When a musical broom becomes a political statement

The stiff-bristle broom used to sweep stray sand back into the sand pit at the Centre where I was working was so old and worn out there were very few bristles left. Sand had to be pushed, rather than swept, back into the pit. With no budget for glue sticks, books or toys, let alone brooms, staff were struggling with this task. There is a limit to what staff, including temporary project-based staff like me, can contribute to the overheads of a state-funded nursery by buying consumables. There is also a limit to using worn-out equipment that is not fit for purpose. To subsidise or not to subsidise...?

I subsidised. I bought a broom with my own money. But rather than simply buying a broom as a way of letting my local council "off the hook",  I made it into a musical broom. I decorated it with dancing figures and rhythmic patterns and spiralled the following words up the handle in clear script:

”Music is nothing without the people who make it”.

This musical broom functions well. It reminds staff that all actions, even brushing sand, can contribute to the musical lives of the two- and three-year olds that they work with. It reminds me that Early Years education is woefully underfunded and its influence on lives is underestimated. Many other items are needed at this nursery but I and the staff cannot subsidise it all. I bought one resource as a sympathetic gesture presented in a way that solves a problem and increases the influence of music without provoking guilt and shame. I think that makes the broom a successful political statement.