Everyone Can Draw

Join illustrator, preparator and multimedia artist Kay Slater to learn how to embrace mark making as a way to communicate, explore complex ideas, build creative thinking and to develop hand eye coordination - with a single pencil. You will unpack why and when children develop negative relationships with drawing (“I can’t draw”), rethink the importance of icons and non-verbal/non-written communication, build your visual literacy, explore identity and personal awareness on the page (or on the screen) and try some bite sized drawing activities that can be integrated into your lesson plan for a multitude of subjects. Drawing fundamentals will also be explored to build your own confidence as a mark maker in the classroom.

Get ready to go full STEAM ahead as we examine how essential it is to put down our devices and reconnect with simple mark making exercises to develop analogue problem solving skills that can easily translate from the page to the computer (and back again). It all begins with a mark. Suitable for all grade levels.

Everyone’s a Maker

In this workshop, Emily Smith will share her background on maker culture and how the movement relates to the ADST curriculum: a much needed cultural shift in making vs consuming. She will share resources, tips, and tools for setting up spaces to facilitate a maker mindset in the classroom, as well as information on how to work with your district to build more hands-on programming and spaces in your school. At the end of the session, you will get hands-on and make a project of your own: a felt name badge. Emily’s passion for textiles and involvement with DIY and hacker communities have led her to learn and share techniques including spinning, knitting, soft circuitry, processing flax to linen, felting, backstrap weaving, embroidery, and visible mending. She continues to share her ethos and K-12 curricular connections through ongoing workshops and professional development days throughout the year. For more information, visit Slow Making Lab.

Everyone Can Move

Join dancer and choreographer Lily Cryan to learn how to integrate movement and dance into your classroom in creative and accessible ways. You will learn some basic movement facilitation skills and we will take a deep dive into some sample lesson plans that use movement to teach science, history, and core competencies. You will walk away from this workshop with more tools in your teacher toolkit and some great movement-based classroom management techniques. Suitable for all grade levels.

Your Facilitators

Meet Kay: I am proud to be a multidisciplinary artist in Vancouver. Each art space brings new challenges for me to consider the best solutions for the artwork and the audience. I’m proud to join ArtStarts where their core values, diversity and accessibility, overlap with mine. The organization and community inspire me. People of all ages and abilities can engage with the arts! In my fine art practice I explore value, perception, time, the act of playing and the discarded. I love language and the art of communication. J'ai hâte de vous recevoir une fin de semaine lorsque je suis au bureau.

Meet Emily: Artist, educator, producer, and hands-on learning advocate, Emily Smith loves to share knowledge - whether through workshops, art, events, or demonstrations. She has devoted much of her time to fostering environments that encourage learning by making, and has been producing arts and culture events since 2010, as cofounder of the Vancouver Mini Maker Faire, Vancouver Fibreshed, and former Education Director of VIVO Media Arts Centre. She has hosted youth mentorship programs, ladies' hacking nights, and circuit bending events in partnership with Vancouver New Music, and has participated in artist residencies in collaboration with Emily Carr University, Material Matters Design Research Lab, Two Rivers Gallery and the Vancouver Parks Board. More recently, she has directed her focus to bringing making into the classroom and completed a Masters of Design thesis at Emily Carr University where she created connections between k-12 and post-secondary curriculum, through making. Concurrently, she conducted a BC-wide initiative to create Maker Clubs in schools in partnership with ITA BC and the Magic Trout Imaginarium. When not making with others, you can find her teaching in the fashion and design department at LaSalle College, or teaching Business of Design at SFU.

Meet Lily: I grew up on Duwamish territory in what is now known as Seattle, WA and moved to BC to complete a BFA in Dance and Communications at Simon Fraser University. Coming from a Dance and Theatre background, I use choreography and the audience perspective in creating workshops, gallery showings, events, and more! I love seeing the spark of excitement in young people when they find something new and exciting to try, especially in an arts context. I am excited to help bring art into educational contexts across the province to help students become more empathetic, curious, and creative learners.