What started as an interesting art project exploring the values and possibilities of free play at the Portman Early Childhood Centre in London escalated into practitioners scrutinising, questioning and re-evaluating their own practice.
When artist Albert Potrony took up residence at the Westminster nursery for 12 weekly sessions last year, commissioned by Serpentine Galleries (see box), he cleared an area free from toys and introduced the three- and four-year-olds to a kit of loose parts, including transparent sheets, reflective rolls, foam tubes, circles and triangles sourced from DIY shops and scrap stores. ‘I started with materials that I thought were interesting but that are cheap and widely available with the aim of seeing how the children responded to them and their environment,’ explains Mr Potrony.
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