QaGOMA Learning: Teaching Contemporary Indigenous Art

27 Jul QaGOMA Learning: Teaching Contemporary Indigenous Art

Dear QATA members,

Many of you would have been aware of or attended the QaGOMA Look Out Program on Saturday 23rd July, Teaching Contemporary Indigenous Art. This program included a floor talk of the Line and Form exhibition (Aboriginal Paintings and Sculptures from the collection), a curator talk from Bruce McLean about the Sally Gabori exhibition, a presentation about the Children’s Art Centre project in response to Sally Gabori’s exhibition and some practical presentations of primary teacher’s experience of implementing teaching and learning from the Education resource.

This was very well received. We’d like to share some of this feedback to all of our members to let you know about the work that QaGOMA are doing to support QLD teachers in embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in their classrooms. Terry has also generously shared a range of links and resources to assist teachers.
See below.

From Terry Deen, Head of Learning, QAGOMA learning –

On behalf of the QAGOMA Learning team, I’d like to thank all teachers for the interest we received in the ‘Contemporary Indigenous Art’ Look Out teacher program on Saturday 23 July. Between the Queensland Art Teachers’ Association conference held on the previous Saturday and last Saturday’s professional development at the Gallery, it is wonderful to note the commitment of teachers who each come with different perspectives on learning about and through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures. We each play a significant role in addressing the disparity that exists between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia. Collectively educators who engage in cultural learning and arts learning are strengthened by our shared sense of purpose and keenness to learn from each other.

In the spirit of supporting the teaching community, my colleagues at the Gallery and my friends at Gilimbaa (an Indigenous Design Agency of Fish Lane, South Brisbane), would like to share a recent blog about a new program that is currently in development as well as some valuable research material. Finding reliable and practical sources of information is not always easy, so we hope that the following links will circumvent time lost searching online. The attached pdf has only recently been published and will be particularly useful for teachers, artists and creatives in learning and thinking about Indigenous cultural protocols.

Relevant QAGOMA Education Resources:

Sally_Gabori_Student_Worksheet
Sally_Gabori_Teacher_Notes
QAGOMA Learning Collection Resource
‘Line + Form’ – selected artworks

QAGOMA Blog (search for “Learning”):

Design Tracks:
Design Tracks is a program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander senior secondary students who are interested in pursuing pathways in art, design and education. The event brings together leading Indigenous academics, businesses, educators and creative practitioners to mentor young indigenous talent. A core group of stakeholders from Brisbane’s Cultural Precinct including, QAGOMA, SLQ (kuril dhagun, Asia Pacific Design Library), QPAC and Gilimbaa: an indigenous creative agency on Fish Lane, are partnering with AIME and Queensland’s tertiary institutions, to innovatively address the need to close the gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous young people in the critical areas of education and employment.
http://blog.qagoma.qld.gov.au/reconciling-futures/
Queensland Indigenous Artist Public Art Commission:
Last week saw the launch of the QIAPAC with Judy Watson announced as the selected artist. The project will see the first public sculpture by an Indigenous Queensland Artist permanently reside within Brisbane’s Cultural Precinct. The site for the sculpture is at the top corner of the Maiwar Green and will be in pride of place in time for the GOMA Turns 10 celebrations in December 2016. Read more about QAIPAC and Judy Watson’s proposal via QAGOMA Blog.
http://blog.qagoma.qld.gov.au/?s=watson

Resources

Department of Communities – NSW Government
Working with Aboriginal People and Communities.
http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/321308/working_with_aboriginal.pdf
Share Our Pride – Reconciliation Australia
http://shareourpride.reconciliation.org.au/

Terri Janke – Indigenous Cultural Protocals Document (here)Terri Janke – Indigenous Cultural Protocols and the Arts (1)

Declaration of Rights for Indigenous Peoples.
http://nationalcongress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/DeclarationFullBook.pdf

Closing the Gap: Prime Minister’s Report: Education
http://closingthegap.dpmc.gov.au/chapter-02/index.html

Please feel free to share the resources and articles with your colleagues and communities.

Kind regards
Terry

TERRY DEEN | Head of Learning
QAGOMA Learning
T: +61 (0)7 3840 7268 | M: +61 (0)466 471 737
E: [email protected]

QATA Executive