Beyond words: inclusion through arts rich experiences

Children’s right to be heard is central to both the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Yet in many early childhood settings, participation is narrowly defined in ways that may inadvertently marginalise or exclude disabled children. This paper draws on research from an ongoing study, that reimagines participation using portraiture methodology, puppetry, and Lundy’s [2007. “‘Voice’ is not enough: Conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.’ British Education Research Journal 33 (6): 927–942] model of participation which addresses space, voice, audience, and influence. Within this paper we explore how puppetry can support children to express themselves through gesture, affect, material interaction, and relational presence. Using the art-form of puppetry as provocation and as a relational scaffold for multimodal communication, children’s ideas shape routines, curriculum, and relational practices. This research contributes to early childhood scholarship by offering concrete, anti-tokenistic approaches to inclusion and communication rights.