Children at Whitnash Nursery School in Leamington are being creatively nurtured thanks to an unusual residency. The nursery has employed an artist to work full-time with the children from January - July 2003.
An inspired residency
| Μύ |  | A nursery child practices his hand prints
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Karen Howell and her nursery team were inspired to get an artist involved with the school after spending a study-week at a Regio Amelia nursery in Italy. Karen said the trip was hugely inspiring as she saw the positive differences a resident artist can make.
On her return, Karen was determined to filter some of this creative philosophy into her nursery and scoured the school budget and the Beacon Schools scheme for funds. This is now the second year the nursery has funded a residency, and they hope to continue.
As Karen said: "It would be wonderful if we could afford to keep this going permanently. Of course there are cost implications and we just have to take every year as it comes."
Residency details
| Μύ |  | A nursery child drawing
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The residency started in mid-January and Mathew spent the first month getting to know the staff and children settling into the position. He is working full-time in the nursery until July 2003, so he has plenty of time to respond to the children and the residency situation.
The artist
The artist appointed has been named as Matthew Shaw. He finished a Masters in sculpture at Winchester School of Art in September 2001, but said he has found the residency an even more intense experience.
 The first few weeks were quite overwhelming but I am beginning to gets to grips with the job and I have enjoyed it from the start... a lot of the time I feel I am learning more from them [the children] than they are from me.
 | Μύ | Resident artist at Whitnash Nursery, Matthew Shaw
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He said: "I have a lot of experience of working with children but this is my first residency.
"I have been following my artistic career for almost five years but this is the first time that my experience of each has been combined in such a intensive way.
"The first few weeks were quite overwhelming but I am beginning to gets to grips with the job and I have enjoyed it from the start.
"I think the children got used to me being there more quickly than I got used to the situation and a lot of the time I feel I am learning more from them than they are from me."
The philosophy
| Μύ |  | A nursery child painting
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As Karen Howell's determination to fund the residency has shown, the nursery is progressive in its attitude to creativity. Matthew also recognised this philosophy when he first heard about the residency.
He said: "What attracted me to the position was the philosophy of the school which I felt was very appropriate to my way of working, in that it focused on creativity across all subjects and not specifically on a medium such as painting or sculpture."
The art work
| Μύ |  | Scene of one of Matthew Shaw's jumble sales
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The outcomes of the residency have been left open, so the development of the children and the project can evolve organically.
Matthew's previous works have used rubbish to investigate people's responses to environments.
His most renowned piece was an event called Everything Must Go, when he set up a jumble sale in a gallery. People's responses at the private view were recorded and compared to the responses of those when the same event was advertised and opened as a jumble sale.
Of course, he has brought these interests to the residency, but has said in this case he is not defining any outcomes too early.
He said: "So far I can't envisage a solid outcome, as it very much depends upon what the children come out with.
"In a way, it is the process and experience of learning and how this contributes to the individual that is more important. I think this applies to myself as much as the children."
Progress-report
We will be following the residency over the coming months to see how Matthew and the children are developing. Faye Claridge from the website team will be visiting the nursery in March, so come back to the site for an update and to see photographs from the visit.
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