ARTS UP FRONT 2024
Save the date: Saturday 24 February, 2024 at IMP/UC High School Kaleen, 104 Baldwin Drive Kaleen
Practical arts workshops - music, dance, drama, media, photography, visual arts & wellbeing
Maximum 150 participants
The Arts Up Front Conference has been approved for 5 hours of TQI accreditation 
There will be three workshops throughout the day. Ticket price includes your choice of three workshops, morning tea, lunch, tea, coffee and resources.
Once you have completed the Registration Form, you will get a "thank you.." notification. This is your confirmation for enrolment in your chosen workshops. If a workshop you choose is full, you will be asked to select another workshop for that session.
Conference cost:
- Individuals/ non-government schools: $165 including GST
- Government schools: $150 no GST
Invoices for individuals/non-government schools will be sent out in the week prior to the conference.
Invoices for government schools will be sent out the week after the conference.
Workshop information – Here are the workshop descriptions to read before entering your choices on the registration form. Keep an eye on our facebook page for current developments.
Registration form
Registrations are now closed.
Please contact Tina at tina.oldham@ed.act.edu.au
DANCE
Emma Laverty - Culture through the Arts
Emma is an experienced presenter who will guide participants through a practical and immersive dance workshop. Participants will be supported to authentically engage in cultural experiences and take cultural learning from the book into the physical.
Hannah McFadden - Bringing Dance to Life in Schools
Hannah will support teachers to develop their skills and repertoire in dance through this hands on and practical workshop.
A hands-on and practical approach to ensure that teachers leave feeling confident and inspired to incorporate dance into their curriculum effectively. Through a series of interactive activities, participants will explore movement styles, unlock creative expression, and discover new avenues for engaging students in the art of dance.
Emily Appleton - Nia Dance Workshop
The Nia Dance workshop will be a practical, embodied movement workshop, where you will experience how Nia techniques can be applied personally, and in the Arts classroom. Learn how to support your students to move with awareness of their bodies, connect to music, and experience a variety of movement forms. Build your confidence to lead improvisation and choreography. “AnyBody” can participate in this workshop, as it’s designed to be accessible to all levels of experience and physical ability. Please wear comfortable clothes to move in, bring a drink bottle, an open mind and playful spirit.
MUSIC
Emma Zen – Early Childhood Music
Be inspired by Emma as she leads participants through strategies and repertoire to include in your early childhood music program. The power of music, singing and rhyme to enhance language development, literacy learning, maths understanding and social development is well known. Emma will weave her artistry through this workshop and she will demonstrate how to bring music for our youngest students to life.
Deborah Masling, OAM – So, You've Been Asked to Take the School Band!
Don’t miss learning from this experienced educator and musician in the ensemble space - Bring your baton and your instrument to participate in this interactive workshop. This workshop aims to provide confidence for those who have minimal or intermediate skills in conducting bands. It will cover the following:
- Baton technique and what to do with your other hand
- Giving clear musical directions
- Expressive conducting techniques
- Preparing the score; where to start when looking at a new piece of music
- Leading productive rehearsals
- Ensemble techniques
The workshop can be tailored to suit the needs of the participants and therefore the content may vary as required.
Melanie McLoughlin (Musica Viva) – Music and Maths
A workshop that considers the mathematical benefits of participation in musical experiences. Teachers will experience the value of music for learning in other areas of the curriculum with a particular focus on mathematical elements e.g. fractions, division of notes, rhythmical number patterns performed with body percussion and sounds sources, and numerical sequences. Teachers will be given examples of the practice of performing, organising sounds and listening skills for application in the primary classroom.
DRAMA
Robyn Lewis - Wellbeing in the Arts
In this workshop you will learn:
- the theory and practice of managing your own energy and the energy of children and young people in learning settings,
- to manage transitions into/out of the classroom, between learning activities, before/after breaks, and
- to use breath and movement for up or down regulation of the nervous system, and
This important work supports children and young people to develop skills in self-awareness and self-management (General Capabilities - Personal and Social Capability - F-10 Curriculum).
Participants will have time to practice mindfulness activities and learn to deliver simple and effective wellbeing tools.
BJ Anyos with Justine Ramsay - Child Players ACT Drama Workshop
Immerse yourself in drama activities designed to engage students in the performing arts. Work with experienced director and producer, BJ, as you participate in an active workshop focussed on developing children’s skills in stage craft, characterisation, and improvisation.
Bek Kordas - Incorporating Circus Skills in Performing Arts
While Circus Arts is not currently listed as a subject in the Australian Curriculum, this subject aligns closely with the Australian Curriculum Achievement Standards for Drama, Dance and Physical Education. The aim of circus education is to offer a set of experiences that will assist students to understand the value of persistence and resilience in developing complex skills, whilst valuing risk taking as a fundamental part of development. Participants in this workshop will be exploring foundational skills in physical movement that prioritises safety of the individual through skill development. Participants will learn basic tumbling skills, human pyramids, juggling and object manipulation.
VISUAL ART
Christine Rufflet – Resin Discs: Story Telling in 3D
Participants will learn how to tell a story using text, photos and natural elements that will be layered and set into a resin disc. Resin discs can be designed as individual artworks or be part of an installation to tell a collective story.
Lynn Petersen – Quirky Finger Puppets
Discover the magic of turning wool fibre into fabric. Learn how to make a finger puppet using a resist and wet-felting techniques. Consider how to effectively integrate the process of making the puppets and the finished product into literacy, drama and media arts projects.
Krysia Kitch (National Portrait Gallery) - Lines of Connection
Discover the power of portraiture to tell stories, create connections and generate new learning. Expand your critical thinking and visual-literacy skills through peer discussion of select portraits. Inspired by artist practice from the National Portrait Gallery collection, explore a range of drawing activities easily transferred to the classroom. Participants will gain a practical tool kit of activities, resources and ideas to bring back to your students in visual arts programs and integrate into other curriculum areas.
Katrina Leske - From Soil to Studio: Exploring Nature Through Pottery
Dive into the intersection of art and nature with Katrina Leske from Canberra Potters. This 100-minute session invites educators on a creative journey, exploring the transformative power of clay to connect students with the natural world. Participants will be provided with tips and ideas for incorporating nature into pottery education and making work to last in outdoor environments, followed by a hands-on experience in crafting their own nature-themed objects using hand-building and decorative techniques.
Mariana del Castillo – Rounding the Narrative
Join artist Mariana del Castillo in creating a unique circular bespoke and bound book using timber and beeswax string. Participants will explore eco-dyed fabrics and existing recycled text to create poetic stories. Each participant will be offered a bundle of materials to consider and interpret seeking to weave their own history, visual language, and narrative into their books.
Dr Tiffany Cole (CMAG) - Canberra / Kamberri: Place and People Learning Program Workshop
Please note: This workshop will take place off-site at the Canberra Museum and Gallery. Participants will need to make their own way to the Gallery. A sign-on sheet will be available at the site for TQI purposes.
Join the Canberra Museum and Gallery Access and Learning team officer and an exhibition curator for a hands-on workshop to introduce the learning opportunities available for this new, award-winning exhibition Canberra / Kamberri, Place and People. Immerse yourself in the exhibition with rich links to the Australian Curriculum and insights into Canberra’s social and cultural history told through objects of daily use and special significance, artworks of purposeful creativity and moving images made for screens large and small. Then move to our studio for an art making session to further investigate concepts explored in the exhibition. Lower and upper primary learning programs are offered.
MEDIA
Shannon Kowalik - Pocket Power: Mastering Creative Storytelling Through Mobile Filmmaking
Join us in 'Pocket Power: Mastering Creative Storytelling through Mobile Filmmaking,' a workshop where we will explore the art of storytelling and creative filmmaking techniques! While we dive into smartphone use in this workshop, remember that the skills you will gain are versatile and applicable to embed into your classroom practice using various classroom technology resources.
In this workshop, you will discover the versatility of filmmaking and learn how to harness its potential to craft engaging narratives. Explore the fundamentals of storytelling, from conceptualisation to execution, and unlock tips and techniques for capturing attention-grabbing footage, and interesting editing tricks. Learn ways you can incorporate film and media into your classroom and get ready to unleash your creativity, elevate your storytelling skills, and learn to produce impactful videos—all in the palm of your hand!
You will need to ensure you have mobile network availability on your phone.
David Lindesay (PhotoAccess) – Blueprinting the Natural Environment
In this workshop, discover the art of cyanotype printing as you create botanical prints from the school grounds. Collaborate with others to craft a catalogue identifying every species in the area. This accessible ancient photographic technique blends seamlessly with science and visual arts curricula. This process will teach participants how to coat cyanotype paper and get the best outcomes using the sun printing process.
Deb Walkenhorst - Unreal Canberra: Using Photopea/Photoshop to Create New Canberra Landmarks
Explore the art of image manipulation on Chromebooks by discovering effective techniques for sourcing suitable images. Dive into the world of photo editing using either the accessible Photopea, a free web-based program, or the powerful Adobe Photoshop.
Embark on a creative journey as you guide students in crafting multi-layered images featuring iconic Canberra landmarks. Infuse an unexpected and 'unreal' twist into their creations, utilizing fundamental tools within the chosen software. These foundational skills will serve as a launchpad for students to explore more advanced and intricate techniques in the realm of photo manipulation.
Cancellation Policy
If after booking, you are unable to attend, you are welcome to nominate someone else to attend in your place. Please advise substitutions via email at least 24 hours in advance to ensure correct name tags are available.
The person attending in your place will attend your selected sessions or may swap to any available session.
Email tina.oldham@ed.act.edu.au with substitutions.
- Cancellations before 12pm Friday 16 February will receive a 100% refund.
- If you are a ‘no show’, and do not notify Arts Up Front for this event, full conference price will be charged
- Cancellations made from 12pm Friday 16 February will incur a $40 cancellation fee. This fee covers part of the cost of catering and cannot be refunded.
For further information please contact the conference organiser at tina.oldham@ed.act.edu.au or 6142 0480