Learning through the Arts: What’s the value? How do you do it well?

Did you know that students participating in a one-off art gallery learning programme were shown to perform on average 9.1% better in their use of critical thinking skills than students who hadn’t? This improvement increased to about 18% for students from low socio-economic backgrounds, and students from ‘minority’ groups. 

Auckland Art Gallery Schools’ Team do lots of research into best practice in Arts learning (and learning in general), and into the impact of Arts learning on students within and beyond the subject. We integrate this learning into the programming we develop for schools.

We wanted to share with you a few things we’ve found really interesting and useful lately, that we thought would be valuable for classroom teachers, in the classroom too.

Crystal Bridges study

• American study, focusing on what learning came out of a one-off gallery programme for school students 
• Largest study of its kind involving 10,912 Years 1–13 students and 489 teachers at 123 different schools 
• Results show critical thinking, recall, tolerance, empathy and cultural interest increase
• Effect is greatest for rural, high poverty and minority students 

Visible thinking skills

• A flexible and systematic research-based approach to integrating the development of students’ thinking with content learning across subject matters. Visible Thinking has a double goal: on the one hand, to cultivate students’ thinking skills and dispositions; and, on the other, to deepen content learning. By thinking dispositions, we mean curiosity, concern for truth and understanding, a creative mind-set, not just being skilled but also alert to thinking and learning opportunities and eager to take them 
• At the core of Visible Thinking are practices that help make thinking visible: Thinking Routines loosely guide learners’ thought processes and encourage active processing. They are short, easy-to-learn mini-strategies that extend and deepen students’ thinking and become part of the fabric of everyday classroom life. 

 Projects that use visible thinking skills to explore visual art and beyond

• Project Zero programmes and research (many other programmes are listed with this link)

– Christa Napier-Robertson, Schools Programme Coordinator

Development of Schools Programmes for Learners with Special Needs

Twenty students from Rutherford College’s Satellite unit visited the Gallery last term to participate in our Signs and Symbols (shape, pattern and colour) pilot programme – including a Gallery and Studio session.

We began with a quick impromptu tour of parts of the Gallery (I couldn’t not – the kids were so excited to be here!) They loved it! It was a good way to introduce the idea of symbols – particularly shape, pattern and colour and of course, the Gallery. It would definitely be good to do this each time they visit so we can reinforce ideas/experiences, give them opportunities to remember and draw on past experiences here and gradually extend their experiences, responses and understandings. I want them to feel at home here. Posing questions in each space gave them something to focus on.

We then spent time in one of the Gallery spaces, looking at these two artworks:

Sandy Adsett, Waipuna, 1978

Gordon Walters, Genealogy 5, 1971

We looked closely at the work and spoke about what we noticed. In small groups the children manipulated a selection of different coloured shapes to help them understand the work better. Then they made their own patterns using the shapes provided, which we compared to the artwork.

The art making session in the studio allowed everyone to feel proud of their work. Each student chose a symbol that said something about them (e.g. plane, computer, cat) and made a stencil which they drew around to make 8-12 identical shapes in a colour(s) of their choice. They experimented with pattern by moving the shapes around their chosen background paper. The use of more technical terms such as overlapping, reflecting and rotating then modelling what I meant was good for some of the students when making their patterns. They chose their favourite pattern and glued it in place.

They shared and reflected on their work. How can you tell who made this? What could it tell us about the person? Does this pattern/shape seem to match the person who made it? How? How do the colours tell us about the person who made it? Which patterns are similar? How? How could you describe the patterns?

Here’s some of the work made by the students in the studio session:

A focus on pattern, shape and colour seemed appropriate for this group. They were able to draw on prior knowledge and make connections with things they are familiar with. They could be successful but still had the opportunity to learn some new ideas through making comparisons, observing closely and participating in an activity related to the work.

Future considerations: 

I would like to visit the regular groups at their school so I can see how the teachers work and interact with them and the types of programmes they participate in. Also as a way of building my relationship with them, getting to know them and their needs better (and their teachers) and for my own professional development.

Where to now?

Five other schools have booked in to participate in this pilot programme over the next few weeks. Once I have taught everyone, received feedback from the teachers and made changes where necessary, I would like to make this programme part of our standard programmes permanently on offer to schools. Then on to the next pilot programme – Portraiture and Identity!

As the two artworks used above are no longer on show in the Gallery we will use the works below:

Jonathan Jones, untitled (sum of the parts), 2010/2014 

Michael Parekowhai, The Bosom of Abraham, 1999

– Mandy Jakich, Educator LEOTC

Image credits:

Sandy Adsett
Waipuna 1978
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1995

Gordon Walters
Genealogy 5 1971
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
Gift of Dame Jenny Gibbs in honour of Chris Saines, Gallery Director (1996-2013)

Jonathan Jones
Kamilaroi / Wiradjuri people
untitled (sum of the parts) 2010/2014
Chartwell Collection, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, 2010
Courtesy the artist and Tim Melville Gallery

Michael Parekowhai
The Bosom of Abraham 1999
Edition 2/14
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1999

Research and resources

We are Auckland’s wharenui/home for authentic and meaningful engagement with art for all... 

Over the past couple of years, we’ve started working on expanding what we can offer for secondary students and their teachers, and this statement – part of the Gallery’s new purpose/values/vision statement, really resonates with much of our thinking over this time.

We are very conscious that the Gallery and its resources have a lot of possibility for use in schools, with potential applications across a broad range of subject areas. And we know from our stats that many schools aren’t currently accessing these resources – a shame for many reasons, not least because they’re owned by the very people not accessing them!

So, how do we support meaningful and authentic engagement with this institution and its resources, by students and teachers in a diverse range of subjects? Especially when our subject speciality sits most specifically in the Visual Arts and Art History?

What we know is that you can’t have authentic, meaningful engagement if you don’t know your audience well – what’s happening for them, the challenges they face, and the needs they have. If you can understand that, you’re at a point where you can potentially respond to real needs – and ideally you’ve got a great opportunity to collaborate together, and share your varied expertise in creating the best possible resources and experiences for all.

So as part of this push we undertook a small research project earlier this year. We asked 18 teachers from nine schools, in Visual Art, Art History, English and History, to tell us about their experiences and needs. We also shared specifically the types of resources we have available (for example, the art, our physical environment, our staffing expertise, resources like our research library) and asked what they imagined we could do with these that could best benefit their needs. Lots of interesting data came out of these conversations . . . and even more questions for us to follow up in the future! I’ll share more about our findings (and further questions) in the coming months, but wanted now to share a few, and what we’re doing now to start to respond in one area.

All the teachers we talked to:

• were enthusiastic about the possibilities of engaging with the Gallery and its resources in their subjects, and had lots of ideas about how meaningful connections could be made 
• needed to teach students visual analysis skills 
• said that help in doing this would be appreciated, as especially for English and History, this wasn’t something that teachers necessarily felt confident in doing 
• identified how an important focus in the classroom is in developing students’ research skills 
• found it difficult to locate accessible, reliable content that could be used to support students in this process; and in relation to art – a serious lack of information on New Zealand (and even international) art, artists and contexts 

In response to the last couple of points, we’ve started a process of developing some of this content, alongside support activities and resources that could be used or adapted for use by teachers both in the classroom and the Gallery.

For two upcoming collection shows on display at the Gallery during Term 4, 2014 and Term 1, 2015 (Age of Turmoil: Art in Germany 1900–1923 and The Social Life of Things) we’ve developed bibliographies of books, articles and websites students can access for further research. Alongside this, for Age of Turmoil, we’ve developed:

• a PDF with an overview of the show, plus detailed descriptions of a good number of the key works 
• two videos of the curator – one with him talking to a PowerPoint where he discusses the German context in the period 1900–1923, the other where he shares his curatorial process in developing the show (including photographic images of his planning process) 
• curriculum aligned worksheets tailored specifically for students of Art History, Visual Art, History and English 

We intend to continue developing resources for future shows, and we’ve got many more ideas for how we could develop these even further, but we’d love your thoughts to help with this. Feel free to let us know any feedback you have on these resources – how they work for you, how they could be improved, plus any other ideas you might have for other resources of any kind.

We’d also love to hear your feedback on the findings shared above – do these reflect your experiences? Is there more you’d like to share, or a different perspective not represented?

Feel free to respond in the comments section below, or email us at education@aucklandartgallery.govt.nz with your thoughts.

– Christa Napier-Robertson, Schools Programme Coordinator

Youth Media Internship 2014: A Mentor's Perspective

Programme Mentor Jacques and AUT Media Mentor Sarah

Reflecting on the past two weeks I realise I am in awe of what we have accomplished: For a team who came together as relative strangers a mere eight days ago we have achieved one helluva lot!

From icebreakers to editing I have been impressed by the overwhelming enthusiasm invested by everyone involved. This faith in and commitment to what can, at times, be a rather chaotic process inspires me hugely and I am honoured to have been involved in such an exciting initiative.

Highlights for me would have to include watching the antics that ensued as as the interns negotiated day two's brainstorming activities, having the opportunity to share my personal journaling process with a group of fellow young creatives and of course the final day's rough cut screening.

I also thoroughly enjoyed leading the storyboarding session on day three and deeply appreciated the opportunity to further my skills as a facilitator. I am rather fanatical about storytelling and relished the chance to share my passion and experience/skills in design thinking with a group of impressionable young creatives. Interns; your creativity and confidence astounds me. Keep doing what you're doing.

The chance to work alongside the gallery's education team and wider staff was equally exciting. The experience of collaborating with such a dynamic and gifted team was certainly a privilege and I really value the insights into Gallery operations, processes, careers and philosophies I gained. The world of Art can often be somewhat secular, so to have the curtain peeled back is an incredible experience from a student perspective. A massive thanks to Selina Anderson and Mindy Catt, your energy, leadership, sheer determination and never-ending supply of hilarious bunny videos were very much appreciated.

If I were to summarise the internship experience in a single word I would have to go with: empowering. The relationships, empathy, skills, insights and confidence I have built through my involvement with this programme over the past two years are truly invaluable.

Thanks Auckland Art Gallery – you're awesome!

– Sarah Loggie, AUT Media Mentor

Youth Media Internship 2014: From Premiere to Premiere

Programme mentor Jacques offering technical help

Some quick, last minute changes in Adobe Premiere aaaaaannnnnndddddd… DONE! All the interns had finished their short films, ready for rendering and exporting. Jacques, the tech whiz mentor, made sure that all the films were ready for playback later in the day for the premiere screening of the films.

Reflection

We reflected on what the past two weeks have meant to us and how we have each benefitted from it. What went well? What didn’t go so well? As mentors, we did well in our documentation of the programme and offering help where possible. The interns all did well in encouraging one another and always being open to learn new skills and processes.

One big family

With the pressure of the films off our shoulders, the remainder of the day was left for us to hang out and have some fun without the segregation of teams. We’re all just one big family now. After a quick photoshoot on the sculpture terrace, we were free to play in the creative learning centre, read stories, draw… basically just chill. It was nice to be in a completely stress free environment after the intensity of the past two weeks.

Group photo of Interns and Mentors

While the movies were being prepared for their premiere showing, we spent some time creating short drama skits that showed a memorable part of the programme. This was very enjoyable and allowed everyone to get active and creative. The skits were performed in the theatre where the final films were to be shown. But first, let us take a selfie!

Interns taking photos

Most of the interns weren’t comfortable with being in front of the camera at the beginning of this programme. There was no shyness now as all the interns seemed very comfortable with having literally hundreds of photos taken of them. Perhaps this was because of all the photos we’ve taken of them throughout the week, or maybe just the atmosphere of excitement in the auditorium. Either way, the Interns were happy to muck around in front of the lens.

A team introduces their short film

The audience started entering. Members of the gallery staff, including the stars of some of the films, were invited to this exclusive premiere of the Interns’ short films and our short film based on the interns’ time here. It was such a great experience seeing these finally come to the big screen. We are incredibly proud of what each team produced.

An Intern receiving their gift

Each intern has clearly grown in their creativity. They have become more aware of the talent that they possess and have started to open their minds to the endless possibilities in art. We are honoured to have been a part of this programme and are looking forward to the future of these amazing and talented interns.

A huge thanks must go to the Auckland Art Gallery and Colab AUT for facilitating this event. In particular, Mindy Catt and Selina Anderson from Auckland Art Gallery and Clinton Watkins from Colab. We are also grateful for the expertise and insight of Jacques Foottit and Sarah Loggie. And, of course, thank you to every intern who made this adventure awesome.

All the best, Martin Hill and Reuben Poharama

For and Against: Debating Ideas and Concepts around art!

A case study around developing a new cross-curricular secondary school programme piloted with Year 12 History students from Pukekohe High School.

The moment of truth! The students were now asked to use the content they had been given to debate the moot ‘The influence of the Renaissance is obvious in art from today’... The debate was a roaring success – both groups were lively and engaged, and were keen to discuss their interpretations and ideas... I'd facilitated many debates in the Gallery prior to this one, but immediately this stood out as more successful.

The analysis and discussion of works of art can offer rich learning opportunities appropriate for a broad range of subject areas. Motivated by this thinking, we wanted to develop a programme that gave secondary students from a range of subject areas the opportunity to build relevant content and contextual knowledge around works of art, to explore the big ideas these generate, and to then apply this knowledge through a facilitated group debate designed to encourage high level critical thinking.

We developed a focused tour and debate programme (For and Against: Debating Ideas and Concepts around Art), combining the strengths of two of the Gallery’s teams. The first part of the session is led by one of our Gallery Volunteers, who work with the public to deliver daily tours and have an comprehensive understanding of the Gallery and its collection. The second part of the session is led by one of our Gallery Educators, who work with schools and community groups and specialize in facilitating sessions where students use critical and creative thinking to analyze artworks.

We trialed this new programme with a class of Year 12 History students from Pukekohe High School. They had been studying the Renaissance, and were preparing for an internal standard for which they needed to write an essay on the art of the Renaissance and its effect on art in the present.

We introduced their debate topic: ‘The influence of the Renaissance is obvious in art from today’. When they discovered they wouldn't know which side of the debate they would argue from until the second part of the session there were groans and slight looks of panic on several faces, so we assured them the debate would not be a test, but rather a fun and lively way to apply their knowledge, share their thoughts and hear the thoughts of others!

Part 1: Volunteer Guide-led tour 

Juan de Juanes, Saint Catherine of Alexandria, 16th century

We started in Little Miracles, an exhibition of 16th century Renaissance paintings and then spent time discussing several works in-depth. Students also had opportunities to share their own knowledge and interpretations, and she encouraged them to link what they were hearing now back to what they had learnt in the classroom.

Tony Fomison, My Personal Christ (St Anthony) 1976

We then viewed examples of ‘art from today’. The challenge was to identify or relate the characteristics of the Renaissance works we had discussed to these contemporary New Zealand works. The students were supported through this process through discussion and were encouraged to look at the notes they had taken in Little Miracles to compare and contrast the works.

Part 2: Educator-facilitated debate 

The moment of truth! The students were now asked to use the content they had been given to debate the moot ‘The influence of the Renaissance is obvious in art from today’. Their teacher, Liz, and I stepped back at this point, and gave the students space to voice their opinions, use the notes they had taken in Liz’s session, and to use their prior knowledge. Where needed, we would step in to further fuel a discussion or push them further with their thinking.

Colin McCahon, Takaka: Night and Day 1948

The debate was a roaring success – both groups were lively and engaged, and were keen to discuss their interpretations and ideas. An atmosphere of playful competition kept them on their toes, as both sides wanted to 'win'. I'd facilitated many debates in the Gallery prior to this one, but immediately this stood out as more successful. Giving the students access to content and then allowing them the time to digest it and manipulate it made a huge difference. Challenges we’ve since thought through – sticking to our timing – they could have kept debating much longer, and trying to keep all of the students engaged during the debate, not just the ones who are really comfortable talking in public. The arguments from both sides were well measured, supported with evidence and convincing. For example, the 'for' group argued that the influence of the Renaissance was clearly visible in McCahon's Takaka: Night and Day. They thought his dramatic use of light and dark tones referenced the chiaroscuro technique used by Renaissance artists.

Successes: 

• Students said they found arguing a given point of view challenging, but useful. This is a skill they need for essay writing in several subjects, not just History. They also liked hearing different perspectives from their peers during the debate, and having the opportunity to learn from each other in that way. 
• The flexibility of this programme allows the Gallery to respond to a teacher's needs, or to a specific topic of study. Liz was able to introduce lots of content, which secondary students need. Their teacher was engaged and encouraging throughout the entire session. Her enthusiasm helped students maintain interest. 
• Liz’s past experience with secondary groups had seen her solely as a ‘guide’, her role purely to share content. She has found in this environment students are often reluctant to ask questions or participate in discussion. Alternatively she found the For and Against programme created an atmosphere that allowed students space to show curiosity or share their knowledge, making it a more rewarding experience for them and for her. 

Going forward:

• Taking into account the challenges in the pilot, we are now offering this programme on a regular basis along with the rest of our Secondary Learning programming: 
• I love working with this age group, and really enjoyed the opportunity to hear them voice their opinions and share their knowledge in such an enthusiastic way. 
• Bring your students in and let us know what you think! 

– Gallery Educator Vivien Masters and Volunteer Guide Elizabeth Buchanan

Image credits: 

Juan de Juanes
Saint Catherine of Alexandria 16th century
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of Sir George Grey, 1887

Tony Fomison
My personal Christ 1975-1976
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 1976

Colin McCahon
Takaka: night and day 1948
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, gift of the Rutland Group, 1958

Youth Media Internship 2014: The End in Sight

Interns critiquing their peers' work

Today we started with a quick critique session. We all had the opportunity to look at what each of the groups had done so far and offer some feedback about each of the short films. At this stage feedback plays a key role in motivating the Interns to fine tune and push their films to a higher level.

Getting the job done

Editing was the main focus of today. There was an atmosphere of concentration and determination in the studio. Talking to the Interns revealed that there were still a lot of ideas that they would like to develop. Everyone was optimistic and knew that they would get it all done and calmly carried on working.

Reflective drawing of an intern

This year’s Interns love to express themselves through their own art. Many of the interns doodle or draw as part of their reflection. As not everyone in the group can work on editing at the same time, a few chose to reflect through their drawings. The interns have a lot of skills in many different fields and their artistic ability has really shone through over the last two weeks.

Pizza for lunch

One of the highlights of this programme that everyone agrees on is the food we get everyday. The programme has been fully catered for with a combination of snacks, sandwiches and everyone's favourite: pizza. Lunchtime today was a much needed break from all the work everyone had been doing. Some were so focused on their work that they needed to be peeled away from their computers to take a break.

Programme mentor Jacques lending a hand

Jacques, one of the programme mentors, helped a lot today. He knows a great deal about the technical side of things. The Interns called on him when they were faced with something that they didn't know how to do. His expertise in this area helped in the process of learning that the interns have gone through.

– Photos and text by Reuben Poharama and Martin Hill, AUT Media Mentors

Youth Media Internship 2014: Positively Messy

Rechecking our goals

Today, after taking a look at the art boards downstairs, the Interns were given some questions similar to those answered in the first few days. The aim of these questions were to help us remember our goals why we are making these films. We have been busy making our films for the past few days now so it was good to take some time to refocus and make sure we're still on track.

Shooting some last minute footage

Very soon after, we got back to work. The teams were all at different stages of production, which is expected with their unique styles. There was editing, filming, even props making in the studio which is slightly worrying as the groups should probably all be editing by now. There was definitely progress being made, however, I just hope that this progress is enough to get the groups all on schedule.

Borrowing eyes from another team

There was an encouraging amount of cooperation both within the teams and between them. I loved seeing the interns help other teams when they weren't busy with their own films. Because editing is often difficult to do with three people at once, there were many times throughout the day when a team member was not needed in their own project, freeing them to help others with theirs.

Interns get messy

The studio got a little messy today, not because the Interns are dirty, but because there was some very arty filming taking place. The techniques used in some of the their films are unique and exciting. We all look forward to seeing the final results on Thursday.

Interns play music and work

The end is slowly creeping closer. With only one day to finish everything, the pressure is on for everyone to get their projects done. Luckily, to ease the stress, the interns had access to a guitar and cookies. Both of which are proven to relieve mental pressure… I think. The atmosphere in the studio is still positive though, and everyone is still enjoying being a part of the programme.

– Photos and text by Reuben Poharama and Martin Hill, AUT Media Mentors

Youth Media Internship 2014: Monday Morning, 3-Day Warning

Editing in Adobe Premiere Pro

Starting the day with a lesson in Adobe Premiere helped clear the fog in our minds in terms of how to piece together our short films. Jacques showed us all how to layout the windows, sort the files and some basic editing techniques. The tutorial was followed by action – trying this ‘editing’ thing for ourselves. 

Showing a quick mock-up video

For the next while we began to put shots, titles and images together to form the basic outline of our films. Not aiming for perfection, but rather an idea of what it could be. These quick videos helped us explain the direction of our production and how we are going to achieve our goals.

Notes from the critique

Each group presented their rough cut videos and spoke about the direction of their production. It was exciting to see the creativity in what has been done so far and it gave us all an opportunity to find inspiration for our own films. Critical feedback from the group helped to understand how each film is perceived by individuals. We look forward to what the interns will be doing over the coming three days.

Snacks to cure the stress

Wait… Three days? Actually more like two and a half. These films will need to be completed by Thursday which leaves the final half of today, then Tuesday and Wednesday. Not a lot of time at all. Don’t worry everyone, more snacks have been ordered to help with the stress.

– Photos and text by Reuben Poharama and Martin Hill, AUT Media Mentors

Youth Media Internship 2014: Do you need it? Yes!

Figuring out the camera

Today was a jam packed day focused around the Interns filming the things they needed to. It was pretty intense and, for some, like jumping into the deep end having done nothing like this before. They took this in their stride and gave it their best shot.

Working together as a team

In each group they had different roles and responsibilities. They really took ownership of these roles. They understood which part each of them played and how these parts came together as a group. The planning really shone through and allowed the groups to work effectively to complete the tasks that needed to be done.

Interviewing the Director, Rhana Devenport

When filming in and around the Gallery the Interns interacted with the people there. It is interesting to see such a diverse range of people all from different backgrounds coming together in this one place to appreciate the art within it. This diversity allowed the interns to gain some interesting responses from these people when they interviewed them.

Selecting music for their short film.

Only two groups could film at a time because either Mindy or Selina had to supervise the interns. So while two groups were out filming the other two were conducting research about their enquiry. The Interns had access to the Gallery Library and spent their time reading books, gathering information from online sources and some even began selecting music for the soundtrack of their film.

Together with the Youth Events Sqaud (YES)

Today we also had lunch with the Youth Event Squad (YES). This is a group of young people that work with the gallery staff to plan and run exciting events for other young people at the Gallery. Many of them have come through the Youth Media Internship program and inspired many of the current interns by showing them where these types of opportunities could lead them.

Working with the content

The rest of the afternoon was spent watching and organising the content that had been generated throughout the day. Doing this can be just as important as generating the content in the first place and is often something that is overlooked. The interns had some important decisions to make. What do they keep or disregard? Do they need more content? Is there anything missing?

– Photos and text by Reuben Poharama and Martin Hill, AUT Media Mentors

Youth Media Internship 2014: Make a Move

The teams became a lot closer today. After writing out our individual strengths and goals, we decided, as teams, the roles that each person would have. It was helpful for us, the documenters, to go through this process at the same time as the interns.

Each team was then to write and present a proposal for their films, explaining what their film is about and what they want it to look and feel like. Writing a good proposal is very difficult and presenting it in front of people is often intimidating, however, the interns showed intelligence and insight in their work. Presenting their proposals allowed the teams to receive constructive feedback from the rest of the group.

We needed to start making things. The gallery was hosting an event that invited members of the public to make leis, either for themselves or to add to the community lei. How could we miss this opportunity? At the same time, we were invited to listen to a storyteller tell Hawaiian legends. This was a great source of inspiration as many of us will be telling stories through our films.

Sandwich break! Everyone out! We’re moving! The high school students were all eager to go to University.

Colab at AUT University has provided us with filming equipment and a studio space to work in for the two weeks. This afternoon was an intense round of workshops on storyboarding, journaling and filming, which were very “hands-on” and allowed for the young artists to finally feel like they were making something as a team. It was great for the interns to see the different techniques and ways of doing things in all three of these areas.

The feeling of excitement is building as the teams get closer to starting production. I have a feeling it’s going to get very intense very soon...

– Photos and text by Reuben Poharama and Martin Hill, AUT Media Mentors

Youth Media Internship 2014: An Intern’s Personal Reflection

Day 1

The thing that struck me during today, was how much about art I don’t know. Before arriving at Auckland Art Gallery, I assumed that the majority of what was left to understand about art was mainly about personal interpretation. However, after today I have come to a different conclusion. During our tour of the Gallery Selina explained to us the composition of several early 1600’s paintings. She explained how, since most people of that time period did not know how to read or write, artists employed symbolism into their art work as a way of creating narrative. Although this was a fairly simple idea, to me it was a very important piece of knowledge that I was shocked I was missing. It reminded me of how much there is left to learn and made me even more grateful than I already am to be involved in the program.

Day 2 

Today was a strongly idea-based day. During the most part of it, we were brainstorming and pondering what aspects of the Gallery, and art as a whole interest us. After many different activities, discussions, and a delicious lunch, our group has successfully come up with an idea to investigate that interests all of us, one that we we are very excited to work on for the rest of the time here.

– Anonymous Intern

Youth Media Internship 2014: What's the Big Idea?

Discussing responses to questions and quotes

Today the Youth Media Interns focused on generating ideas and looking deeper into the enquiry that each group wants to follow. The exercises that the interns took part in today helped them come to a greater understanding of what they would like to research. One exercise particularly looked at a range of questions with various strengths and weaknesses. The interns reflected on these which helped them formulate their own questions that they were personally interested in.

All of the different exercises were not only to help formulate enquiries but also build connections within their teams. Each group was able to understand and make effective decisions quickly with each member having an input. This will be crucial when they start producing their short films as they only have a limited time to complete many tasks.

Conveying meaning through movement

The interns have shown an impressive amount of enthusiasm and intelligence. They have also built strong relationships with their colleagues which is vital for any successful team. Everyone has made the most of the time that we have had, especially today, which was filled with valuable learning experiences.

Thinking as a team

Today was also valuable for us as the documenters. We will be making a short film as a documentation of the Interns’ creative process while they produce their own films. We also went through the idea generation process with the interns today. Our enquiry is about each person which meant we needed to get some insight into their thinking through the use of reflection.

Ideas for reflection

Personal reflection will not only help to document the process but will also help the interns gain insight into their own ways of thinking and doing, creating a greater awareness of the decision making process.

– Photos and text by Reuben Poharama and Martin Hill, AUT Media Mentors