Don't delay to purchase your ticket in 2027. QATACON26 sold out.

Thursday 15 + Friday 16 + Saturday 17 July, 2027

We will be adding plenty of details here soon.

The theme of QATACON27 is Curiosity and play.

Curiosity and play are at the heart of creative practice. They invite us to explore possibilities, test ideas, make discoveries and embrace the unexpected. For artists, teachers and students, they create space for experimentation without knowing exactly where it might lead.

Curiosity and Play invites visual art educators to consider how playful approaches can spark inquiry, encourage creative risk-taking and open new possibilities for making, thinking and learning. QATACON27 celebrates the art classroom as a place to question, experiment, imagine, discover and sometimes just have a go.

Across the program, contemporary artists and educators will share the curiosity, experimentation and playful thinking that shape their practice through inspiring keynote addresses and hands-on workshops. Participants will make, explore, exchange ideas and discover practical approaches to take back to their own classrooms.

Together, we will celebrate curiosity as the question that gets us started, and play as one of the ways we discover where that question might take us.

At QATACON27, we invite you to

  • wonder through the keynote addresses
  • explore possibilities through discussion
  • experiment and take creative risks in workshops
  • play, make, discover — and ask “what if?”

Questions or comments? Send us an email at qata@qata.qld.edu.au

Tickets will be on sale through Humanitix. While we can’t avoid ticketing fees for registration, we are pleased to support Humanitix which sends 100% of registration fees to charities that support disadvantaged kids around the world to access education. (It’s also a bit cheaper for you and your school budgets.)

Get involved in 2027

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN NOW FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES BELOW:

  • Create our hero image! We’re looking for a wonderfully skilled teacher/creator to make an artwork that says, ‘Curiosity and play’, to feature on the front of our program and across our communications. Featured artists receive a complimentary ticket and feature through our program.
  • Nominate to present an Educator showcase. This has become such an important and popular part of the QATACON program. We know you’ve got something valuable to share in this incredible session where we hear from our subject-matter experts (you) about practical teaching techniques and approaches. Showcase teachers receive a discounted ticket. This is also a great opportunity to gather evidence towards Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher certification.
  • Submit a middle-years (Years 5-9) student’s artwork to feature on our QATACON27 tote bags (submissions open NOW!). The artwork must be made anytime since the previous conference. Yes, we’ve extended the available timeline for making to encompass classes in semester 2, 2026 and semester 1, 2027. The selected student artist will receive a complimentary tote bag and an art materials pack. The nominating teacher will be invited to present the associated learning activity at QATACON27.

The buttons below will open Google forms. Some school accounts block these forms and you may find you need to use a personal account to open and complete the forms.

Design the hero image for QATACON27 in response to the theme
Curiosity and play.

If selected, you will receive complimentary registration and be featured on the QATACON program. Open to all QATA members. You can see our previous program covers above.
Applications for QATACON27 are open now. Click here to enter.

QATACON26 hero image

Jaelene Durrand
What remains
Graphite on paper
42 x 32cm

Educator showcase

What happens when we wonder, experiment, take a risk, follow an unexpected path — or simply ask, what if?

QATA members are invited to unpack, share and teach their colleagues an innovative and effective practical 90-minute workshop, suitable for a primary, middle years or senior visual art context.  You can present individually or in small teaching teams. Workshops should include a practical aspect. We’d like the participants making and doing.  We are looking for innovative, practical and relevant experiences. Educator Showcase presenters receive a 30% discount on QATACON registration.

Applications for QATACON27 are open now. Click here to enter.

Submit your student artwork to feature on the QATACON tote bag. If selected you receive free registration and an art pack for your student.

Applications for QATACON27 are open now. Click here to enter.

QATACON TOTE BAG Competition

Celebrate your students’ work. You can now submit entries from student work created in semester 2, 2026 and semester 1, 2027. Share the amazing work your students are making right now!

Get a taste for what QATACON is all about. Click to open the QATACON26 program

QATACON PROGRAM

The program will contain all of the details, including artist bios, contact details, workshop descriptions, schedules for each day, venues, what to bring and what you can look forward to.

Looking for a past program? All of the QATACON programs can be found in Downloads or scroll up and click on the cover images below.

QATACON Program selection guide

Will you be registering for other people?
Or is someone else registering for you?

There are always so many options to select during registration.
We’ll provide a handy guide to make sure all attendees’ preferences are sorted before starting the registration process. 

Countdown to QATACON27

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Tickets on sale term 1, 2027

Get ready to enter Art Teacher Art in 2027.

Join us in 2027 for the exhibition’s closing event on Friday 16th July at 4:30pm – 6:30pm at Woolloongabba Art Gallery. Don’t miss the announcement of
The Eckersley’s Art Teacher Art prizes and the People’s Choice award.

View the past catalogues on the Art Teacher Art page.

QATACON27 Opening event

Our QATACON opening events  are a great way to kick start the conference. Enjoy delicious food and drinks, catch up with colleagues and maybe make some new friends.

You can rsvp to this event during QATACON27 registration.

We look forward to sharing news about our opening event in 2027. Always something new!

Curiosity and play in the classroom – swap and share

This session is about connecting and sharing ideas for classroom practice. Select one option below to attend. This could be an area of expertise or something you want to learn more about. Bring along a related resource, a story, a strategy or question to share with the rest of the group. We would also love you to bring along a hard copy summary for everyone to take away. Please make 20 copies. QATA exec will also scan and share the collected resources on the QATA website after QATACON.

QATA supports our regional members and our pre-service teachers. If you live and work more than 150km from Brisbane or you are currently studying to become a visual art classroom teacher, you can apply for one of these fantastic bursaries.

Tertiary student Bursary
Open to a pre-service teacher studying Primary or Secondary Visual Art education.

Complementary QATACON27 registration and travel expenses if you are a regional student.

Applications will open in term 1, 2027.
QATACON26 strengthened my confidence in the value of the arts and in my own role as an arts educator. More importantly, it has encouraged me to consider how I can continue advocating for, and contributing to, a vibrant arts education within my rural community.
Karina Talbott

Regional Bursary recipient, Malenda State School,

If you teach outside of South East Queensland you can apply for this bursary. Recipients receive complimentary registration, travel and accommodation.

Applications are open now. You must be in a regional school in 2027 to apply.
2 day Metropolitan member$295
2 day Metropolitan non-member$345
2 day Regional member$235
2 day Regional non-member$285
2 day Tertiary student$225
1 day Metropolitan member$190
1 day Metropolitan non-member$240
1 day Regional member$130
1 day Regional non-member$180
1 day Tertiary student$120

Ticket types, prices & FAQs

Please note ticket prices are subject to registration fees of 2.5% + $0.50 per paid ticket. We use Humanitix for ticket registration who donate ticketing fees to education charities.

What is included in my ticket?

Your choice of the presentations listed in the program, morning tea and lunch, workshop art materials,  membership for the remainder of the year for non-members, downloadable workshop and presenter resources, and our wonderful QATA merchandise.

Can I change my order after registration?

Yes you can. If you change your mind about your session or workshop selections, log back into Humanitix and update your order. You will be able to change into other selections until they reach capacity.

 Who can purchase member tickets?

Member tickets are for 2027 financial QATA members Institutional, Institutional sponsored or Individual members.

Who can purchase regional member or non-member tickets?

You can purchase a regional ticket if you live and work more than 70km from the Brisbane CBD. We know you need to travel to get to QATACON and we want to help you out as much as we can.

How can I pay?

Preferred payment method is credit card directly through Humanitix.

Can I pay by invoice for my order?

Yes you can. Select pay by invoice during registration. You will receive an invoice with our direct bank details so you can transfer payment. You won’t need to pay via credit card. Tickets will be confirmed and issued after payment is received. Payment is due within 14 days of invoice.

Please note: registrations with unpaid invoices will be cancelled prior to the event. If circumstances are delaying your payment, please make contact asap via treasurer@qata.qld.edu.au to protect your ticket.

I just bought a ticket. Where is my invoice as receipt of payment?

Please note: QATA is a non-profit association and is not registered for GST.

An invoice will be issued in your confirmation email if you pay by credit card. 

What is the refund policy?

Refunds are available up to 14 days before the event. 

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

No, individual conference programs, session allocations and rooms will be provided. Please register on arrival to collect your personalised program, lanyard and QATACON tote bag.

Can I attend the Thursday night event or the drinks and networking event on Friday evening if I am only attending on Saturday?

Yes, you can. We hope you will! Please rsvp for either event during registration. Thursday is a ticketed event and Friday is complimentary.

Why are some of the workshop choices unavailable when I register in Humanitix?

Workshops have capacity of between 15-25 participants depending on the room capicity, material use or presenter preferences. Some workshops have filled and will be unavailable.  But don’t worry, all of the remaining choices are just as valuable. Be sure to check both morning and afternoon sessions as most are offered twice and each one may not be full.

Featured Artists & Presenters

Friday Keynote

 

News coming soon

Saturday Keynote

Watch this space

Choose from over 20 artists each year.

We will offer atists who specialise in playful approaches.

Build your art practice

Take ideas into the classroom

Click the artists' tiles above to find out more about their practice.