arts programs

Learning Connections is a hands-on arts access program developed by Country Arts SA for regional South Australian communities with a particular focus on young people and their schools.

Its broad objective is to encourage and support schools’ access to touring art exhibitions and associated arts programs.

Learning Connections also encourages life-long learning through Art Connections Practical Workshops and in-gallery DIY Discovery Trails.

It offers teachers specific resources and strategies, across many different learning areas, for using Country Arts SA exhibitions and performances as curriculum resources to encourage meaningful and engaging encounters with art from the earliest years.

Learning Connections is also an ARTSsmart project. ARTSsmart is the first strategy for arts education in South Australian schools and preschools and is an initiative of the Department of Education and Children’s Services and Arts SA. More information www.artssmart.sa.edu.au

Who to contact

For tour dates and venues: contact local Country Arts SA staff, local theatre staff, local gallery staff or online

For exhibition workshop and school visit bookings: your local gallery or arts officer

For performance bookings: your local performing arts venue

For general information: Jo Pike, Senior Project Officer, Statewide Initiatives Unit, jo.pike@countryarts.org.au  

 Information for Schools
 Education Resources and Toolkit for Exhibitions
 Resources for Current Touring Exhibitions
 Resources for Current Performing Arts touring productions
 Past Exhibition Resources
 Workshops and Activities for schools
 Art Connections Community Workshops
 DIY Discovery Trails and Hosted Discovery Trails
 Schools Connections Toolkit for Regional Galleries
 The Learning Connections Team

  Information for schools

Information for Teachers 2009 (669kb) can be downloaded in a pdf format here 

The Information for Teachers 2009 is available here in Adobe PDF Format. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it. If you do not already have the Adobe Acrobat Reader download it here.

Country Arts SA tours up to 10 exhibitions a year to regional South Australian galleries with around 5 new exhibitions each year. Some exhibitions tour for up to two years.

Country Arts also manages a performing arts touring program across the state for both large and small theatres and spaces. 

This program represents an exciting and very real opportunity for communities to access outstanding contemporary art, design and performance at first hand and, through associated workshop programs and education resources, to gain insights into creative aspects of many different artforms. The program also provides points of entry to the arts for community members of all ages which have the potential to be life-altering.

For children and young adults considering pathways into adult life, direct access to highly imaginative and skillfully created artworks expands horizons and promotes life-long participation in the arts.

Country Arts SA recognises the key role played by teachers in introducing young people to the arts and that to make effective use of the touring program as a teaching and learning resource, teachers need particular support.

For more information about Country Arts SA’s touring exhibitions click here
For more information about country Arts SA’s touring performances click here

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 Education Resources and Toolkit for Exhibitions

The Education Resources are designed to support teachers using the exhibitions as teaching and learning resources across a diversity of year levels and learning areas.

Engaging with artworks in an exhibition context offers students unique opportunities to learn more about themselves, others and the wider world. It also supports the development of a wide range of observation-based visual thinking and communication skills linked to learning outcomes and essential learnings.

The Exhibition Planning + Research Toolkit for Teachers contains research worksheets, learning outcomes profiles and planners, and art games designed to ensure structured and engaged viewing.

Whilst it is designed to be used in conjunction with Country Arts SA exhibition education packs, it is also an excellent source of tips and tricks to turn any exhibition into a learning resource.

Education Packs for each touring exhibition contain information about the curriculum relevance of the exhibition, in-depth information on key works and creative strategies for engaging students with the exhibitions. 

  Download Exhibition Planning + Research Toolkit for Teachers here in a pdf format here

The following resources are included in the Toolkit, but can also be downloaded separately here.

 Art Games 259KB pdf here
 Take a Look: Fast Track & Take a Look: Key Concepts and Language 168KB pdf here

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  Resources for Current Touring Exhibitions

If you would prefer a hardcopy of any of the education resources to be mailed to you, contact your gallery. Please note that this option is only available to South Australian schools and galleries and that some of the resources for Design Now are only available online.

The Education Packs are available online in Adobe PDF Format. You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view them. If you do not already have the Adobe Acrobat Reader download it here.

For more information and to download Education Resources click on the exhibitions below.

 Parallel

 Our Mob 08 on Tour

 Hinterland

 Design Now

 Ripples in the Sand

 The Sea

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  Resources for current Performing Arts Productions

Country Arts SA also makes available education kits for performing arts productions, when they are provided by the company.

Education material for Bell Shakespeare’s production of The Taming of the Shrew can be found at www.bellshakespeare.com.au/education along with other schools information.

An Education pack for Slingsby’s production of Wolf is available here or the complete ComeOut 09 pack here.

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 Past Exhibition Resources 

These exhibitions are no longer touring regional South Australia, but the materials themselves remain relevant for schools wishing to address the particular themes they contain. The packs contain plenty of images so can be used independently of a visit to the exhibition.

For these eductation packs and information on the exhibition please select for the list below

 Snapshot
 Perceptions of Distance
 Our Mob on Tour
 Burning Issues
 Collectanea

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  Workshops and Activities for schools

Art Connections Practical Workshops
See the show – Do the workshop

 The Taming Of The Shrew Regional Access Student Workshops
These workshops provide unique opportunities for students to learn more about the production they are about to see, greatly enhancing their theatrical experience. Bell Shakespeare Education presents these workshops several weeks ahead of the performance. Schools must book a student group into a performance of The Taming Of The Shrew in order to qualify.

Workshop Cost: FREE
Dates: during July/August 2009 (Term 3, Week 2 & 3)
Info: www.bellshakespeare.com.au/education
Bookings: Contact your local venue
More info about this production and tour dates click here

Bell Shakespeare Regional Performance Scholarship
Secondary schools and Youth Theatre groups in regional and remote areas participating in the workshops are eligible to select their most talented students to audition for this Scholarship. Auditions take place at the venues hosting Regional Access Workshops.

Cost: FREE
Dates: during July/August 2009 (Term 3, Week 2 & 3):
Info: your local venue , Bell Shakespeare Education on 1300 305 730 or www.bellshakespeare.com.au/education

Dare to Dance
Presented by the Ausdance SA ‘Dancers in Schools’ program in association with Country Arts SA’s, Riverland Dance Initiative and Come Out 09, Dare to Dance will bring South Australia’s finest dance educators into the schools in the Riverland to present a half day or full day of workshop activities. Workshops in hip hop, breakdance (for boys), contemporary dance, ballroom, latin and jazz are available and can be adapted to suit different age groups and skill levels.

Year Level: Age 6-18
Dates: May 18-22 & 25–29 (Term 2, Weeks 4 & 5)
Bookings: Ausdance SA 8212 0825 peta.sa@ausdance.org.au

Australian String Quartet
with Konstantin Shamray, piano

The Australian String Quartet performance includes a Q&A session with the musicians especially for students plus a public pre-concert talk.

Performances: statewide during May 2009 (Term 2, Weeks 4 & 5)
Extras: Special Comeout price ($10 per student)
Year level: Middle, Senior
Info: about the ASQ www.asq.com.au
Hear: the works online www.earsense.org/chamberbase/
Bookings: contact your nearest venue
More info about this production and tour dates click here

Country Arts SA hosts public workshops around the state to coincide with selected exhibitions. Artists who are represented in the exhibitions provide practical workshops in a variety of media as well as a floor talk to explain the workshop in the context of the exhibition. Whilst these workshops are aimed at people of all ages and will usually be held on weekends, young people, particularly those who have been engaged with the exhibitions through their school work, will be encouraged to participate. Art Connections Practical Workshops may be offered in the second half of 2009 subject to funding.

Cost: FREE
Dates: During the exhibition
Bookings: Register your interest with a Country Arts SA arts officer or gallery staff.

Art Connections Practical workshops may be available for

Our Mob 08 Touring
Ripples in the Sand
The Sea: Barrie Goddard
Hinterland

Contemporary Connections Teacher PD Exhibition Workshops 
These teacher PD workshops provide teachers across year levels and learning areas with an introduction to a specific exhibition’s content and themes, and its relevance as a learning resource, while it is being exhibited in your gallery. The workshops include:

• demonstrations on effective use of the relevant Education Pack
• interactive activities using problem-solving and art games components from the Teacher Toolkit
• suggestions for creative and successful teaching strategies
• behind-the-scenes insights into exhibition design
• ways to ‘unpack art’ using selected works from the exhibition
• an overview of art-historical contexts relating to the exhibition
• information about forthcoming Country Arts SA exhibitions

 Contemporary Connections at a Glance

Cost: FREE
Bookings: required – contact local gallery or arts officer
Venue: in the exhibition at your gallery
Duration: 90 minutes – usually scheduled 4:30 – 6pm but negotiable at each venue
Participants receive: a copy of the Education Pack and a PD participation certificate

Contemporary Connections PD workshops may be available in the second half of 2009, in conjunction with the following exhibitions:

Ripples in the Sand
The Sea: Barrie Goddard
Hinterland
Design Now
In the Top Paddock

Country Arts SA will negotiate a workshop program with each gallery subject to interest and available funds.  If you are interested in the workshop program, contact your local gallery to register your interest.

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 Art Connections Community Workshops 

See the Exhibition – Do the Workshop

From time to time, Country Arts SA hosts public workshops around the state to coincide with selected exhibitions.
Artists who are represented in the exhibitions provide practical workshops in a variety of media.

Whilst these workshops are aimed at people of all ages and are usually held on weekends, young people, particularly those who have been engaged with the exhibitions through their school work, are encouraged to participate.

Art Connections Practical Workshops may be offered in the second half of 2009 subject to funding.

Cost: FREE
Dates: During the exhibition
Bookings: Register your interest with a Country Arts SA Arts Officer [link] or local gallery staff.

Art Connections Practical workshops may be available in the second half of 2009, subject to funding, in conjunction with the following exhibitions

Our Mob 08 Touring
Ripples in the Sand
The Sea: Barrie Goddard
Hinterland

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  DIY Discovery Trails and Hosted Discovery Trails

Country Arts SA provides both Hosted Discovery Trails (on request) or DIY Discovery Trails for selected exhibitions.
Hosted Discovery Trails

These public forums are designed to get members of the community really connected with Country Arts SA touring exhibitions and through this with the wider world of art. Gallery staff, teachers and volunteers are encouraged to participate.

Hosted Discovery Trails (presented by one of the Learning Connections team) include:

•  A guided tour through the exhibition, exploring the underlying themes and ideas
• An in-depth look at selected works
• A demonstration of ‘learning to look’ techniques
• Informal discussion about ways of looking at modern art
• Some art-historical insights into ideas and styles relevant the exhibition
• Art Games – for all ages

These Hosted Discovery Trails are presented in the exhibition by arrangement with the gallery.
Cost: Free
Bookings: Required (contact the gallery or local Country Arts SA arts officer)
Venue: In the exhibition
Duration: 90 minutes

DIY Discovery Trails
Selected exhibitions have explanatory wall panels and DIY cards you can take with you as you walk around the exhibitions which encourage you to look a bit deeper into the works and discover not only the artist’s or curator’s interpretation, but also to come to your own conclusions.

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 Schools Connections Resource for Regional Galleries

This resource provides tips and tricks for regional gallery directors and volunteers who are responsible for running regional galleries.

Getting schools connected with and regularly visiting your gallery are key objectives for building audiences.

It addresses why do schools might come, what will make the gallery an attractive ‘education resource’, what the challenges are for schools and how to help schools meet them, networking, scheduling, communicating with schools and the resources that Country Arts SA provides.

Download: The Schools Connections Gallery Kit here

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 The Learning Connections Team

John Neylon and Anne Keast are high-energy art educators skilled in engaging children and young adults with art and in supporting teachers in the delivery of art-based learning programs.

Both have worked at various times as Education Officers at the Art Gallery of SA and are currently registered teachers. In presenting these workshops Anne will draw on her extensive experience as a secondary visual arts educator and John as an arts educator, prominent art critic and curator.

Learning Connections is produced by the Statewide Initiatives Unit of Country Arts SA.

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