Home

now ... after the marathon journey.  How strange it is to be here, everything seems the same ... but different and there is much to do to settle back into life here ... and begin my report.  I may be back .... very best wishes to my 'followers' and thanks for your interest! Good luck to other Churchill Fellows in what I hope will be as amazing an experience as mine! Photo in Kuala Lumpur airport, Anne

Adventure comes to an end .....

finally.  I am now at Melbourne airport for my flight home .... 10 days after the first one was cancelled ... actually it was a time to reflect and consider the amazing people and practice I observed, heard about and recorded.  The Icelandic volcano .... what an end to this month long phase of the Churchill Fellowship!

I hope anybody else traveling just now is safe and well.  I am looking forward to being home after such a fantastic and inspiring time.

Fellow Fellows.....

has this not been a turn up for the books! Please get in touch and let me know I am not the only Fellow stuck somewhere?! I left Tassie on Wednesday 14 as planned and spent the night in Melbourne where I met Jenny and Heath for dinner.  All ready to set off for home having had the most wonderful experience ever. I found something amazing in Tas in the Big Picture School (BPS) and think we have much to learn from it. Also the Essential Learnings Curriculum and the fall of it due to the assessment ... bizzare that we are in that exact place in Scotland right now with Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) and wonder if we will survive it.... anyway made my way to Tullemarine airport on Thursday to be confronted with the 'ash' situation ... how small does that make us all, and so very, very unimportant. 

So I am still here, had 3 nights in hotels which is no fun with 30 kilo case, flight bag and hand luggage. Emirates have all but disappeared. May have flight tonight to Zurich and they say I will have to make my own way from there back to the UK.  However it looks like that airport is also closed now so no idea where I will end up.  Pity as the weather has turned warm after a very mixed  month!!

Fellow Fellows, do get in touch and keep each other posted.  Anne

The ELs

The Essential Learnings Curriculum was what nearly de-railed the career of the Education Minister and now there is a national curriculum being developed in its place ... this is a huge disappointment to those committed to an individualised opportunity for all.  The 'innovative features' included Values and Purpose which were connectedness, resilience, achievement, integrity, responsibility and equity. But after four years the 'brave initiative was down on its knees'.  More to follow...been distracted...

Red and Yellow and ...

at Launceston Academy of Arts ... what a fantastic building, even for a graduate of GSA I had to admire the space, light and industrial heritage of the site! Photos to come .....

Rosetta are you betta are you well, well, well.......

Spent the morning with Graham Speight (or Speighty as his students call him - year 8 (S2)) and Mark Prichard at Rosetta High School, which is part of Montrose Bay High School in Glenorchy, Hobart. Rosetta is one campus of Montrose Bay High School as is Big Picture School (BPS).

It was really interesting to hear about and observe parts of the six year journey so far. Their collective knowledge, expertise and experience is being brought together to help others recognise the value of and influence the practice of learning and teaching in their own contexts.

Mark talked about his background as a Scientist who went back to study Fine Art in the Art School in Hobart.  The different methodologies of learning and teaching were a huge struggle to begin with - put simply - science education is more explicitly content driven whilst fine art aims to draw from the individual and sparks the imagination to develop unique ideas and "voice".

Graham and Mark aim to publish the research, ideas and activities that have got them to this point in the development of BPS, to help others find solutions to developing creativity in their own contexts.  Making the complex concepts understandable, intellectually robust but practical, achievable and habitual in practice, is seriously challenging. But clearly the only thing against them both is time, for everything else is there.  Mark has already pulled together rationales/ideas under each of the concepts and shared with staff in a PD session (Professional Development session).  Now to identify activities and 'pointers' (that don't become a template for activity) is Graham's on-going task. They are 'on the right page' and move forward positively.  I am envious of their process so far.  I wholeheartedly believe in creativity as a key skill for all. I believe an individualised education is the route to nurturing 'successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors' as Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) aims to do.  I also think creative approaches to learning and teaching can model creativity and implicitly acknowledge its value ... But I also believe we have done this for a long, long time in high quality art and design education ... it has just not been recognised (or is, realistically, universal) ... yet.

Warren Jordan also offered to introduce me to the architects who are interpreting the brief for Big Picture School and have a site visit. The space is fantastic and eco friendly materials are used throughout. Bean bags, couches, not separate staff rooms and parental welcome areas are all built in. Staff, students and architects have fed into the process.  What a wonderful vision, space, situation and resource.

Warren and Andrea

Warren is the project manager within the Tasmanian education department for Big Picture School and his wife Andrea Jordan is a visual artist. Today we met for coffee in Battery Point to discuss the school, painting, art school experiences, Tasmania and Scotland.  A lovely, generous and helpful couple who have lived on Tassie for 15 years having come from Sydney. It is so refreshing to come somewhere new and have such kindness and interest demonstrated by local people.  Thanks to you both!

Ten Days on the Island

Met Lizzi Nichol from Perth (Scotland) for dinner and had a great chat about all things related to home and Tasmania.  Lizzi is here on a two year contract working for tendaysontheisland and previously ran the Federation of Scottish Theatres (FST). A good move it sounds like for Lizzi!

Tendaysontheisland is Australia’s only state-wide biennial arts festival, tendays is renowned for its rich programme across  a wide  range of artforms  and for the uniqueness of venues across Tasmania.  As well as working with artists from islands across the globe, tendays commissions some of Tasmania’s finest resident artists to produce new work.

Lizzi is off learning to surf this morning - sounds like a perfect work life balance to me!

 

Liberals

a new Government in Tassie may change the landscape...just voted in yesterday..the times they are a changing...how long do you think it will be before they 're-do' the education system, did nobody tell them that they are, in my (humble) view, getting so much of it right?!  Any system that supports (or doesn't stop!!) somebody like Graham Speight to develop the Big Picture School has to be commended....

same old same old...

Arts Tasmania, lovely people, great aspirations, same old battle ..... met a lovely woman - Julie Payne  - from the Public Art Scheme, arts@work section, who is looking after the programme just now whilst her colleague Nick is on leave.  They have 2% for art for all publicly funded buildings and my interest is in the interpretation of the Big Picture School at Montrose Bay High School.  There are two artists commissioned to work on the Creativity Courtyard and the wider school. It seems issues can arise with the architects and not the schools, in terms of vision, risk and all the rest that we know ... interesting ... but as this programme has been on going in Tassie for 30 years they have quite an archive of works around the state.  Our very own Stevie Hurrell collaborated with John Vella on a Hydro Tasmania, Corporate Art Scheme Commission, to celebrate 25 years of the Public Art Scheme.  That must have been quite an honour for an international artist to be commissioned to mark a very 'local' success story!

Also met the officer who has carved out AIR - the artist in residence programme in schools - "not workshops, not teaching across the curriculum, not social work or care taking", but engaged with students and staff in their own practice.  "Modelling" the life of an artist through open studios, seminars and discussions with students.  Good model. And in parallel with the other models on the 'market' (such as workshops etc,) and quality teaching and learning, then young people will get the best of it all, as I hope we have demonstrated in Dumfries and Galloway.

Off to the Tasmanian Museum, hire a bike and find CAST

• About
• What's On
• Program Archive
• Opportunities
• Membership
• Catalogues
• Contact

Contemporary Art Spaces Tasmania (CAST)
is the lead contemporary visual artist development body in Tasmania and provides presentation and development opportunities and support for professional artists practising innovative art. 

.... more later ...

Generosity and mowing lemons

Nikki Mann was someone who was willing to help me from the outset get in touch with the best of practice in Hobart and Tasmania. I had a fantastic few hours chewing the fat with Nikki in her role as Arts Education Officer, musician, educational expert (she would hate that) and mother to Florence (Flossie-a delightful, scarily bright and engaging 7 year old) and 'bureaucrat'.

In Nikki you have the best range of attributes - a practice background, teacher, facilitator, curiosity expert with administrator experience, which brings a rich and open mix to the conversation. Nikki told me it was not looked upon positively if you had not traveled internationally, particularly to Europe. My response to that is where would I find such an informed, open, positive and professional advocate for cultural education...I hope the Tasmanian education department recognises their attributes.

The one thing that horrified me was when 'waxing' (sorry, couldn't resist) lyrical about lemon trees in the gardens in Hobart, she said 'our tree is so prolific, when they fall off we just mow them in with the grass, it smells lovely!" .... that to me is the ultimate sin ...

Tasman

Do you know I walked over the Tasman sea today, today of all days....it was absolutely beautiful. Actually it was the Tasman Bridge from Rosny to Hobart and the Botanic Gardens. Brian West - Head of Performing Arts - is an outstanding example of someone with huge experience who has used that to create a second to none resource for 1200 year 11/12 students (S5/6 pupils) in performing arts in Rosny College.

This must be industry standard equipment in recording, editing, mixing, playing, teaching, facilitating and general aspiration for young people. From the 20+ schools that go up to year 10 (S4), there are 5 Colleges in Hobart that take all pupils year 11/12 (S5/6)that want to continue their studies. 200 areas of study available in Rosny for 1200 students..it is phenomenal...the timetabler must be a shadow of a person trying to capture all that....however what they do offer in performing arts is world class, aspirational and highly professional.

The dance department is equally impressive with Debs as sole teacher with huge expertise in a range of dance forms. Looking forward to the performance in Salamanca on 11 April.

I have come away with a sense of hard graft, commitment, ambition and professional pride .... long may it continue and my hearty congratulations to Brian and his team who have professionalised their practice for all to enjoy and benefit from.

Big Picture School

Had a fantastic morning at Brent Primary School in Glenorchy, Hobart where Big Picture School staff and students are decamped whilst they wait for their new state of the art learning environment to be ready. Met the Principal, Graham Speight and two further members of the team - Mark and Amanda. Mark had to rush off to take a group of year 10s (4th year) to speak at a Stephen Heppell conference about the work they have been doing....

The concept is simple and yet complex - individual student passions are the drivers. Individualised Learning Plans (ILP) are 'negotiated' between students and staff for each research area based on the following framework:

1. Make it work for you - the learning plan
2. Pursue your passions - internship placements
3. Making it real - learning through internship
4. Organise and do it
5. Exhibit it
6. Reflect and assess it

Intellectually challenging for linear thinkers, but based on Guy Claxton and Daniel Pink's (and more) thinking and research.

http://msuctlt.blogspot.com/2010/01/daniel-pink-on-motivation.html

Graham et al have customised for Montrose Bay High School in Glenorchy and created a fantastic matrix of experiences and outcomes for students. Each student has a main contact who acts as a supervisor and they earn points to lead to graduation. Much too complex to get my head round in a morning so have been invited back to meet with Mark and Graham and for a third time to observe lessons. Thursday I meet the architects of the Big Picture School and the project manager of the percent for art element of the new build ... it will be interesting to see how they have interpreted the concept. One key factor - schools in Tasmania have complete autonomy to design a curriculum that suits their context - oh until the Federal Government imposes 2 hours of literacy and numeracy on all schools per day as they head towards national testing.....hmmmm. Graham Speight has 28 years as a Principal behind him to add gravitas to his idea. Will be able to go through the recorded interviews and update at a later date. Why are all schools not like this???

The image was in the school!

www.bigpicture.org.au

The wifie and the wifi

Thanks Cros for the title......spent two days trying to get this computer sorted. So, advice to fellow Churchill travelers, give yourself time to get settled and legislate for things that don't quite go to plan! I am happy to say, thanks to Next Byte and Telstra, I am wireless, backed up and can get photos on line ..... soon.

Hobart is a delight, tomorrow's appointment is on and will reschedule todays. Onward and upward... Welcome to Tasmania!

Printmaking in the bush

Jeff Gardner and Kareen Anchen have established a fabulous printmakers workshop, gallery, studio, framers and home outside the picturesque town of Maldon in Victoria. The workshop editions prints of a number of prominent artists working in Australia, including Rob Maclaurin and Wendy Stavrianos. Kareen is also the youth programmer for the Castlemaine Arts Festival (more to come on this) .....

The M25

is what Rob Maclaurin refers to as his route to work ... it is actually a beautifully peaceful pathway up the garden to his amazing studio on Hoopers Road in the bush near Chewton, Castlemaine, Victoria. ... What a wonderful situation he and his family have here, isolated but near friends and within striking distance of the all important fishing. Rob, Jean, Angus and Rosie love the peace, natural environment and friendship offered so generously by many who live in the area. His landscapes in oil on linen capture the soul of Australia and record silence, colour and scale like no other ... his plein air work has a freshness and energy about it and along with his larger works tell the story of a wide range of remote parts of Australia. Rob works extremely hard to maintain his practice and to be true to the beliefs and traditions he established whilst at Edinburgh College of Art. The successful life he has created for himself and his family are testament to hard work and determination to live here after winning a Sir Robert Menzies Fellowship in 1995/6 to the Dunmoonchin Foundation Studio Residency. Rob is represented in Europe by Osborne Samuel, London and by Axia Modern Art in Melbourne.

Castlemaine XXXX

Apparently Castlemaine XXXX was started here but is now made in Brisbane ... This is a fascinating area, gold rush, first alluvial digging for gold ... must buy a spade ... Have just visited Castlemaine Art Gallery to meet the Director - Peter Perry, Curator - Kirsten MacKay and Education Officer - Kate Stones. Excellent collection and developing education programme. Huge opportunities coming up in the next year to build new audiences as they plan for an exhibition of 10 artists who came from Scotland and settled in Australia. Rob Maclaurin is one of the contemporary artists, a fellow Hospitalfield student, now living in the bush in Chewton with his family. Visiting his studio this week.

For a small regional art gallery that is privately funded mostly, they are innovative in their practice and committed to showing works of those who have not been well represented in other Australian collections, which makes this a special place to visit. Thank you to Peter, Kate and Kirsten.

Melbourne

Picked up a brochure - Autumn in Melbourne - in March there is the Melbourne Fashion Festival, 2010 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix and the Food and Wine Festival....Autumn in March.....hmmm. It is like a lovely summer day at home. Had 3 hours sleep since Friday am, I want more but need to stay awake till 8pm tonight, apparently, so just 6 ish hours to go......roll on

Leaving...

just about to board the flight to Dubai....last night at the Sculpture Workshop got some great contacts from Andrew, Stevie and Callum...thanks guys! Here I go........

Nearly ready to go

well, ok not quite, but itinerary is now set with some great projects, individuals and schools to visit ... Australia here I come! Leave on 19 March and arrive on 21 March .... weird, where do the days go .....

Winston Churchill 2010

Tasmania, here I come! Part 2 of the Churchill Fellowship begins on 19 March 2010 and my itinerary is shaping up now. I will have a week in Melbourne/Castlemaine and then 18 nights in Hobart visiting schools, the education department, arts organisations and institutions. Will upload final itinerary soon