For children who experience mild anxiety, the world can be a daunting place but engaging with art can transform the way they see the world.
Shoalhaven Regional Gallery at Nowra is encouraging parents to sign their children up for a unique and powerful program that uses art to help participants express their feelings and imagination, boost self-confidence, build social connections and improve mental health.
Shoalhaven Regional Gallery was one of only two regional galleries chosen to run Culture Dose for Kids, an eight-week program designed for children aged 9 to 12 with mild anxiety.
It was developed through a partnership between the Black Dog Institute and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, supported by the Jibb Foundation. The regional program is presented with support from the Ottomin Foundation.
The program runs from Saturday 8 August to Saturday 26 September. Culture Dose for Kids is led by Shoalhaven Regional Gallery education and audience development officer Michele Barker, and supported by a highly skilled group of art educators and support staff, all of whom have received specialised training in this area.
Parents and caregivers and their children will be provided with a safe, structured space to respond creatively to artworks in a small group setting. Participants learn mindfulness and relaxation techniques, expressive storytelling and collaboration.
During the first hour, parents and caregivers are placed in one group and children in another. They examine the same artworks but separately.
In the second hour, the groups join up and then work together to create art based on their interpretations of the pieces they have studied. This includes a large group artwork.
Shoalhaven Regional Gallery director Zanny Begg said separating the parents and children allows them to develop their own views and experience the works differently.
"They then come back together and share their creativity. They explore different mediums such as watercolours and screen printing. The children also get to take home their own artworks after each session," Dr Begg said.
This is the second time Shoalhaven Regional Gallery has hosted Culture Dose for Kids. It was previously held in 2024.
Dr Begg said it was clear that the parents and children who took part in the program found it highly beneficial.
"Responding to art and creating art helps children to re-examine how they think about the world and find ways to alleviate stress," she said.
"At first they are unsure and cautious but in time they become more comfortable engaging with each other and playful and positive when making art."
Dr Begg said the group canvas provided a great platform for connectivity and collaboration.
"On the last day of the program, one of the boys painted a large red line that wove throughout the entire canvas. This was a way of, in his own words 'connecting everyone's works together'."
Culture Dose for Kids is free with all art materials, equipment and afternoon tea provided. Each session runs for two hours, from 10 am to 12 pm.
Register for Culture Dose for Kids here. Registrations close on Sunday 19 July.
