PD Full Day Workshop – Let’s Not Make Aboriginal Art with Ron Bradfield

A Professional Development day of discussion, practice and learning for all educators engaging with Aboriginal knowledges, art, histories and culture in their classrooms. There will be opportunities to explore ideas, share insights and network with other educators.

 

Teachers will come away with:

• Ideas for introducing Aboriginal Art practices and concepts to students.

• An understanding of the relationship between identity, personal storytelling and mark- making.

• Insight into contemporary Aboriginal Art practice.

 

Quote from Ron:

 

When asked if I could come in and teach students how to make Aboriginal art, my answer – straight up – is: No!

 

When the awkward silence runs its course, I’m sometimes forced to ask:

 

“Would you like to know why?“

 

My Bardi mob don’t make pretty dots, we’re a saltwater peoples so desert animal tracks aren’t really appropriate and those symbols you get as ‘education packages’ via Google, have nothing to do with how my mob share our stories!

 

In fact, those packs have very little to do with how most Aboriginal and Islander people share their stories today and perhaps, we should be talking about why!

 

Rather than reinforce in our young people an out of date and ill-informed notion of what others believed Aboriginal art to be then, let’s discuss what it actually is now and why it’s relevant to who we are, in our Australian landscape and society.

 

Includes a presentation by Ron Bradfield Jr, a tour of the State Art Collection, lunch and a hands-on workshop.