The new one day event, held at the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre was delivered by Big Fat Smile in partnership with Merrigong Theatre Company and is the first of many school holiday events planned by the two companies.

The Creativity Camps give children a unique behind the scenes experience, a tour of a professional theatre set and a ‘greet with meet’ opportunity with  professional actors.

The One Day Creativity Camp uses the theatre production as a starting point to inspire, with children given a range of fun creative arts activities – a mix of creative writing, improvisation and visual arts, throughout the day. In April children used their creative skills and imaginations to build a huge time travel machine. They then created small ‘improv’ scenarios and performed in their newly constructed set.

The concept was developed by Big Fat Smile Chief Creative Officer, Jennine Primmer and Merrigong’s Artistic Director, Anne Louise Rental through the companies long standing creative partnership and shared belief in the benefits of engaging children in unique theatre experiences. The program is also targeted at working parents looking for a special interest arts program for their children.

For more information on Big Fat Smile’s Skoolzout holiday program’s please email chris.tulloch@bigfatsmile.com.au to join our contact list.

The one day event brought together educators, arts and cultural workers, therapists, artists, inclusion workers and technology and science experts – who heard a mix of presentations from creativity advocates like writer/school principal John Marsden and music educator extraordinaire Richard Gill.

The ‘talk’ centred in and around the benefits of creative thinking, innovation, collaboration and inspiration in children’s lives, and was wonderfully received by the 200 plus delegates.  MC, Annabel Crabb seamlessly stitched together the project’s ongoing conversation with its concepts of bravery in learning and the need to take risks and make mistakes in order to discover something even better. The importance of a quality arts integrated education for optimum brain development and emotional health in children was also a major theme.

John Marsden saw a more creative world for children through the eyes of more ‘creative thinking’ educators – educators who are not afraid to challenge the status quo and shake up some of the tried and tested.

The eclectic mix of presenters articulated the benefits of dynamic and artistic childhood learning environments, and encouraged attendees to walk away with a fresh perspective on how to incorporate arts education into their learning environments. By challenging thinking, lifting spirits and opening minds to the power of real engagement, attendees were able to dissect the links between the artistic process and the learning process.

Guest speaker Richard Gill expressed how creativity is vital to well being, and that failure IS an important option in learning, while Margo Ward talked about the positive ‘paint room’ outcomes for children who had suffered trauma or illness in her KidsXpress programs.

Feedback from The Creativity Project participants has been overwhelming with guests tweeting praise for our passionate speakers.

Big Fat Smile sends out a huge ‘thank you’ to all our presenters and to all who joined The Creativity Project last week. We look forward to bringing you a bigger, brighter and even more inspiring Creativity Project in 2014. Stay tuned!

CREATIVITY PROJECT PHOTO GALLERY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv787GxOl74&feature=youtu.be

After 25 long years, the return of this quirky community event was embraced by the 15,000 local, regional and state visitors who turned up on the day. Most excited were the children who had designed and built individual billy carts for the junior categories.

Big Fat Smile is proud to have been a major sponsor for this iconic event as it brought incredible colour and buzz to the Port Kembla community. Watching the billy carts in action was a memorable and exciting experience for the children, many of whom took part in the downhill races.

Big Fat Smile’s CEO, Bill Field summed it up:

“The Skoolzout kids were in overdrive with frantic preparations and fantastic NASA-inspired designs. It took me back to when I was nine or so and sketching futuristic F1 cars with lasers and over-sized spoilers.

Looking up Wentworth Street, it was great to see so many young people in pit crews and support teams, all of them cheering on their drivers.

This was a big day for Big Fat Smile, Skoolzout and a generation of local kids. We’ll definitely be Derby regulars.”

Big Fat Smile looks forward to participating again in 2013.

Now in 15 locations, Big Fat Smile Skoolzout Clubs operate before and after school and during school holidays for kids aged 5-12.  For more information check out our website www.bigfatsmile.com.au

Jenny worked with Lua Lemba’s, Merci Killi who co-delivered the training and interpreted. The aim was to exchange ideas on how to best provide quality education to the children with the teachers of kindergartens of the area. Jenny’s goals were to provide teachers with training on improving the quality of their teaching, and to role model resources and teaching techniques. Jenny was happy to see that much of her training from the previous year had been implemented particularly around hand washing and hygiene. Children remembered the songs she taught them in 2011 and she introduced them to a new song performed by the children at Corrimal Community Preschool. Big Fat Smile donated a huge resource kit of musical instruments, nanos, speakers, Lego, dress ups, crayons and other cool resources designed by Jenny. These now sit with N’Dao and Lua Lemba and are available for all the 23 kindergartens to borrow.

We thank Jenny for volunteering her time, energy and knowledge to such a worthwhile project and the Indigo Foundation for its vision and partnership.  Together we are getting closer to realising our Strategic Vision: A world where the safety, happiness, learning and growth of every child is assured.

Keyala, Katherine and Neave, who attend the centre along with their creative mentor, Penny Hartgerink got the opportunity to visit the ABC 97.3 studio to talk about their self penned song “Crazy Day”.

The song which was performed by the three girls and a fourth friend Anais, was professionally produced at Main Street Studios as part of Big Fat Smile’s Skoolzout program. The extra exciting bit was when host of The Breakfast Show Peter Riley played their song on air! Way to go girls and Penny!

Listen to the full interview and song here. Warning – it’s catchy!

The funding went towards installing two 4000 litre rainwater tanks for gardening use and a third water tank to flush our the toilets in the children’s bathroom. The project has enabled CCPS to incorporate further water play in to their program and the community garden is growing very fast!

Well done to all the staff and budding little green thumbs at Corrimal Community Preschool!

The children happily chatted to the Mayor about the activities they do at Skoolzout and what a great time they have. The Mayor was impressed with the Skoolzout program and enjoyed chatting with some super-excited children!

For one week only and to show mums how much they are loved, there will be free entry to the Green Bean Play Cafe. We’re inviting parents and carers to join in our Mother’s Week celebrations with a jam packed free program which kicks off today.

Specifically designed as a creative and inspiring play place for children 0-5, and an oasis for parents who want to enjoy good coffee and food while catching up with friends, Green Bean is located at 98 Railway St Corrimal. Green Bean has a brilliant new chef, a beautiful playscape that includes a huge bouncing liquorice allsort, a slippery dip, cubbies and an ‘underwater dance room’.

Green Bean cafe is a part of Big Fat Smile (formerly Illawarra Children’s Services), which operates 33 Community Preschools and Skoolzout Clubs, a creative arts Studio for kids -Artspace and dozens of equity and community programs. 

For more information check out our facebook page www.facebook.com/greenbeancafe

During the second term of 2012 Big Fat Smile has a packed program of creative learning in their 33 Community Preschools and Skoolzout Clubs.

The programs employ working artists and performers across music, performing and visual arts to work with children from 0-16 years in centres in the Illawarra, Macarthur, Wollondilly and Southern Highland regions.

General Manager, Communications (and creativity evangelist) Jennine Primmer says “People tend to associate creativity only with painting or arts and crafts. We take a holistic approach to creativity within our Community Preschools and Skoolzout Clubs, introducing a variety of talented creative artists, performers and mentors to our programs throughout the year – they work within our centres alongside professional educators”.

“It’s about thinking from a different angle. All angles. We can’t even imagine our children’s future but we do know that creative thinking has become very important to employers and to governments developing their education systems all over the world. We aim to instil creative thinking and learning from an early age to ensure they become life-long skills.”

One of Big Fat Smile’s Creative Mentors, Singer song-writer Penny Hartgerink from Penny and the Mystics has been working with students from Bulli Skoolzout after school club who have shown a great interest in song writing. The children will be recording their original work at Main Street Studios, in Fairy Meadow on Monday 7 May.

“Its great that working families can access these services as part of their daily routine, the kids I’m working with on the recording are amazingly talented and I hope I inspire them as much as they inspire me”. Said Penny.

With thirty years of service to the region and beyond, Illawarra Children’s Services today becomes Big Fat Smile.

The new name trumpets the company’s belief in positive interactions – within families and communities, and between children and educators.

“Research shows that the quality of childhood experiences and interactions are crucial in each child’s development and in shaping their future”, company CEO Bill Feld said today.

“A child’s world should be fun, free of worry and structured to nurture and inspire. Children have an innocent ability to say exactly how it is and the new name reflects this wonderful, child-like spirit.

“Happy, resilient children with hearty imaginations and the fearless desire to learn and enjoy life are the real indicators of societal strength,” Mr Feld said.

Supporting the name change, all of the company’s early childhood centres are now known as ‘community preschools’.

“All of our facilities for early learning deserve to be recognised for their creativity, programs and educational rigour, whether they operate standard ‘school hours’ or additional ‘long day care’ hours.

“Distinctions between preschools and long day care are long gone, and we have always offered rich educational programs with highly qualified teachers in both”, Mr Feld said.

A jurisdictional divide between State and Commonwealth Governments means that parents who choose shorter ‘school hour’ days for their children cannot qualify for Australian Government fee relief.

“This is inequitable – plain and simple. Why should the same program in different places attract assistance for one group of families and not the other?” Mr Feld said.

The company supplements local programs in 33 locations with a roving creative team of musicians, circus performers, dramatists, visual artists, soccer coaches, elite sportspeople, face painters and other talented young mentors.

“We offer the richest and most engaging experience for children; no-one else is offering anything like this in Australia – and all at no extra cost to families”, he said.

“We’ve changed our company name to Big Fat Smile because we wanted a name that says something really positive about what we believe in and what we do.”

Media – WIN News – 3 April 2012

Media – ABC Radio – 5 April 2012

Media – Illawarra Mercury – 4 April 2012

Caitlin and Zabia stayed with a Tibetan family in one of the refugee settlements in Pokhara, and worked in orphanages, sponsored boarding schools (for children from remote villages) and private schools. Zabia also spent time teaching at a monastery, Pal Ewam Namgyal Monastic School with one class of children aged 4 to 18 years.

Zabia and Caitlin connected with some incredible people and described their experience as “life changing”. They came home determined to do more for the children and refugees of Nepal.

Zabia’s amazing photos can be viewed on our Facebook page.

Check our What’s on in May schedule for daily activities throughout the month.

The Little Kickers program is focussed very much on fun – an informal yet professionally run training class where enthusiastic boys & girls are taught the fundamentals of soccer in a vibrant, group play environment.

Currently the kids from early childhood centres at Corrimal, Kiama Downs and Barrack Heights are taking part in the program which involves a regular weekly outdoor soccer class. The classes are carefully structured to not only teach kids the fundamentals of soccer, but also invaluable social skills like listening, sharing, taking turns and teamwork.

Community Relations Director Kath Smith says “Little Kickers is great, it is wonderful to see how the children develop their skills over the course of the program, but more importantly they are having fun, each week the Kickers coaches are met with a very enthusiastic bunch of preschoolers eager to get on the paddock”