14 & 15 SEPTEMBER
14 & 15 SEPTEMBER
Re-centring the Visual Arts for Meaningful Learning Experience and Growth
When the visual arts are positioned at the heart of inquiry-led curricula, children and teachers step into a dynamic learning ecology where curiosity, purposeful engagement and meaning-making thrive.
In this session, Gai explores how playful encounters with materials, grounded in children's right to participate in cultural and artistic life (UNCRC Articles 13 and 31), invite learners to think with their hands, engage their senses and build rich, interconnected understandings of their world. These experiences strengthen children's cognitive, social and emotional development, while also nurturing teachers' confidence, pedagogical artistry and capacity to notice and extend emerging ideas.
Drawing on the work of John Dewey and the Reggio Emilia educational project, Gai shows how slowing down, building shared knowledge and honouring the inquiry process allows children to produce genuinely sophisticated artistic work. You'll see how analysing the processes and decisions of contemporary artists can open powerful pathways for students' own creative explorations, and you'll leave with practical strategies for fostering personal efficacy, designing meaningful provocations and sustaining creative inquiry, ready to adapt to your own teaching context.
Dr Gai Lindsay is a consultant and art-play advocate, drawing on 22 years as a preschool teacher and director, and 14 years as an academic and researcher of visual arts pedagogy and practice.
Her work focuses on strengthening educators' visual arts pedagogy through targeted professional learning that builds confidence and content knowledge. Inspired by John Dewey and the Reggio Emilia approach, Gai champions meaningful, authentic arts experiences for children and educators, working to ensure joyful, creative visual arts learning for all.
