Ripple Early Years Arts Symposium 2025

The speakers

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  Hans Van Regenmortel

  Young Children, Art and the Continuity of Life

  Previously artistic coordinator at the pioneering and innovative Musica Impulse Center, Belgium, Hans is an independent curator of art in/as education and has extensive experience of designing projects for musical participation and development for all ages and in different contexts. He believes that the phenomenon we call music can have a deep integrating power and sheds light on what it means to be human, to learn and to teach. Hans has been involved in a wide range of educational art projects in formal and non-formal contexts and has contributed to various publications on art and music education.
• 

  Dr Jessica Pitt

  Hanging Out in the Ripples: Research-Creation with people under three

  Dr Jessica Pitt is Creative Researcher and Co-Director of Magic Acorns. Her music practice and research are with young children, families, and practitioners. She writes and speaks about the expressive and communicative power of sound and playful music making for national and international audiences. She is passionate about young children’s right to equitable access to arts and cultural activities, especially those inspired and underpinned by deep knowledge and understanding of young children.
• 

  Jan Pitman and Jasmine Harvey

  Mini Wonders, Norfolk Museums

  Jan Pitman and Jasmine Harvey from Norfolk Museums are one of eight lead museums taking part in ‘Mini Wonders’, an Early Years Innovation in Museums research project funded by Art Fund and Nesta. Jan Pitman is Learning Manager for Norwich Museums. He has been involved in Museum Education for more than twenty years, working with formal educational settings, community groups and the general public. Jan is particularly interested in trying to ensure that every resident of, and visitor to, Norfolk is welcomed into our museums. Jasmine Harvey is a Museum Learning practitioner, specialising in Early Years. She works across the Norwich Museums and has a background in both Early Years education and history. Jasmine is particularly interested in championing Early Years and SEND access to heritage spaces.
• 

  Charly Jolly

  Roly Poly

  Charly Jolly is a musician and creator of performance pieces for children. She uses improvisation, playfulness, the voice and clarinet in her work. She is an early years specialist and interested in how to create child-centred musical performances for very young children and their families. She also works as a creative music leader and composer in the community with all ages.
• 

  Kasia Don Daniel

  Little Beats, Suffolk Artlink

  Kasia Don Daniel manages Suffolk Artlink’s early years music project Little Beats, the project aims to promote wellbeing, child development and musical engagement for 0-5’s and their families. As well as co-creating musical delivery with musicians and artists, Kasia’s role within the project is to create a network of early years music practitioners and providers. Little Beats is in partnership with Magic Acorns, Lowestoft Rising, Suffolk Libraries, Norfolk and Suffolk Music Hub, The Literacy Trust and Britten Pears Arts.
• 

  Zoe Kilb

  Youth Music

  Zoe Kilb is Head of Grants at Youth Music, she is currently leading on the delivery of the Energiser Fund – which is supporting organisations to explore and develop their co-creation practice with 2-4-year-olds. Zoe has a background in arts education, project management and facilitation. She has worked for a range of cultural and community organisations including Discover Children’s Story Centre and MK Gallery; specialising in participatory work with young children.
• 

  Hannah Dilworth & Liv Corbin-Phillips

  Made with Music

  Made with Music is a Leeds-based charity, running everything from baby music sessions to family singing events and accessible gigs. We are passionate about creating inclusive music spaces where everyone – regardless of ability – can fully participate and enjoy live music. Hannah Dilworth (Co-Director at Made with Music) along with Stories with Liv, are excited to share some of their findings and methods used in their Youth Music Energiser project making sure that disabled 2–4-year-olds are included in the research, and their “voices” are heard.
• 

  Rose Feather

  Creative Reflection – A Thinking Making Sharing Book

  Rose Feather is a community picture book maker, illustrator and arts facilitator based in Norwich. She has been making picture books with groups of people including babies and toddlers for the last five years, commissioned by museums, galleries, small festivals and heritage organisations. Rose has a BA in Illustration and Animation, an MA in Museum Studies, and a background in managing schools programmes in museums and galleries.