SANCTUARY: RE-ASSEMBLE ART EDUCATION CONFERENCE 2026
We are delighted to be keynote speakers at the Re-assemble Art Education Conference 2026, under the theme Sanctuary.
Friday 9th of July, 2026
Storey Hall, RMIT University
Building 16, 336–348 Swanston Street, Melbourne
In the spirit of Robert Hooke unveiling the smallest writ resplendent and large on the page, with fleas et al. at a scale “as if they were lions or elephants seen with the naked eye”, in Micrographia, (London: Royal Society, 1665), we seek to shine a light on the detail of all things. And in doing so, this light reveals, we hope, the connection of all things. All things are connected, we remember, in an active, brimming, thrumming sanctuary. Taking an historians’ long view, these acts of hope, through our artwork and wildlife care, are for today, and the path ahead. For our tomorrows.
Our own roles as both artists and wildlife carers (at our home-based wildlife shelter, Tiny but Wild) is intertwined and collaborative, and endeavours to start a conversation. Through our work, we look to open a window, to guide you along. To provide, perhaps, a recollection, to give you a moment to pause and reflect: what part can I play in all of this?
In our keynote, Tiny but Wild, we will draw on recent projects, such as Specimen 1963, A fleeting sense of, Restoring corridors, and The remaking of things, to reveal how we are all the solutions.
We will also be conducting a Wrap-around Artists’ Book workshop in the afternoon.
Re-assemble Art Education Conference is an annual professional development conference hosted by Art Education Victoria in partnership with RMIT University. This conference seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice, offering a platform for educators, artists and aligned sector workers to explore innovative approaches to teaching and art-making.
Theme: Sanctuary
sanctuary, n. – a sacred place of refuge and protection; a space where the vulnerable are sheltered and life is allowed to flourish.
A sanctuary is many things at once. It is an ecosystem of trust, built slowly through the relationships we nurture as educators, between students, and with the world around us.
In an increasingly busy world, we find ourselves asking, “Where can we go to reflect, to explore, and to play?” For many of us, the answer has always been, “The art room.”
Through the keynote speaker presentations, workshops, and collaborative sharing sessions, participants will engage with the following key themes:
Sanctuary as a physical and emotional space: the art room as a site of refuge, belonging, and safe self-expression.
Educator and student wellbeing: educator and student wellbeing are deeply interconnected, to sustain one is to invest in the other.
Art and the natural world: creativity as a means of nurturing connection to conservation and biodiversity.
Inclusion and cultural diversity: art rooms as critically engaged spaces for diverse cultural narratives, identities and histories.
Slowness and attention as a form of resistance: in a busy, changing landscape, lingering and dwelling with beauty is an act of care.
Re-assemble Art Education Conference
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7th of July, 2026
