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Cultural Immersion: Interwoven

Speaking in Colour Pty Ltd

Cultural Immersion: Interwoven is a wellbeing program that introduces students to Aboriginal weaving traditions, fostering cultural appreciatio and creative expression through the creation of contemporary, collaborative artworks.

  • NSW

Pricing: Paid

Origin: Developed in Australia for Australian schooling contexts

Affiliations: NESA accredited

Product type: Program; Fact sheets; Activity sheets; Student activities; Professional learning

Contact details

Speaking in Colour Pty Ltd
ABN: 90 614 399 825

https://www.speakingincolour.com.au/training-and-workshops/course/cultural-immersion-interwoven

contact@speakingincolour.com.au

Focus areas

  • Positive relationships

  • Belonging and inclusion

  • Self-regulation and engagement

Curriculum alignment

  • English

  • The Arts

Prospective users

Audience: Whole school universal (Tier 1)

Communities: First Nations

Context: School or centre-based, Outside School Hours Care (OSHC), Home-schooling

Main beneficiaries: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Year 11

Delivery style: Delivered by program staff

Aims & approach

Cultural Immersion: Interwoven is a wellbeing program that introduces students to Aboriginal weaving traditions, fostering cultural appreciatio and creative expression through the creation of contemporary, collaborative artworks.

Target Audience:

  • Primary and secondary school students (Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal).
  • Teachers seeking to integrate Aboriginal culture into their curriculum.

Desired Outcomes:

  • Enhance cultural awareness and creative skills.
  • Empower teachers with tools to embed Aboriginal perspectives.
  • Showcase student work in a community exhibition.

Implementation:

  • Duration: 10 weeks, with weekly artist-led sessions.
  • Structure: Students create woven coil sculptures using traditional materials (rushes, lomandra, grasses).
  • Group sizes typically range from 22-28 students (primary) or up to 25 students (secondary).
  • Teacher Professional Learning (TPL): NESA accredited training to support ongoing integration of Aboriginal perspectives.
  • Requirements: Space for hands-on sessions. Program includes materials, an education kit, and a custom welded sculpture frame.
  • Additional school kits available.
  • Exhibition: The program culminates in a yearly exhibition at a regional gallery or museum, where students' completed artworks are displayed.

By the end of the program, students will have gained an understanding of Aboriginal weaving traditions and contributed to a collaborative art piece, while teachers will have the knowledge to continue embedding Aboriginal perspectives into their teaching practices long after the program concludes.

Implementation support

  • Access to professional facilitator, instructor or mentor

Evidence

The program is developed from the founder's work in community-based action research, or Participatory Action Research (PAR), alongside a growing evidence base on community-based projects using collaboration and art to foster wellbeing and connection. These programs support the cultural determinates of health, not only for the direct participants, but also for the families whom they discuss and share their learnings with. The approach is also informed an envaluation: Final Report by Hunter School of The Performing Arts (2022).

The impact of the program is further supported by positive outcomes in schools that have participated, as shown in survey results and feedback from students and educators, and as observed by program facilitators.