The ArTELIER ArtPlay Exchange Project brings together socially engaged artists from Tasmania and Victoria. ArtPlay, one of Australia’s premiere cultural centres for children and families employs a wide range of artists to deliver an annual program of creative encounters. There is much in common and much practice to share between the artists engaged in this practice at ArtPlay and within the ArTELIER program.

Ten ArTELIER artists were paid an honorarium to attend a weekend of activities at ArtPlay in Melbourne in April 2019. The intention was to find out more about each other’s practice, critically deliver some programming with the ArtPlay program and attend a professional development day run by Drop Bear Theatre. The extended weekend included visits to Footscray Community Arts Centre, a presentation about materiality by Kelly Boucher and workshop/creative development looking at gender stereotyping in children’s toys.

Working with Drop Bear Theatre at ArtPlay

 The program, below, shows how ArTELIER artists delivered three creative encounters over the weekend- each a different artform and age group. We were luckily able to offer a specific workshop to children from The Venny in Melbourne.

Learning about ArtPlay

The other half of the exchange was due to take place in April 2020 when Tanya Diskson, Creative Producer – Children and Families, ArtPlay was due to visit Tasmania.