Atelier for the Visual Arts

Our atelier (art studio) is an amazing learning environment that has been created to support children’s holistic learning in and through the visual arts.
 
Inspired by the schools of Reggio Emilia, the art studio within our school has recently come to fruition through the collaborative efforts of our Directors, and Australian Early Childhood Teacher and Artist Ms Denise Savins. 
 
In this beautiful and still evolving space, our preschoolers have  ongoing opportunities to explore a range of art mediums, and are supported in their capacity to use art materials with confidence and skill.  
 
Working in small groups with our art teacher Ms Denise, children  engage and play with the elements of colour, shape, form, texture, line and pattern,  and are encouraged to explore their ideas and thinking through the languages of art.
 
As with all our learning environments, we aim for the art studio to be a place of wonder, joy, and discovery, where children are able to explore, work, and learn alongside others at their own levels of interest and ability. 
 
Through a balance of open ended play experiences, small group discussions, and teacher guided learning, children explore their ideas; develop skills; and build on their knowledge of art, artists, and art making.
 
 
Originally conceived and developed as a reaction “to the marginal place assigned generally to visual and expressive education” (Malaguzzi, 1998), the atelier emerged in the schools of Reggio Emilia to provide a quiet space for children and teachers to explore the languages of expressive art together.
 
While the idea of an atelier continues to evolve in the schools of Reggio Emilia, it remains strongly connected with the life of the school and it’s classrooms; providing an additional space within the school where children can be inspired, explore possibilities, and engage with their hearts, hands, and minds.