Practice, partnerships, education, residencies, grants, and community impact
Emma’s current and upcoming projects include artist residencies, school-based cultural programs and collaborative community initiatives. Working alongside educators, students and organisations, she facilitates creative experiences that promote cultural understanding, inclusion and connection to Country.
Through grant-supported partnerships and tailored programs, Emma’s work brings together art, education and intercultural learning to strengthen communities and build respectful, informed relationships.
Cultural Learning Week @ St Patrick’s Primary School Koroit
I had the privilege of spending 5 intensive days at St Patrick’s Primary School Koroit as part of their Cultural Learning Week.
From the moment I arrived, there was a genuine openness from staff and students to listen, reflect and engage deeply. Across the week we shared stories, explored culture and identity, asked thoughtful questions and created together. The conversations were honest. The learning was meaningful. And the connections formed will stay with me for a long time.
Art was one part of the journey, but what stood out most was the willingness of the whole school community to lean into understanding, to sit with stories, to reflect on respect, and to think about what it means to walk together in stronger ways.
We finished the week by transforming the space into an exhibition, created in the final hours of Friday afternoon. Seeing the room filled with students and their families, celebrating the learning and creativity that had unfolded over the week, was incredibly special. I truly felt like my heart could burst.
This opportunity was made possible through the Intercultural Understanding Partnership Grant from Together For Humanity, and I’m so grateful to be part of work that supports schools in building deeper cultural understanding.
What began as a residency is continuing as an evolving partnership. I’m looking forward to returning to St Patrick’s to work alongside the students again as we create a collaborative mural together, another chapter in what has already become a meaningful relationship.
I invite you to watch the video below and hear directly from the staff and students about the impact of the week in their own words.
Together for Humanity
Emma’s experience as an Artist in residence has seen her work collaboratively within educational settings and Community programs, sharing cultural knowledge and creative practice with students, staff and families. In these residencies she not only creates art but also facilitates meaningful engagement, fostering understanding of Indigenous perspectives and strengthening connections between people and place. For example in Emma’s Our Captivating Culture - sharing stories program she worked alongside students and teachers to build cultural understanding through art-making, open and honest conversation, enriching learning experiences and relationships.
The Vision of organisations like Together for Humanity’s Intercultural Understanding Partnership Grants aligns with Emma’s Practice: these grants provide up to $10 000 for projects that’s that address intercultural or interfaith challenges in school communities, supporting initiatives that enhance belonging, respect and Cultural engagement. In essence, both Emma’s residency work and the grant funding model champion creative and educational pathways that bring people together, nurture empathy and amplify diverse voices - using art and intercultural learnings tools for connection, inclusion and social cohesion.
