Reflections on #radicalchildcare — my first foray into working in the open…
Here we go. A new thing for me to start and hopefully sustain.
This is an attempt at ‘working in the open’ which I understand to be something that a few public sector and designer folks are into. Inspired by a few people I know — rufflemuffin Katy McNel, Leah Lockhart — and a few people I don’t know but admire from afar, I have finally decided to bite the bullet and start sharing what I’m working on. I enjoy and often feel inspired and enriched after reading the weeknotes that others publish. I have recently been reading Cassie Robinson. and Sophia Parker ‘s versions of this.
A small bit of background— I started as Chief Executive of WHALE Arts in Wester Hailes, Edinburgh in April 2018. Previous to that I worked in a funding and development role with Creative Scotland in the Creative Industries Team with a specialism in craft. Before that I worked in Dumfries and Galloway leading Spring Fling and Upland. And before that I was a jeweller and silversmith (and am still a maker in my heart). My work at WHALE Arts is varied, fast paced, inspiring, meaningful, and challenging.
My hope for sharing in this way? I’d love to connect up with others working in similar organisations, I love learning about new ways of working, and keen to meet (virtually or in person) like-minded folk working in the social, cultural, third sector.
I am writing this the train to Glasgow for a follow up workshop following a research trip to Impact Hub Birmingham. A group of people representing cultural (mostly building based) organisations in Scotland took part in this. We were looking into the movement #radicalchildcare which was founded by the wonderful Amy Martin, artist, changemaker, now mum of three wee ones (recommend watching Why Childcare Needs a Revolution for a blast of motivation) and has been developed in partnership with the inspiring Imandeep Kaur founder of Impact Hub B'ham and the rest of the team.
My interest in #radicalchildcare started a few years ago when I was working in the Creative Industries team at Creative Scotland when my colleague Kristina and I made contact with Amy and Immy.
Soon after that I moved to WHALE Arts and in many ways this move has helped me to think about this issue from a range of different perspectives where we operate from a building which has a coworking space and a creche space. Before my move my only perspective was from the view of a freelance artist / designer and my own experience of being a mum and navigating the childcare system.
I was delighted to be selected to go on the trip. Being away in itself is hugely valuable. And being with this group of women (side note that we need to bring more men into this conversation) was inspiring, invigorating and exactly what I needed.
I hope to share more on this as the movement grows into Scotland.
I have pages of notes, quotes and exclamation marks (!)
(my notes start with the words ‘Amazing Amazing Amazing!!!!!’)
More broadly — as someone working for a building based creative social enterprise embedded in a community — I’m interested in the way that Impact Hub B'ham have kept a momentum going and have managed to design a truly intergenerational space full of kindness, creativity, reciprocity and one which is economically sustainable.
But for now:
What did I learn
- that we need to consider how we fit into the system and how we can use our resources and assets to change the system by remembering that we are one small part of this
- that if we are going to to design childcare into what we offer our communities (of geography and of practice) it needs to be relational rather than transactional
- that the childcare system is pretty broken, unequal and unfair (actually I already knew this)
- that the way Amy and Immy and the team at Impact Hub have developed has resulted in them working with a group of families and artists (working as creative play workers) that are completely bought into the movement — because it works for them
- prototype prototype prototype! Immy and Amy described #radicalchildcare as an R&D project. But it seems to me that the reason this has worked is because they have used genuine co-production methods, bringing a diverse group of people along with them
- that the Wizards programme (a work / trade programme) at Impact Hub is a smart way of bringing volunteers into the core operations of the organisation. And a brilliant opportunity for artists to add to their skill-set. A total win-win.
- that there are MANY fantastic movements across the world looking at how to integrate families into community and cultural venues — I particularly loved the 880 Cities Project which encourages us to design our cities and communities for 8 year olds and 80 year olds and the 95cm Project which encourages us to look at the world from the height of an average 3 year old (hence 95cm)
- we need to ask why and then ask why again, and keep asking why…
I am looking forward to our session with Creative Scotland today.
