Playing and spending time outdoors is a practice we’re more used to seeing being promoted in Scandinavia or Canada. However, with increasing research and reports, it’s gaining more traction in the UK. What struck us about this exploration into outdoor play is it being about confidence – requiring and boosting it. Additionally, we love the…
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It’s the end of our Cultural Residency for 2019, The Firebird Lab. Thank you to our funders, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Arts Council England and the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust; as well as project practitioners, BitterSuite and all those who participated in and visited the Imagination Lab. BitterSuite, created a series of multi-sensory workshops in…
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As we head back to school, everyone’s looking for new ways to inspire children. At iOi, it’s something we think about all year round, so that’s why we found this piece from TES so crucial. It seems simple to increase interest by letting children decide for themselves and keeping it focused on wellbeing by removing…
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Making places that inspire isn’t just about beauty and the thrill of the new. It’s also about finding creative ways to increase engagement. Looking at this exploration of a colourful kindergarten in Chongqing, we love the impulse to build “a place that begs to be explored”. It’s full of clever and, crucially, practical solutions all…
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Back in April we brought you news of a workshop to launch our series on the next generation of inventors. This week the Imagination Architects are back to bring their designs to life. We’re so excited to see how the project has developed, and how inspirational the children’s involvement has been. The Imagination Architects project and…
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This week we’re bringing you news of an exciting new project and focus for Imagination Matters over the coming months. In the run-up to the Institute of Imagination‘s Mega Maker Lab in August, we’ll be taking the opportunity to look at the next generation of inventors and what inspires them. Here, meet the Imagination Architects.…
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We’re so excited to bring you the news that the first performance-based Cultural Residency at the Imagination Lab, the Institute of Imagination’s events space, will be BitterSuite‘s project, The Firebird Lab. The residency explores our Imagination Matters theme Empathy and will be series of multi-sensory workshops exploring the theme, using Stravinsky’s The Firebird as a…
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At iOi and IM, we’re big advocates of expanding the scope and remit of learning and play. It’s easy to fall into the routine of seeing the two as distinct; a separation we often carry into adulthood. Here are some practical tips from EdSurge for increasing engagement by bringing the playground into the classroom and…
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Before the storied days of summer are forgotten, are there lessons we should be taking back into the classroom? Removing time and achievement pressure can prove a powerful tool in student engagement. A school in America’s mid-west has discovered how shifting the paradigm means we don’t have to leave summer holidays at the door. Middle…
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As our thoughts turn to the new academic year ahead, it seems obvious that schools need to create an inspirational environment for young people. And not just to increase learning; for us, making children feel safe, happy and engaged is a goal in itself. So why is the practice so far behind the thinking? Sharing…
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