence on the Bauhaus movement, Francke and Dhillon worked with children, parents, carers and staff using Fröbel's 'gifts' as an open ended, non-gendered and inexpensive resource to support intergenerational play. Following on from their residency, Francke and Dhillon produced a number of Shapes kits for nurseries and families, each featuring geometric shapes adapted from Fröbel's seventh gift. The accompanying manual and poster draw attention to the mar-ginalisation of early-years practice within art and education, and highlight the importance of state-maintained nursery schools in the context of ongoing government cuts and austerity policies. Forty Family Kits have been shared with families from the Portman Early Childhood Centre and forty Nursery Kits have been distributed to nursery schools and early-years providers throughout the UK.

• Organisation