The Atelier is a place of exploration and discovery where Pre-Kindergarten children come together to learn through art and inquiry. Since its beginnings in the welcoming Casa Limoncillo in April 2005, this space has served as a laboratory for artistic exploration for our children, grounded in the renowned Italian educational philosophy of Reggio Emilia.
What began as a pilot project led by Manena Vilanova and Paula Agudelo soon became a cornerstone of learning at the School. In 2007, the Atelier inaugurated its own dedicated space, enabling more students to experience investigation and creation through art. Between 2008 and 2012, it even extended beyond the classroom, leaving a meaningful impact through the Zona Chocó Research and Creation Laboratory, a project recognized by the Ministry of Culture.
Now celebrating 20 years since its creation, the Atelier is founded on three fundamental pillars:
First, the Atelier is a place of listening, where childhood’s alternative ways of knowing the world—of understanding, being, and inhabiting it—are acknowledged, legitimized, and made visible.
Second, it focuses on the relationship between children and artistic practices. In the Atelier, art is not used merely as a means of expression, nor is the goal to turn children into accomplished artists. Rather, the primary intention is to foster a relationship of attentiveness and shared commitment between children and their projects, integrating the environment, materials, and collaboration to create a collective creative experience in which everyone’s ideas can meet and grow.
The third pillar centers on waste as narrative. In the Atelier, children engage with discarded materials to create new stories, using recycled items they bring from their homes to give them new purpose through a free and creative process.
Schedule a personalized visit and discover how every corner of the Atelier reflects our learning philosophy: fostering deeper learning through research-based projects where art and pedagogy come together.
