Beyond Words: Using creative evaluation in community arts practice

A collage with magazine cut outs of words such as music, seed ,mesh, delightful, smiles

At Magic Acorns we use ‘beyond-words’ methods to reflect on artistic practice – both immediately after each session, and summatively at the end of a period of work.

What are ‘beyond words’ methods of evaluation and reflection?

We use drawing and collaging as tools to think with, and then talk about the learnings from the work with families through the artwork created. We have found this approach to be very useful as a means of gaining deep insight about artistic practices (which are themselves beyond words) with very young children and their families.

The time given for collage/drawing allows artists to think and reflect in ways that bring their emotional and embodied experiences into play through the making process, rather than talking as the first means of reflecting on creative work with participants. These methods help to make visible, and express beyond words, the in-the-moment impact of creative practice with participants.

If you’d like to try the collage method of reflecting, here is an outline of our process:

1. Gather materials:

Selection of magazines/books
Felt pens
Crayons
Glue
Sellotape
Scissors
Ribbon
Variety of papers
Coloured card or paper

2. Create the environment

Make a welcoming, relaxing and trusting space for the activity. Offer refreshments and an attitude of unhurried time to listen with interest to each other.

3. Welcome and introduction

One of the facilitators welcomes and explains the process for the session. Inviting each participant to make a collage that speaks about their experiences in being part of the work.

Explain that when it comes to sharing, each person will have uninterrupted time to speak with their creative piece about their experiences.

If the session is to be audio/video recorded, ensure permission is sought, the purposes of the recording are explained, and consent is gained.

4. Time to make and think

Each artist creates their own piece in a group session. Looking through magazines, other resources, cutting, sticking, colouring, drawing.

There is time and space during the making to talk and think out loud. We try to allow unhurried time for this activity with refreshments and a relaxed atmosphere.

Once everyone feels that their work is ready the sharing begins.

5. Time to share

Each artist shares their collage and reflects through their creative piece on their experiences in working creatively with young children, their caregivers, the other artists, their role and being part of our organisation.

In my next blogpost, I describe how we have worked with this process of reflection to help in the evaluation of a funded project.

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