What do we mean by ‘make space to create’?
[4 minute read.]
Our vision has always been about making room for creativity — “make space to create”. But what does that really mean? In this post, we’ll break it down a bit. If you've been on this creative journey with us, we hope you’ve felt the special spark of our spaces. And for those of you who are just getting to know the Kindling family, we want to share a bit of our passion for creating and sharing these spaces with fellow creatives.
When we first connected, we quickly found common ground discussing our kids’ school experiences. We realised that schools often miss the mark when it comes to giving kids the chance to share their thoughts and fully engage in learning. We wanted something different, something that feels more open and free. Sure, schools cover the basics and provide social interactions and creative environments, but those opportunities can be pretty limited by time, resources, and a pretty rigid structure. Not every kid thrives in those settings.
We thought, “How cool would it be to have a cruisy space packed with resources that get people thinking and creating?” So, we decided to draw on our educational experience to make this happen. Before long, we were hosting Artynoons and MAKA after-school sessions and holiday workshops. Our groups are small, we take our time, and there’s no shortage of materials to play with.
But, it’s not just the space and the materials. It’s the thinking and preparation behind it. How do we give children space to create?
Curiosity is the key driver. An activity isn’t just something to do. It’s an experience packed with learning opportunities, connection, and creative flow. Sure, instructions and techniques can help guide the doing, but it's really the curiosity that leads the learning as you dive into the doing.
There are spaces within spaces. Realising the value of transitions and moments for pause, as well as movement and action in the space, is crucial. When we run our event spaces, for example, we often add in transitional or peripheral experiences. These allow kids and families to take their time exploring the space, getting to know the materials and the activity setup. We do the same thing in our studio sessions, which is partly why we offer sessions for at least an hour and a half.
Working with children’s play intentions can be an adventure in itself. When kids start to play, they often need a little warm-up time to gather their energy and feel safe enough to dive in. Having a small set of curated choices and provocations gives them some playful options, helping them regulate their feelings, especially when something new or exciting pops up in a group setting.
Children rely on their own play cues to make sense of the world around them. Take, for example, a young boy at a local event who started sorting the lids from an activity by colour. He took control of his own play and made the activity his own by flipping the original idea on its head. In doing this, he claimed a part of the space for himself, enabling him to express himself confidently with the materials around him. We want our spaces to encourage this kind of exploration because where there’s challenge and change, there’s plenty of learning and growth.
Observing and listening is so important. As adults, it's easy to “adultify” a space and our kids’ experiences without even realising it. We might find ourselves nudging them to move through an activity, rushing them to the next thing. To combat this, we structure our sessions with extra time, allowing kids to lead the way rather than us dictating their journey. It’s crucial to be open to their direction, even when they seem a bit lost or uncertain. Sometimes, it helps to be a bit lost and uncertain with them! They’ll ask for help if they hit a snag along the way.
If we can just take a moment to recognise that doing stuff is a way to learn firsthand, and allow ourselves some time and space for that, amazing little things can happen. When these small moments become a part of our daily lives, we’re not just going through the motions, we’re creating and living fully.
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Looking for some school holiday fun? Our holiday studio sessions will be released next week.
We’ve got some community sessions running in Coolbellup (City of Cockburn) in June and at All Saints College in July. Check our socials for details!
