News & Editorial

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The Proud Foots – Your Words! Your Story! (Writing element)

October 25, 2021

Lucas’ creative writing session highlights the importance of using spontaneity and imagination to create short, fun-filled stories. This quirky format allows the students to experience the joy of writing without worrying about spelling mistakes and perfect grammar. The focus of the session is finding your voice, then expressing it through story.

“Lucas is a treasure personally and culturally. We are really lucky to have someone with his storytelling skills and gift for entertainment to inspire our students. His connection to his heritage and place was very powerful. The staff responses were glowing. I am like the kids; I only wish we could see him more often!” – Pottsville Beach PS, QLD

Topics covered

  • Finding your writing voice
  • Imagination and creativity
  • Writing with joy
  • Personal and cultural storytelling

Curriculum outcomes

  • Creative writing
  • History/culture
  • Multicultural themes
  • Performing arts

Sue Andersen

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Storytelling Through Sound

October 25, 2021

Drawing from her extensive experience in podcasting, Sam will show students how to tell stories for the ears. Students will use weird and wonderful props to create sound effects for broadcast. Students will then use those sounds to inspire and enhance stories crafted specifically to be heard.

Sue Andersen

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The Proud Foots – Your Words! Your Story! (Performance element)

October 25, 2021

Indigenous musician and author, Lucas Proudfoot presents a dynamic musical storytelling experience, showcasing dance, cultural diversity and Lucas’ creative process. This highly interactive session is a great way to start a StoryBoard session with Lucas. Students get to know Lucas not only as an author, but also as a live performer who shares positive aspects of music, story & culture.

Topics covered

  • Indigenous Australian culture and history
  • Music
  • Dance
  • Multicultural diversity
  • Storytelling
  • The creative process

Curriculum outcomes

  • History/culture
  • Multicultural themes
  • Performing arts

Sue Andersen

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From Idea to Story

October 25, 2021

Sam will teach students how to come up with a cracking story idea, create unique characters, build an escalating plot, and pull it all together to write a bestseller.

Topics covered

  • Ideas and inspiration
  • Creating characters
  • Plotting and planning

Sue Andersen

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The Monster Mash

October 25, 2021

Using text and verbal cues the students will create creatures/monsters based on myths and legends

Michelle will work with collage as a means for the students to create a creature based on a myth. Students will have a collage resource sheet of various animals and textures from which to construct their interpretation of the creature. They will then be assisted to create a drawing based on their collage and place it in a setting.

Students will be encouraged to make the creature their own in terms of interpretation and embellishment and also to start developing an imagined life for the creature and to illustrate that (ie its habitat, diet, likes and dislikes).

This workshop will encourage students to develop a character from a text and introduce them to using collage as both an illustration means in its own right and as a catalyst for other artworks.

The duration and complexity of this workshop can be adapted to the age group of the intended students.

Topics covered

  • Mythical Creature collage to the description
  • Drawing/painting a creature based on the collage
  • And/or using a combination of collage textures and draw features
  • Placing the creature in a setting
  • Character development

Sue Andersen

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Aussie Writers ToolKit

October 25, 2021

Students will walk away from this workshop with a collection of tools to help them brainstorm ideas, overcome writer’s block and craft interesting stories perfect for Australian readers. They will have a list of story ideas that they can use for future writing in class.

Topics covered

  • Inspiration and brainstorm techniques
  • Narrative arc and planning
  • Sizzling starts 
  • Cool characters

Curriculum outcomes

  • Writing and representing
  • Thinking imaginatively, creatively and interpretatively

Sue Andersen

Loving Our Differences

October 25, 2021

Author, Erin Knutt and illustrator, Misa Alexander present a dynamic workshop where they use their picture book, Fergus & Delilah, to explore diversity and inclusion. Students will have the opportunity to explore the similarities and differences of the characters through life-sized props, discussion, illustrations and a bit of dance and music thrown in the middle. 

Students will then work alongside Misa as they draw their own characters and reflect on how they can be inclusive of others. Finally, participants will make their own blockhead craft, complete with wires for hair, that they can take home or showcase at school! 

Topics covered

  • Differences and Similarities
  • Character choices
  • Inclusion
  • Storyline
  • Power of Illustrations

Curriculum outcomes 

  • Examine Literature
  • Recognise similarities and differences in individuals and groups, and explore how these are celebrated and respected.
  • Understand that people use different systems of communication to cater to different needs and purposes and many people may use sign systems to communicate with others.
  • Explore ideas, experiences, observations and imagination to create visual artworks and design.

anika

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Dynamic Still Life

October 25, 2021

Míša’s Dynamic Still Life workshop explores a wide variety of artistic techniques and skills. Dynamic Still life is taking one object and exploring it in several ways. Misa will introduce students to different techniques on how to visually interpret one object. Students will begin with continuous line drawing and move to pastel scratching, pen and watercolour painting and finally a layering approach with acrylic paints.

Topics covered

  • Inspiration
  • Analysing still life
  • Application of varying techniques
  • Defining spatial awareness
  • Explore abstract thinking
  • Overcome failure
  • Learn new things

Curriculum outcomes 

  • They demonstrate different techniques and processes in planning and making artworks.
  • Thinking imaginatively, creatively and interpretatively
  • Expressing themselves

anika

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Portraits with a Twist

October 25, 2021

Míša is passionate about art and loves to inspire and encourage students of all ages. In this workshop students will first explore and discuss art portraiture in history and the evolution of style followed by learning a practical guide to proportions of the facial structure and how to create a face.

Students will then learn to think outside the box with a continuous line drawing of an object (ie. A pear) followed by another continuous line drawing of themself using the right side of the brain to look at the light & shadows as well as the details in their faces. They will then turn this base drawing into a masterpiece with colour, texture and collage.

Each art session is tailored to specific age groups.

Topics covered

  • Inspiration & history of art
  • Defining spatial awareness
  • Exploring abstract thinking
  • Overcoming failure
  • Learning new things

Curriculum outcomes 

  • Use materials, techniques and processes to explore visual conventions when making artworks
  • Thinking imaginatively, creatively and interpretatively
  • Expressing themselves
  • History

anika

Explore Your World! Creative Writing and Reflection

October 25, 2021

Would you like your students to stop and marvel at the amazing world around them and build their ecological-literacy? The Earth has so much to share if only we stop, listen and wonder. Come along on a beautiful journey of what it means to belong to our earth home through exploring a BIG version of the Wonder Earth book. Celebrate the colors and patterns of the natural world. Hear and tell an earth story. Blending creative writing with inspiration from nature, children reflect on their relationship to the world around them.

Topics covered

  • Ecological themes such as the sun, water, food and patterns of nature
  • Processes and relationships which sustain life
  • Creative writing with nature themes
  • Reflection of our relationship to the world

Curriculum Outcomes 

  • Speaking and listening
  • Writing and representing
  • Thinking imaginatively, creatively and interpretatively
  • Working scientifically
  • Living world
  • Earth and space

anika

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Magic Story Workshop

October 25, 2021

In this fun workshop, kids will develop an original character, plot their story and get plenty of time to write. Even the most reluctant writers experience writing as fun and learn something new about themselves. Zanni works one on one with both reluctant and advanced writers to inspire them to tell their story, in the way that best suits them.

Topics covered

  • Brainstorming ideas and unleashing creativity
  • Story planning and story structure
  • Free writing
  • Basic editing tips

anika

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