The visual arts are a fundamental tool for children to communicate their ideas to others, to reflect on their experiences and to think through their theories and ideas, developing their ideas further.  This workshop will explore the ways teachers and children use the arts as a tool for inquiry. 

Teachers will be able to attend two practical workshops facilitated by Christine Alford (teacher at Tauraroa Area School) and Zair Taylor (Mairtown kindergarten) and Katja Keene-Fabig (Atelierista at Bear Park centre of learning) and deepen their knowledge of specific visual arts processes.

Workshop 1:  The exploration of nature through art (Facilitated by Christine Alford and Zair Taylor)
In this workshop Christine and Zair will tell the story of one of their longer term projects – Nurturing a Sense of Wonder about Spiders.  Then we will explore some of the natural materials that are frequently offered to children in arts based inquiries.  Through this teachers will be able  to explore their own creative ideas and communicate their thinking using materials.

Workshop 2: Papatūānuku as a source of inspiration (Facilitated by Katja Keene-Fabig)

 In this workshop Katja will to share the ways she has been using natural  materials to make paints and dyes with young children.  Through this workshop we will explore ways to support children to feel more connected with the land and see opportunities for a mindful and sustainable approach to arts practice.