This project involved eighteen pre-school children (3-4 years old) at the privately run Paintpots Nursery in central Manchester and 22 children from the local authority Greenbrow Nursery in a suburb of the city.

The project was planned in response to the aims and objectives of “the foundations for early learning” contained in the report Quality in Diversity in Early Learning published by the Early Childhood Education Forum.

The aim of the project was to encourage the children to respond visually and verbally to the categories of learning defined in “the foundations for early learning ” which are – belonging and connecting – being and becoming – contributing and participating – being active and expressing – thinking imagining and understanding.

The project artists met the children and talked with them about their favorite ‘home-place’ and where this was located in the building in which they lived. The children were also asked to visualize this place and to communicate to each other and to the artists something of the surroundings of that building.

A full-length color photograph was then taken of each child and this was then enlarged and printed on the photocopier and the image of the child cut out of the print. Each child then stuck his or her photo portrait on an A3 sheet of white paper. They were then asked to draw and paint their favorite ‘home place’ around their photograph and to locate that ‘home place’ in the building in which they lived and its location in the built environment of their area of the city.

A number of the children’s parents expressed interest in the project and asked if the children could bring the paintings home with them before they were exhibited. These parents made helpful written comments about the children’s interpretation of their home which assisted in the artists in their evaluation of the project.

The project artists met the children and talked with them about their favorite ‘home-place’ and where this was located in the building in which they lived. The children were also asked to visualize this place and to communicate to each other and to the artists something of the surroundings of that building.

A full-length color photograph was then taken of each child and this was then enlarged and printed on the photocopier and the image of the child cut out of the print. Each child then stuck his or her photo portrait on an A3 sheet of white paper. They were then asked to draw and paint their favorite ‘home place’ around their photograph and to locate that ‘home place’ in the building in which they lived and its location in the built environment of their area of the city.

A number of the children’s parents expressed interest in the project and asked if the children could bring the paintings home with them before they were exhibited. These parents made helpful written comments about the children’s interpretation of their home which assisted in the artists in their evaluation of the project.