Re-assemble Conference | FRIDAY 12 JULY 2024

Art Education Victoria in partnership with RMIT University will host the Re-Assemble Art Education Conference in-person.

The theme is Creative Journeys: Fostering Identity and Belonging. This conference seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice, offering a platform for educators to explore innovative approaches to teaching. Through presentations, workshops and collaborative discussions, participants will delve into the following key themes: 

• Fluidity of Identity: Explore how art can challenge fixed notions of identity, allowing for the exploration of fluid and evolving identities.
• Representation and Diversity: Examine the role of art in representing diverse identities and amplifying marginalised voices within the classroom and beyond.
• Self-Reflection and Empowerment: Empower students to reflect on their own identities and experiences through art-making, fostering a sense of agency and self-awareness.

The Re-assemble Art Education Conference is dedicated to elevating your skills as art educators. Our mission is to inspire, connect, and empower you in the art-room, ultimately enhancing student learning. By joining us, you will gain fresh perspectives, discover innovative teaching approaches, and be part of a community that believes in the power of personal connections and shared experiences.

ArtEdVic is committed to bringing our community together in-person and believe connecting in this way is fundamental to our well-being as educators and artists. It is an opportunity to invigorate your teaching practices but also provide an opportunity to recharge your creative energies.

Join us as we embark on a journey to explore the transformative potential of art education in shaping identities, fostering empathy, and promoting social change. Together, let us reimagine art classrooms as spaces of empowerment, dialogue, and inclusive representation.

Conference Day Program

Keynote: Atong Atem
The Non-Linear Journey

Join us for an inspiring keynote presentation by the renowned South Sudanese artist and writer, Atong Atem, as we delve into the transformative power of art in exploring identity, celebrating diversity, and building connected communities.

This presentation speaks to the importance of research, and the many forms it can take, in the artists’ journey. Through an exploration of her own journey as a practicing artist over the past decade, Atem will speak about the various historical influences on her practice including ethnographic photographs, film, museum collections and first person histories. This presentation will explore past works, their relevance to her practice and her personal relationship to the world at large, as well as current and upcoming works and the importance of making self-referential art. This presentation hopes to analyse and critique the idea of a linear journey and will speak to the many possibilities that may arise from embracing a non-linear journey and artistic practice.

Atong Atem, an Ethiopian born, South Sudanese artist and writer living in Narrm, has captivated audiences with her unique approach to portraiture through video and photography. Her work transcends conventional frameworks, offering a fantastical lens through which to view the world. By referencing the iconic works of photographers like Malick Sidibe, Philip Kwame Apagya, and Seydou Keita, Atem constructs a vivid visual narrative that bridges her cultural heritage and personal experiences. Atem’s exploration of migrant narratives and postcolonial practices within the African diaspora offers profound insights into the relationship between public and private spaces, and the concepts of home and identity. Her art has been showcased across Australia in prestigious institutions such as the National Gallery of Victoria, National Portrait Gallery and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, as well as internationally at venues including Tate Modern and Photo London 2023.

Panel Presentation:

Artistic Synergy: Working with Artists and Creating Connections

Discover how collaboration between artists, curators and technicians shape the art world

Join us for the insightful panel presentation as part of our “Creative Journeys: Fostering Identity and Belonging” theme. This session focuses on the collaborative roles of curators, technicians and educators in shaping the creative process alongside artists. Discover the innovative ways these professionals support and enhance artistic expression and learn how their unique perspectives contribute to the visual arts sector landscape. Dr Daniel Harrris will also share insights into government policy and PISA outcomes. Art Educators can share insights taken from this session – to expand the knowledge and potential future career pathways of their students. Joined by Ellen Sayers, an accomplished art technician and fabricator. Ellen’s remarkable journey in metal fabrication will provide attendees with fresh insights into the multifaceted world of art production. Dr Daniel X. Harris is the Director of Creative Agency, Professor at RMIT University, and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow (2017-2021) studying intercultural creativity. Daniel is an Honorary Research Fellow at University of Nottingham (UK) and an Adjunct Professor at Monash University (Australia). Daniel researches in the areas of gender, creativity, diversity, performance and emerging digital ethnographies. Dr Andrew Tetzlaff is the Senior Curator at RMIT Culture, producing exhibition programming for RMIT Gallery, RMIT Design Hub Gallery and First Site Gallery. In his role, he has developed and delivered exhibitions, coordinated international arts residencies, edited and authored publications, presented papers at conferences and lectured in studio art and art history courses.

Pre-conference program
Curator Talk with Danielle Whitfield hosted by NGV International

Date: Thursday 11 July
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Location: National Gallery of Victoria International, meeting at the ground floor information desk
Presenter: Danielle Whitfield, Curator, Fashion and Textiles, NGV

Africa Fashion  This landmark exhibition includes the photographic work of our Re-assemble keynote presenter, Atong Atem, and celebrates the creativity, ingenuity, and global impact of contemporary African fashions from the mid-twentieth century to the present day. Featuring over 200 works – spanning fashion, textiles, adornment, photography, music, and film – the exhibition illuminates a thriving fashion scene as dynamic and varied as the continent itself. Developed by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and presented in partnership with the NGV, Africa Fashion is the largest exhibition of fashions from this region in an Australian art institution. More than 50 designers and artists from 20 African countries are represented. Africa Fashion presents a unique opportunity to begin exploring the conference theme of Creative Journeys: Fostering Identity and Belonging. The program will begin with a curatorial introduction to the exhibition by Danielle Whitfield, Curator, Fashion and Textiles, NGV, and a brief introduction to the learning programs. An offer to attend the Africa Fashion exhibition at a discounted rate is available.

*  The Curators talk is free and presented by the National Gallery of Victoria exclusively for teachers attending the Re-assemble Conference. 

Creative Workshops

		Creative Thinking and Speculative Design Workshop Immerse yourself in a co-design process to learn the basics of speculative design — a student-led, design-based, and open-ended way of working. This workshop follows core design stages: empathise (including research), define, ideate, prototype, and test. It’s suitable for both seasoned practitioners and those new to design, or anyone looking to apply speculative design principles in new areas or innovative ways. Facilitated by Researchers Daniel Harris & Peter Murphy |Creative Agency Daniel Harris and Peter Murphy are educational designers and artists who work at RMIT. Dan is a research professor of creativity in educational futures, and Peter is a Phd candidate and lecturer in the schools of Design and Education.
		Light, Object, Shadow Workshop This workshop will cover the essentials of working with light, examining the interplay between light, the objects it illuminates, and the shadows they cast. Participants will gain hands-on experience manipulating light as a material and explore the simple technologies used to achieve stunning effects. Facilitated by Artist Arlo Mountford |  Artist Website Mountford works primarily with large-scale interactive installations that integrate sound, video and animation. His digitally animated films feature a dizzying assortment of famous artists, iconic artworks and events from the history of art mixed with an almost equally generous array of pop culture references. Infused with humour and irony, Mountford’s work re-navigates art history, and explores the contextual relationship between contemporary art practice and its perceived past.
		Quick Mould Slip Casting Ceramics Workshop Explore and experiment with mould making and slip casting techniques in the ceramic studio. Participants will be introduced to a quick technique for making plaster moulds using fabric plaster bandages, making it accessible for school environments. We will then delve into ceramic slip casting, where a liquid clay body is poured into the new plaster moulds to create hollow ceramic forms. This technique allows for the creation of multiple pieces that can be combined into composite ceramic forms, transferring both the original shape and surface texture. Facilitated by Ceramic Artist Jennifer Conroy-Smith | Artist Website Through attenuated porcelain forms, Jennifer explores the dichotomy of the material’s strength, with a delicate diaphanous aesthetic. Suspended installations consist of multiple hand sculpted porcelain, encompassing thousands of individual pieces to create larger sculptural forms and landscapes. Jennifer’s practice also researches combining porcelain with non-traditional materials to explore expanded materiality through new composites, employing experimental process led techniques.
		Do the Locomotion Animation Workshop Collaborate on a stop-motion animation installation in this hands-on activity. Create sets and characters for a 2D stop-motion animation set in a train carriage. You will discover tricks and tips for setting up a stop-motion studio for your students, along with fun ideas for group projects. Facilitated by Artist and Animator Isobel Knowles | Artist Website Knowles an award winning animation artist and educator. Her work has premiered at Cannes, Venice, Rotterdam and Melbourne film festivals and in other festivals and galleries all over the world. She has a love of collaboration and education. Her workshops celebrate play and experimentation within a structured framework that invites collaborative contribution towards a group project.
		Sculptural Relief Workshop Explore simple techniques to create plaster reliefs. Plaster is one of the most versatile materials in sculpture and can capture impressions from a wide range of materials. Participants will make a small relief to take back to the classroom and share with students. Images of student work and professionals using similar techniques will also be shared. The workshop will be held in the Sculpture studios. Facilitated by Artist Fleur Summers | Artist Instagram Summers is a Melbourne based artist with a focus on sculptural and spatial practices. She is particularly interested in socially engaged works and how humans can connect and communicate through an engagement with traditional sculptural materials. This specifically involves haptic encounters in the public realm through play and open-ended material explorations. Fleur’s most recent major public project is a steel and bronze multi-part sculpture called Making Sense at Jewell Station in Brunswick which was commissioned by VicTrack and produced in conjunction with Neometro and Glas landscape architects.
		Artist’s Book Workshop In this workshop, you will learn how to create a simple stab-bound book. You’ll fold and tear paper with a bone folder, use an awl to punch holes in your book block, and stitch the pages together with waxed thread. We’ll explore the advantages of the stab-bound design and examine both historical and contemporary examples. We’ll also discuss the types of paper that work best for this design, alternative approaches to page-making, and various book cover options. Facilitated by Printmaker and Artist Hannah Caprice | Artist Website Hannah Caprice is a Canadian-Australian printmaker and book artist with Indo-Trinidadian and Slavic heritage. She combines traditional print practices with book arts to explore themes of hybrid identity and the search for emotional intimacy. She is particularly interested in how emotional intimacy with others can mitigate feelings of alienation and enrich our sense of self. She adores the materiality and versatility of paper and has a particular affinity for Japanese papers.
		Exploring Temporal Thresholds in Image Making Workshop  This painting workshop will explore sensory, analogue and digital processes to generate source material for painting that links various moments in time. We will play with how the use of voids, abstraction and loss of information can dissolve temporal boundaries and make space for elisions and absences. We’ll use generative writing to activate material and explore painting techniques that have a relationship to both the process of remembering and the aesthetics of film and photography. Facilitated by Painter/Multi-disciplinary Artist Sarah Tomasetti | Artist Website Dr Sarah Tomasetti is lecturer in painting at RMIT University and a specialist in pre-industrial lime and wax material technologies such as fresco, encaustic, stucco lucido and sgraffito. Her doctoral research developed methods of working with the matter-energy of slaked lime that requires the slow sensing of moisture, temperature and molecular interaction. Recent works explore diverse mountain imaginaries, examining how cultural narratives inflect the ways humans imagine, traverse, worship and destroy mountainous regions and how the revival of ancient material technologies can re-sensitise humans to the more than human world. Tomasetti holds a graduate diploma in Italian Studies and studied fresco painting and restoration at the Laboratorio Tintori in Tuscany in 1995, before undertaking a Masters by Research at RMIT University and completing a PhD in 2023. In 2021 she won the John Leslie Prize for Landscape and is represented by Australian Galleries in Melbourne and Sydney and Beaver Galleries in Canberra. Sarah is currently the Co-lead of Painting at RMIT with Dr Steven Rendall.

Why should you join us?

• Connect with fellow arts educators and join our vibrant community
• Inspirational messages from our presenters
• Feel empowered by sharing with like-minded peers and learn about things you’re passionate about
• Be part of a community supporting Australian based contemporary artists
• Keynote presentations include Q&A’s
• Breakout sessions include pedagogical and hands-on workshops
• Opportunities to network
• Receive a Professional Development Learning Certificate
• A professional learning experience every art educator deserves!

WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?

Transport and access – School of Art (RMIT University)

Trains located on Swanston Street, near the corner of La Trobe Street, catch a City Loop train to nearby Melbourne Central train station or to Flinders Street. From Flinders Street, you can take a connecting City Loop train or Yarra Tram along Swanston Street.

Trams running along Swanston Street include routes 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 16, 64, 67 and 72.
Tram routes 24, 30 and 35 run along La Trobe Street.

Visit the Public Transport Victoria website for more information and connecting services in your area.

No on-campus parking is available for visitors, but you’ll find many commercial car parks a short walk away. Metered street parking is also available nearby, but note the time limits and clearway restrictions.

Attending in-person
If you are attending in-person we will be in contact via email with more information before the day.

Payment Terms
Please note all personal payments must be made up front with a credit card at the time of booking. Purchase orders are accepted from schools/employers paying for teacher/employee professional development. Purchase Order payments must be received within 7 days of Invoice date.

Cancellations
A written/emailed notification of cancellation must be received by Art Education Victoria 14 days prior to the conference event date. A cancellation admin fee of $50 will be applied to all cancellations. If written notification is not received or requested within this time frame no refund will be applied. If you need to cancel, please do so as soon as possible.

Non-attendance
Failure to attend without prior written cancellation will result in the forfeit of any possible refund and your invoice (conference registration fee) will need to be paid in full.

Permission to Record – Photography/Sound/Video
Please note, purchasing a ticket to this event confirms an opt-in by you for permission to record and film you in attendance throughout the event. Video/sound/photography images may be used to document, promote and use in any manner that supports the mission of ArtEdVic. Please contact ArtEdVic directly for further queries.