Stepping Through the Door video premiered

‘Stepping through the Door’ was a project conceived by Sue Giles to explore the views, opinions and perceptions of 4-6 year olds on the transition from pre-school to primary school.  The project was commissioned by Moreland City Council and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development with the aim of assisting parents and teachers on handling this life-change.

Three Polyglot artists - Mischa Long, Justine Warner, and Lachlan Macleod - worked with pre-schoolers from Denzil Don Kindergarten and Antonine Sisters Child Care Centre, plus prep children from Moreland Primary School in a series of half day and full day workshops which explored the theme of transition and the myriad of ways in which these children approach and reflect on the radical change from pre-school to school. They elicited and collected some really beautiful responses that were captured on film. 

The three educational institutions, all from the Moreland City Council area, had wonderfully diverse populations, representative of the ever-changing face of the Australian people.  With the focus of the workshops squarely on the children’s perception (in the case of pre-schoolers) or experience (in the case of prep students) of this change, the responses are particularly poignant and relevant for those interested in how best to make the transition easier for the children. The artists gathered over 20 hours of footage, from which a short video was compiled presenting the wide-range of children’s responses and thoughts on the change that will hopefully spark some lively debate and act as a resource.

The short video had its premiere on Wednesday 14 December at Brunswick Town Hall and can be viewed here: http://youtu.be/nnCqHrAgacM