Making shadow puppets has been an engaging experience, explains Victoria Lungu, atelierista at Manor Wood Foundation Stage Unit in Leeds
A bride puppet behind a screen
A bride puppet behind a screen

Lighting is an important aspect in our Reggio Emilia-inspired setting. We give a lot of thought to creating beautiful spaces and ensuring the lighting produces a calm, focused environment. We rely on natural light, lamps and projections to give the children plenty of opportunities to explore light, dark and shadow.

The contrast between light and dark intrigues the children. For them, dark places can be scary but also offer security – the notion of a dark city provoked fear in some, while a den was deemed safe because it was dark inside.

STORYTELLING

After observing the children’s investigations, I decided to create a dark space in the Atelier using heavy velvet cloth, and provided mirrors, torches and colour films. Children were delighted to discover the den and quickly started to tell dramatic stories using the torches. Their references to light and dark within the tales were fascinating.

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