In 2022, Starcatchers, artist Skye Reynolds and Scots Corner Early Learning and Childcare Centre worked together to explore how creative movement and being creative in general can help early years children understand and express their feelings. Wee People, Big Feelings continues today in Helensburgh working with early years settings on how to support forces families with the emotional cycle of deployment.
Babies and young children can be affected by changes in their world just as much as adults, but they don’t always have the words to express how they feel. That’s how the name of this project – Wee People, Big Feelings – came about.
In response to an approach from the Ministry of Defense, Starcatchers and artist Skye Reynolds worked with families and practitioners in Scots Corner to develop a suite of creative play resources that encouraged creativity, self-expression and emotional literacy. These resources are now available for you to download and use with your wee ones.
Below you’ll find:
You can download and read the full project report from Wee People, Big Feelings, which details the research and findings from the first year of the project.
If podcasts are more your thing, listen now and hear more from Skye and Starcatchers’ Co-Chief Exec about Wee People, Big Feelings in series three episode one of our Creative Skills podcast: The relationship between creativity and emotional literacy in early years children.
The Ministry of Defense and Wee People Big Feelings
The MOD recognised the need for more resources that helped children and their families address the big feelings wee ones can have around deployment. While Wee People Big Feelings is a project focused on the experiences of Armed Forces families, all young children experience many different emotional cycles throughout their early years and therefore the resources here can be a benefit to many children and their families.
Scots Corner Early Learning and Childcare Centre
Scots Corner Early Learning and Childcare Centre opened its doors for the first time to children and families in February 2020, offering funded early learning and childcare places and wrap around provision for children age 2-5 years. The centre was opened in partnership with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide early learning and childcare for both military families and the wider community. Scots Corner ELC received funding from the MOD to work in partnership with Starcatchers and Skye on Wee People, Big Feelings.
Associate Artist
Skye Reynolds is a dance artist, performance–maker and educator. Her current practice is experimental and focuses on movement, spoken word and theatre.
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Over the next two years Starcatchers will be working with local nurseries in Helensburgh, to deliver Wee People, Big Feelings, an emotional literacy training programme for early years practitioners.
This Christmas, as part of Wee People, Big Feelings, Scots Corner Early Learning and Childcare Centre are explored the story of The Gingerbread Man, focusing on creativity and emotional literacy.
