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Rooted in curiosity, care and attentiveness to diverse histories and voices, the collective offers open-ended impulses that anyone can adapt, question or extend across a growing constellation of educational hubs.
© 2025 Emerging Space Collective (CC BY‑NC 4.0)
Each entry comes with an A5 print-and-cut card (more on the way) and a concise note that foregrounds its ability to spark curiosity, playful making and more-than-human awareness, as well as the harm it could cause if children’s agency, safety or cultural contexts are overlooked.
Although the ideas originate in art and design practice, you can weave in any subject area—storytelling, ecology, maths, citizenship—because the structure, not the topic, does the work. Every project is context-responsive: adapt, remix or invert it to fit your young learners, their developmental stage and local realities, staying alert to whose voices are centred and whose might be missing. Authors and influences are fully credited and linked so the exchange remains transparent.
Step inside, attend to children’s perspectives, and let these projects keep evolving through the hands that rework them.
Method: Collaborative WallMural
A 20–30 min co-creative mural exercise where everyone contributes simultaneously to a shared vision on the wall—ideal for exploring themes like “Our Dream Classroom.”
1. Set the Scene (5 min):
Unroll a long sheet of kraft or recycled paper along a free wall. Provide markers, crayons, paints, and collage scraps. Introduce the theme (e.g., “Envision our future classroom”) and agree on simple ground rules: share space, respect each other’s marks, and keep communication warm.
2. Co-Drawing Phase (35 min):
All participants work at once, moving freely along the mural. Add images, symbols, words, or textures in areas that speak to your ideas. Let the theme guide you—perhaps drawing flexible seating, natural light, or sensory corners—while responding to neighbors’ contributions in real time. No one “owns” any section; the mural grows as a living tapestry of collective insight.
3. Gallery Walk & Dialogue (5–10 min):
Step back and walk alongside the mural. Notice emergent patterns—cultural motifs, inclusive elements, surprising connections. In a brief circle, invite everyone to name one detail that resonated and one question that arose.
Cultural & Contextual Sensitivity:
Use sustainable, locally sourced materials. Honour varied artistic traditions by offering multiple mediums—drawing, painting, collage—and encourage participants to express in their preferred modes. Maintain an atmosphere of mutual respect, valuing every mark as part of our shared narrative.