Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation week is the perfect time to learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Art is the ideal platform to explore our shared histories, cultures and achievements and provides an opportunity to reflect on how we can contribute to reconciliation in Australia.

With our wide range of online resources and videos, why not introduce your students to a different artist each day or check out our suggestions for classroom activities below that can easily be integrated into your teaching and learning programs to promote cultural understanding.

Remember

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art is diverse. Therefore, if you are only ever highlighting one art form, such as bark painting or dot painting, you are placing limitations on your students' cultural awareness and understanding. We suggest considering the following when planning your lessons:

Highlight and focus on a specific artist, time and place.
Explore differing viewpoints through a variety of artists, including those who are contemporary and those from the past.
Identity the main themes or ideas in the artist's work. How could these concepts connect with your students? Plan for children to respond to these themes and ideas without creating copies of the artist's work.

For more ideas and suggestions see our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art in the Classroom publication.