10 days of free fun for kids and teens:
Express Yourself! NGV Summer Children’s Festival 2015
A large-scale decorated billabong in the Great Hall inspired by opals and the stained glass ceiling designed by Leonard French; the first ever after-hours art party for teens; fashion design workshops run by jewellery artist Kate Rohde; performance by chanteuse Sophia Brous and the appearance of live Australian native animals on Australia Day are just some of the highlights of the free 10-day Express Yourself! NGV Summer Children’s Festival 2015, 17 – 26 January at NGV Australia and NGV International.
Last year the Children’s Festival drew more than 10,000 visitors and it returns in 2015 with a focus on creative expression through fashion and design.
Children can take part in a range of artist-led activities and workshops as part of the NGV’s summer program to bring to life current exhibitions Express Yourself! Romance Was Born For Kids, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier and Emily Floyd: The Dawn.
Tony Ellwood, Director, NGV said, “The Children’s Festival is a fantastic opportunity for our younger visitors to meet the artists and work with them to create their own artwork, hopefully inspiring future artists and gallery goers. The first art party for teens is a particularly exciting event as we’re inviting young, developing creatives to curate their own art experiences in the gallery.”
At NGV International, on various days throughout the festival, iconic fashion designer Linda Jackson will lead children in a discovery of the colour of opal and the stained glass ceiling while creating a large-scale paper billabong together on the first weekend of the festival. Children can also add to a spectacular bush canopy in the Great Hall by creating a paper possum with paper engineer Benja Harvey. Re-inventing the popular children’s jewellery-making activity, artist Kate Rohde invites everyone to create a fluorescent sparkly pasta necklace at NGV International. Children can also discover the creativity of fashion by making wearable creature brooches with Melbourne textile artist Cat Rabbit.
Like the young Jean Paul Gaultier, who dressed his teddy bear in some of his designs, children can dress up their teddy bears and toys at the workshops at NGV International with bloggers tiny & little and Meetoo. Children can style their favourite soft toy with a paper mohawk or garland and when teddy is fitted out he can have his photo taken at a teddy bear photobooth. Upon arrival at either gallery site every visitor will also receive a special temporary tattoo, designed by Jean Paul Gaultier.
On Australia Day at NGV International live Australian native animals will make an appeareance in the gallery and children can draw outfits for their favourite Australian animals. Chanteuse Sophia Brous will also give a free performance, singing lullabies,two of fashion designers Romance Was Born’s favourite kids movies will also be shown: Labyrinth from 12.30pm – 2.10pm, followed by The NeverEnding Story at 2.30pm – 4.10pm.
For those aged 13 – 17 there is the first ever Art Party on Thursday 22 January at NGV International, a night of music, food, fashion and art-making. Curated by the NGV in collaboration with young designers SIGNAL (themselves 13 – 25) activities include a Silent Disco, workshops with contemporary artists and designers including a jewellery design workshop with Kate Rohde and after-hours access to the exhibition The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier.
At NGV Australia, on various days during the festival, children can print a unique design onto fabric with Space Craft Studio, create their own zines and handmade art books with Sticky Institute or explore stamping, stencil making, collagraphy and rubbings with Negative Press. Join artist Emily Floyd on Australia Day to play, compose and build words with letter blocks large-scale installation Word Farm at NGV Australia, created by Emily and designer Mary Featherston. Children can also mix up audio and visual scenes with fun, visually engaging and interactive iPad apps at Scream Kids, an installation by the Australian/European based new media collective Chicks on Speed.
The NGV wishes to acknowledge Tim Fairfax AC and Gina Fairfax for their generous support of the 2014/15 NGV Kids summer program.
The NGV Kids program is supported by a grant from the Truby & Florence Williams Charitable Trust. This grant provides crucial encouragement to the corporate and philanthropic community to support children’s programming at NGV.
Express Yourself! NGV Summer Children’s Festival is at NGV International and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia from 17 – 26 January 2015. Free entry. Visit ngv.vic.gov.au for further information.
Full program details:
17 – 26 January
NGV International and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
All events free (excluding Art Party)
Daily
Jean Paul Gaultier: Temporary Tattoos for Kids
Daily 10am – 3pm
Fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier has created temporary tattoos especially for the Festival. Choose your favourite design and wear with pride during your visit to the Gallery.
Venue: Greet Station, foyer, NGV International
Chicks on Speed: Scream Kids
Daily (excludes Monday 19 Jan)
Enter the colourful world of Scream Kids, an installation by the Australian/Europe based new media collective Chicks on Speed. Kids can compose and mix audio visual scenes with fun, visually engaging and interactive iPad apps featuring an array of sounds, rhythms, words and images ‘performed’ by kids.
Venue: Level 2, NGV Australia
Saturday 17 – Monday 19 January
Workshop: Opal Billabong with Linda Jackson
10am – 3pm
Meet one of Australia’s fashion icons, Linda Jackson whose stunning designs and clothes are inspired by Australian flora and fauna. Linda invites children to discover the colour of opal and artist Leonard French’s stained glass ceiling in the Great Hall while creating a large-scale billabong together.
Parental supervision required.
Venue: Great Hall, NGV International
Workshop: Wearable Creatures with Cat Rabbit
10am – 3pm
Create a wearable creature character with Melbourne textile artist Cat Rabbit. Use collage and embroidery to create a brooch like no other. Cat Rabbit is known for her handmade plush creatures, which are intricately detailed and always dressed in style.
Venue: Great Hall, NGV International
Story telling: Stories enjoyed by Luke and Anna of Romance Was Born
Tuesday 10.30 – 11.15am
Romance Was Born are inspired by Australian children’s books.Settle in the shade in the NGV garden and listen to Jeanette Becklar from Melbourne City Library. Suitable for children under 6 years.
Venue: (Grollo Equiset) Garden, NGV International
Workshop: Screen print with Spacecraft
Sat 17 & Sun 18 Dec, 10.30am-12pm & 1.30 – 3:00pm
Print a unique design onto fabric with Fitzroy-based print, textile and homeware design studio, Space Craft Studio. Parental supervision required.
2 x 1.5 hour workshops. Please note places are limited. Arrive early to register. Ages 7+
Venue: Education Studio, Level 1, NGV Australia
Tuesday 20 – Thursday 22 January
Workshop: Create Pasta Bling on a String with Kate Rohde
10am – 3pm
Artist Kate Rohde’s richly detailed art works are displayed in the exhibition Express Yourself! Romance Was Born. For the festival, Kate has reinvented the popular children’s jewellery-making activity and invites everyone to create a fluorescent sparkly pasta necklace.
Venue: Great Hall, NGV International
Workshop: Ringo the Ringtail Possum by Benja Harney
10am – 3pm (finish 2pm Thur)
Paper engineer Benja Harney, created the spectacular bush canopy as part of the exhibition Express Yourself! Romance Was Born for Kids. For the festival, Benja has created a paper version of a possum, one of many marsupials that live in the gum trees, for children to cut and fold themselves.
Venue: Great Hall, NGV International
Story telling: Australian Classic Stories for Kids
Tue 20 Jan & Thurs 22 Jan
10.30-11.15am
Romance Was Born are inspired by Australian children’s books. Settle in among paintings of the Australian bush and listen to popular stories told by story tellers from Melbourne City Library.
Venue: Gallery 6, Level 2
Workshop: Make and Multiply with Sticky Institute
10.30am – 1.30pm
Make your own zine and learn about the world of zines and handmade art books, while gaining hands on experience with different and exciting printing methods. Join illustrators Ashley Ronning and Sarah McNeil, on behalf of StickyInstitute, for an afternoon of self-publishing techniques and printmaking practice.
Please note places are limited. Arrive early to register.
Venue: Emily Floyd. The Dawn, Level 3, NGV Australia
Art Party (for 13 – 17 year olds only)
5.30-9.30pm, Thu 22 Jan 2014
Grab some friends and come to the NGV for Art Party – a night of art-making, fashion, food and music for young people aged 13-17. Enjoy interactive drop-in workshops with fashion designers and contemporary artists, and an after-hours viewing of the exhibition The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier. Please bring along a valid student ID for entry.
Cost: $13 – Bookings essential.Visit ngv.vic.gov.au for booking information.
Venue: Ground Floor, NGV International
Friday 23 – Sunday 25 January
Drawing activity: Romance Was Born
10am- 3pm (2pm Fri)
When Luke was a boy, he made cardboard robots on his mum’s sewing machine and a young Anna turned a T-shirt into a pair of pants. Now it’s your turn to be creative and take part in a drawing activity designed by Romance Was Born.
Venue: Great Hall, NGV International
Workshop: Paper Threads with tiny & little and Metoo
10-3pm (2pm Fri)
Bring your soft toy and just like Jean Paul Gaultier, your Teddy can be your muse when you make a costume from paper with tiny & little and Meetoo. Style your favourite soft toy with a paper Mohawk or garland. When fitted out you can share his image on social media and let your teddy experience fame!
Venue: Great Hall, NGV International
Workshop: Negative Press
10.30am – 1.30pm
With artisans from Negative Press explore different approaches to printmaking, including calligraphy, rubbings, stamping and stencil making techniques. All materials are provided and no prior experience is required.
Register on arrival, limited places.
Venue: Education Studio, Level 1, NGV Australia
Australia Day, 26 January
Celebrate Australia Day in style and take part in workshops with artists and designers.
Drawing Activity: Romance Was Born design outfits for Australian animals
10am- 3pm
Have fun, use your imagination and draw outfits for your favourite Australian animals. You could dress up a koala in a tutu or imagine an emu in a scuba diving outfit!
Live Australian animals will make an appearance at midday in the Great Hall.
Venue: Great Hall, NGV International
Luke and Anna’s Favourite Movies: Labyrinth
12.30-2.10pm
Luke and Anna from Romance Was Born loved to watch movies when they were kids. Join us for free screenings of two of their favourites.
In Labyrinth (1986, rated G), a young girl must journey into a fantastical maze to save her baby stepbrother from the Goblin King.
Venue: Clemenger BBDO auditorium NGV International
Luke and Anna’s Favourite Movies: The NeverEnding Story
2.30pm- 4.10pm
Luke and Anna from Romance Was Born loved to watch movies when they were kids. Join us for free screenings of two of their favourites. In The NeverEnding Story (1984, rated G), a young boy escapes his troubles in the pages of a mysterious book.
Venue: Clemenger BBDO auditorium, NGV International
Workshop: Emily Floyd Word Farm
10.00pm- 12.00pm
Join artist Emily Floyd in Word Farm – and take part in making words, patterns or sculptures in a field of white letter blocks. This large-scale participatory artwork was created by Emily in collaboration with designer Mary Featherston especially for Emily Floyd’s exhibition The Dawn at the NGV Australia.
Venue: Word Farm, Level 3, NGV Australia
Australian Classic Stories for Kids
10.30-11.15am
Luke and Anna from Romance Was Born are inspired by the imagery and narratives of classic Australian children’s books such as May Gibb’s Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. Surrounded by Australian landscape paintings, listen to popular Australian stories told by Jeanette Becklar from Melbourne City Library. Meet in the gallery space.
Suitable for children under 6 years.
Parental supervision required
Venue: Gallery 6, NGV Australia
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