Visually Narrating the Voice of Childhood. An Inhabiting Artist in the School to Investigate Children's Thinking

Abstract

This article explores the photobook and visual narratives as spaces for creative thinking and action in childhood, using an arts-based educational research and a/r/tographic methodology. The study examines how pupils can develop a critical understanding of images and construct personal meanings from their visual experiences. The article presents the process and outcomes of the project Pespunto, carried out in a mixed classroom with first-, second-, and third-grade primary school students. The project began with the shared reading of photobooks, followed by the creation of a collective discourse through action and photographic documentation. Inspired by the textile work of Franz Erhard Walther, the school playground became a space for encounter, listening, and balance. The resulting photographs were assembled into a photobook that also incorporated the ideas and sensations arising from the action through a poetic text. The article outlines key aspects of the process, emphasizing the importance of listening to and valuing children’s voices, and reflecting on the role of the teacher-artist-researcher within the creative process.