The education programs offered at WAG include a full range of programs for students and teachers. Education programs can be tailored to your curriculum needs.
Contact Education Officer, Agostina Hawkins
(03) 5559 4949
ahawkins [at] warrnambool [dot] vic [dot] gov [dot] au
Sessions for Kinder - Grade 1
Enjoy the Gallery Collection with an emphasis on how our senses help us to experience and navigate our world. This session explores the story of Handa's Surprise by Eileen Brown through artworks from different countries. Your session leader invites pupils to wear special ‘art’ glasses and vests to enhance and discover artworks through the senses. Each child can then create their own rainbow fruit kebab based on Handa's Surprise.
Duration: 1 hour - Cost: $5 per pupil
Pupils have the opportunity to discover the Gallery's Collection of instruments from various cultures with a special emphasis Aboriginal artefacts, clapping and message sticks. Pupils will listen to Aboriginal music and compare with music from other cultures. We encourage lots of noise and rhythm making as children create their own sound using recycled instruments. The session culminates in craft time decorating own clapping sticks or rain shakers to take home.
Duration: 1 hour - Cost: $5 per pupil
Sessions for Grades 2-6
This session is an introduction into WAG's Collection of art and artefacts. Students look at artworks collected by our WAG founding Curator, Joseph Archibald, along with artefacts from the Museum Collection that illustrate what life was like in the Victorian era. Divided into small groups, students have the opportunity to:
- Study an artwork in depth
- Wear museum gloves and get up close to handle an artefact
- Think about the costume and fashion of the time
- Learn about Joseph Archibald and the museum benefactors who established the WAG Collection.
- Listen to the story of Queen Victoria's Underpants by Jackie French.
Duration: 1 hour - Cost: FREE
This session introduces students to Indigenous art in the WAG Collection with an emphasis on art styles of the Western District. Pupils learn about different aspects of Aboriginal culture such as hunting and food preparation, child care and life for women, and listen to 'Dreamtime' stories.
Duration: 1 hour - Cost: FREE
This session introduces students to the elements of art. Just like letters can be made into words to form a story, poetry and understanding, so the elements of art can be used to build understanding. Students use exhibitions at WAG to identify different elements within artworks. Students are supported to focus on a particular artist or exhibition and develop an understanding about the meaning behind the work and the artist’s intent.
Duration: 1 hour - Cost: FREE
This session gives students the opportunity to become Gallery curators at WAG. In small groups they examine artefacts, complete object investigation sheets and learn processes for correct art handling. A special tour takes students to behind the scenes to the Curatorial work space and the painting store. Time is allocated to explore the Gallery, taking note of interpretive information on didactic texts including accession numbers before writing their own label.
Duration: 1.25 hour - Cost: FREE
Specialised sessions based on WAG’s changing exhibitions are regularly scheduled. Please check the Term highlights on the Education page for up to date information.