Creative Catalyst Art Program
Aeon Academy’s Creative Catalyst program is renowned for it’s inspiring & engaging Artist-led workshops. Children & Teens, aged 7 – 16, have the chance to immerse themselves in the wide world of Arts where they can unleash their creativity! They’ll spend a day creating their very own masterpiece, learning new skills and bringing their designs to life.
They’ll learn a range of ways to transform their ideas into reality, and everyone gets the opportunity to create at their own pace. The program encourages students to take the time they need to finish an artwork while exploring the process and journey of making.
Creative Catalyst champions Picasso’s famous words: “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up”. Our dedicated team of art educators , led by Aeon Academy Founder & Art Director Teffany Thiedeman, all graduated from the Canberra School of Art & Design and bring their specialised skills to each of the different workshops. Children & Teens can choose between a suite of exciting workshops across a range of mediums including Ceramics, Mixed Media, Sculpture, Painting & Drawing.
Choose your next Art Adventure…
Winter 2025 Creative Catalyst Workshops
7th July – 18th July 8.30am to 6pm-Monday to Friday (Yarralumla)
Week 1
Monday 7th July: Words of Clay – ceramics
Make your words art as you transform the ancient artform of calligraphic drawing into sculpture. Blur the boundaries between writing and making as you model animals, vines, people and structures into the letters that will generate words. This ceramic workshop will allow participants to explore and test the limits of clay as they twist and shape it. The final touch will be the addition of colour as glaze is swept across the surfaces of the formed letters.
All work will be fired and available for pickup after the program
What magic word will you make?
Tuesday 8th July: Musical Instruments – mixed materials
Feel the rhythm of art in this instrument making workshop! Rainsticks, rattles and drums are some of the sound makers we will be exploring..
We’ll be using recycled materials to make percussion instruments and looking at a range of decorative techniques for personalising your work. There will be plenty of opportunities for musical moments and to try out your instruments during the day.
Make your own instruments!
Wednesday 9th July: Midnight Paintings – watercolour
Winter, the season of short days and long nights. Here in Canberra we really get to taste the bite of winter cold and use it as inspiration for our watercolour painting workshop Although winter brings its own pleasures it has always traditionally been a time of introspection and quiet thought. Capture the feeling, texture and light of a Winter landscape to create a calming and cool painting in this Creative Catalyst workshop.
Paint the beauty of Winter
Thursday 10th July: Cool Candelabra – ceramics
Lighting a Candle is part of many strong traditions. We light them for birthdays, religious festivals, special dinners and to create an ambience or a mood of celebration. A Candleabrum is purpose built candle holder to mark these occasions, choose a theme you wish to celebrate with yours.
All work will be fired in the kiln and available for pickup after the Vacation program.
Create your own unique candelabra
Friday 11th July: Storyteller Diorama – mixed media
Time to tell a story in a box- a staged recreation of a favorite fairy tale or a classic traditional story. Turn a cardboard box into Rapunzel’s high tower or a hoard of gold guarded by a sleeping dragon… If you love to make, build, paint and construct this workshop is for you- learn how to use a range of tools and materials to create your 3 dimensional story.
Starting with an overview of our rich cultural heritage as glimpsed through a wild and fabulous collection of fables this Visual Art workshop encourages imagination, invention and problem solving, develops fine motor and design skills and gives students a full day to bring their story to life.
Bring your favourite story to life
Week 2
Monday 14th July: Shadow Puppets – mixed materials
Welcome to the wonderful world of Theatre. A
shadow puppet is an ancient form of storytelling which uses 2D figures with movement. Play with design and moving parts to build your own character puppets. A dog with a wagging tail? A wizard on a magic cloud? A walking tree? Anything is possible in this creative workshop which will allow you to construct your very own friend!
Make a character with moving parts!
Tuesday 15th July: Soup Kitchen Ceramics – ceramics
Create a beautiful, original functional vessel to use for eating food. A souper bowl of Splendour! A ceramics workshop specially for winter. Explore hand building techniques like coiling, slab building & mould work. Produce some functional ware & glaze it raw with stencils and brush
Your work will be glazed and fired in a kiln and available for pickup after the program.
Make your own souper bowl!
Wednesday 16th July: Food Sculpture – mixed media
Don’t play with your food! Unless you make it yourself…What do you want to make for dinner? Pizza? Breakfast for dinner? Create your own dinner on a plate using mixed media materials and assemble them on a plate for a delicious permanent dinner.
What’s for dinner?
Thursday 17th July: Winter Wire Trees – mixed materials
Wire is metal in a fluid form. It offers an opportunity to make 3D line drawings and sculptures full of energy and dynamic balance.
Make a wire tree by twisting and sculpting the wire into a gnarly ancient tree. You can embellish your trees by adding mixed material leaves and animals living in the canopy.
Work with wire!
Friday 18th July: Year of the Snake – painting & drawing
2025 is the Year of the Snake and we are going to celebrate everything Serpent.
The serpent is a universal and complex symbol, representing a range of powers across different cultures and religions. From the darker serpent symbology of death, temptation and poison, the serpent also symbolises fertility, life and rebirth. No matter what you believe, serpents are beautiful, graceful and eye-catching.
In this workshop we will create some striking designs of snakes. We will then create an artwork using a mix of painting and drawing techniques.
Explore serpent symbology to create a masterpiece!
After School Enrichment
Term 2
at Yarralumla Primary School
Ages 7+
Mondays 4-5.30pm (Yarralumla)
Painting & Drawing
Learn painting & drawing techniques, colour theory, shading and texture and more!
This term we will be inspired by the warm tones of Autumn in Canberra, celebrating Canberra’s most beautiful season with Autumnal paintings & printmaking.
Thursdays 4-5.30 (Yarralumla)
Ceramics
Learn hand building techniques such as pinch pots, coil pots, slab work and decorative techniques to finish your unique pieces.
This term we will explore both functional and sculptural work; printing with leaves into clay to create ceramic tiles, making our own bowl and spoon set, and creating mini marsupial figurines!
Autumn 2025 Creative Catalyst Workshops
14th April – 24th April 8.30am to 6pm-Monday to Friday (Yarralumla)
Week 1
Monday 14th April: Prehistoric Pottery – ceramics
The oldest pots in the world were built around 15 000 years ago. Humans have been making pots, ornaments and instruments out of clay for a very long time. This is your chance to join in the tradition and coil a huge pot and decorate it with earth coloured slips. We’ll look at images of pots from the ancient past from all over the world and design our own decorations based on these. Handprints and animal shapes are some of the most popular motifs. Spend the day making the best pot you can, after all, it might be discovered by someone 15 000 years from now!
All work will be fired and available for pickup after the program
Explore ancient motifs & symbols on your hand built form
Tuesday 15th April: Mythical Creatures – ceramics
Learn clay techniques to bring a Fantastic Beast from mythology into three dimensional life..
Phoenix, Hydra or Kitsune- the world is populated with wonderful mythical creatures to inspire your clay making.
We will finish our creations with glaze and fire them in the kiln for a permanent finish.
Bring a mythical creature to life
Wednesday 16th April: Autumn Printmaking – printmaking
As we get ready to say goodbye to another Summer, we also prepare to say hello to one of the nicest seasons of all, Autumn. Canberra has a diverse range of deciduous trees, changing colour dramatically and dropping slowly to the ground. Using a variety of printmaking techniques we will explore an Autumn theme with colours and leaf shapes.
Celebrate Canberra’s best season
Thursday 17th April: Easter Express – mixed media
Everybody loves Easter – whether it’s the chocolate bunnies, egg hunts or extra holidays – but did you ever stop to think where these traditions came from?
Here in the Southern Hemisphere Easter occurs in the Autumn. This makes the imagery of hatching eggs and little bunnies out of season. Easter in the Northern Hemisphere happens in the Springtime, a time of new growth and the long tradition of egg dyeing is associated with this time of year.
Spend a day exploring traditional Easter Crafts like egg blowing, dipping & painting as well as some edible chocolate art!
Try the traditional art of pysanky (egg dying)
Friday 18th April: PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Week 2
Monday 21st April: PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Tuesday 22nd April: Autumn Leaf Mandalas – ceramics
Celebrate Canberra’s best season with this Autumn inspired clay workshop. Go for a walk to collect fallen leaves to use in your pieces. We will spend the day creating an Autumn clay sculpture. Use the leaves to press into the clay, to create clay leaves. Make little acorns to hang and other autumnal inspired clay pieces.
Your work will be glazed and fired in a kiln and available for pickup after the program.
Create a clay piece for the change of season
Wednesday 23rd April: Labyrinth – painting & drawing
Create a virtual world full of myth and mystery within a timeless celtic knot or labyrinth drawing. Explore the intricacies of celtic symbolism and incorporate some legendary creatures or sacred script into your own unique masterwork.
Can you figure out the labyrinth?
Thursday 24th April: Fairy Furniture – mixed media
In this workshop we are drawing upon the imaginative world of the fairy folk. These secretive entities populate stories from all over the world; from the indigenous Mimis of Arnhem land to the celtic Leprechauns of Ireland.
We will work with a range of joining and making techniques to create our own Little Folk furniture!
Build a home for the little people
Friday 25th April: PUBLIC HOLIDAY
After School Enrichment
Term 1
at Yarralumla Primary School
Ages 7+
Mondays 4-5.30pm (Yarralumla)
Painting & Drawing
Learn painting & drawing techniques, colour theory, shading and texture and more!
Thursdays 4-5.30 (Yarralumla)
Ceramics
Learn hand building techniques such as pinch pots, coil pots, slab work and decorative techniques to finish your unique pieces.
Summer 2025 Creative Catalyst Workshops
13th January – 31st January 8.30am to 6pm-Monday to Friday (Yarralumla)
Week 1
Monday 13th January: Gigantic Drawing – painting & more
Want to go big?
This drawing workshop will show you how to draw things on a larger scale. We will be using a range of drawing materials, different hardness of pencils, charcoal and graphite powder and combining them with watercolour, acrylics and ink to make a large image. Work as a group to build a mammoth sized art work and work individually to make your own
Gigantic Drawing!
Sometimes bigger is better!
Tuesday 14th January: Tree Houses – mixed materials
In this workshop we will be using recycled materials and foraged materials to make a beautiful tree house. Create the trunk of your tree using a found branch + cardboard and other paper materials. Create branches, leaves and greenery. Is your tree house a twisted ancient tree or a green and growing one with fruit and flowers? Add different levels and ledges to your house. Use air drying clay and other mixed materials to make all the features of your dream tree house. Finally add colour, furniture and all the imaginative touches your tree home deserves.
Grow your own home!
Wednesday 15th January: Summer Watercolours – painting
Capture the warmth and beauty of Summer with watercolour paints. Focus on ways we manage the heat of summer, swimming, lazing, hiding in the shade with cold drinks and visits to the beach.
Contrast this with the bone dry landscape surrounded by the oranges, browns and yellows of the Australian bush. Play with watercolour techniques to blend colours, create depth, texture and tell a summer story.
Kayaking, Nickolas Long
Thursday 16th January: Clay Castles – ceramics
Design and construct your very own keep, a fortified stronghold on the borderland, a place to seek refuge from what lies beyond the walls. Do the walls curve round, or corners jut out on your towering structure, is the keep a stronghold in its own right or does it form part of a larger complex? These and many other questions can be answered on the day with a little reflection on the purpose and use of one’s keep. This ceramic workshop will encourage participants to perfect clay skills of forming and joining clay as the walls are built brick by brick or module by module.
All work will be painted with ceramic colourants and fired in a kiln.
Spend the day making Castles of Clay
Friday 17th January: Action Art– painting & mixed media
Combine movement, fun and a variety of approaches – textured paints, spray bottles, splattering, throwing and more. Brilliant and dynamic artworks will be created on a large scale. A great way to combine physicality with art making and be inspired by famous painters who threw paint around!
Do wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting art actioned…
Art for kids who don’t want to sit still!
Week 2
Monday 20th January: Magic Wand & other props – mixed media
Spend the day making a wand and all the other bits and pieces you need to make magic!
Magic wands, magic amulets, wizard hats, potions and any other magical accessory you can imagine.
Go for a walk to find the perfect wand stick and use wire and air drying clay to give it character. Embed small gemstones and other magically imbued items to create your unique and personalised wand.
Create potion mixes, magical amulets, spell books and more in this magical mixed media madness!
Make magical art works
Tuesday 21st January: Year of the Snake – screenprinting
2025 is the Year of the Snake and we are going to celebrate everything Serpent.
The serpent is a universal and complex symbol, representing a range of powers across different cultures and religions. From the darker serpent symbology of death, temptation and poison, the serpent also symbolises fertility, life and rebirth. No matter what you believe, serpents are beautiful, graceful and eye-catching.
In this workshop we will create some striking designs of snakes. Working together we will turn our designs into stencils which can be screen printed onto some shirts and bags (and other fabric items if you bring some from home) to create our own wearable snake designs!
Celebrate year of the Ssssnake
Wednesday 22nd January – Plaster Caster Master – plaster & mixed media
Plaster is a wonderful substance. When you add water to the powder it becomes a thick liquid which gets warm and then sets into a hardy white substance. Bandages can be coated in plaster and then used to make reinforced forms. Paster can be poured, splatted, layered and carved, leading to all kinds of sculptural fun. In this workshop we will experiment with different ways to use plaster to make artworks and combine it with other materials as well.
Are you ready to be a Plaster Caster Master?
Thursday 23rd January: Coral Reef – ceramics
The ocean is like another world and we are going to be exploring everything beneath the surface!
Spend the day learning to create clay coral pieces and other ocean dwelling animals and plants. You will learn to create different textures and surfaces on your pieces and create a collection of beautiful and detailed pieces that can be placed together to create a coral reef.
Explore the tropical waters, with bright, tropical fish and then journey down to the cooler waters of Tasmania with giant kelp forests.
Coral reefs are an underwater world full of life and colour!
All work will be fired and glazed & ready for pickup at our next Day of Activities
Spend your day at the beach in the art room.
Friday 24th January: Shields of Power – mixed media
A shield is both a defensive object and a symbol of who you are.
Historically shields have been worn on the left arm leaving the right arm free to brandish a weapon (but we can swap this!), shields are often highly decorated, more symbolic than protective. They have been decorated with dragons, rampant lions, pouncing eagles, thorny roses and some much weirder stuff…
We will be designing and making our shields from a combination of plywood, metal, paint and fabric. You can use a traditional emblem or go contemporary and come up with one of your own!
Prepare for Shields of Power!
Week 3
Monday 27th January: Public Holiday
Tuesday 28th January: Animal Planters – ceramics
Build your own one of a kind animal planter!
Learn and develop hand building coiling techniques to build as large or as small a form you need to create the animal vessel of your choice. Investigate form, surface texture and colour, try different shapes.
Concentrate on one large piece or construct a smaller series of planters. Brainstorming and design is part of this process.
Glaze and finish your work with a waterproof glassy surface, all the planters will be fired in a kiln so they can grow plants in them for a very long time.
Growing plants is fun in a unique Animal Planter.
Wednesday 29th January: Mad Hatters – mixed media
Enjoy Tea Time with a twist as you design and construct your very own sculptural Hat.
This is a wearable art workshop and we encourage you to let your imagination fly! From clock top hats to Bowling Hats with a swimming pool in them, here is your chance to make the zaniest hat you can conceive…
In the afternoon we will all have a very special afternoon tea/performance in our wonderful hats.
More is More in the Mad Hatters Workshop!
Thursday 30th January: Marsupial Animalia – ceramics
Australia is home to many unique animals. We will be exploring those that fall into the classification of Marsupial- animals with pouches. The rich diversity of Australia’s marsupial wildlife ranges from tiny hopping mice to fierce carnivores like the Tasmanian Devil.
Learn how to make marsupial animals out of clay using handbuilding techniques like pinch pots, slabs and coiling. These creations will be painted with ceramic stains and fired in a kiln for a permanent and beautiful finish.
Tassie Devils, wombats, koalas and more
Friday 31st January: Lost World Terrarium – mixed media
A Terrarium is a miniature indoor garden in a glass container. Design, plan and grow your own world under glass using a wide range of materials, both found objects and hand made in class using polymer clay.
Design a lost world terrarium… from prehistoric dinosaurs to overgrown jungle temples, create a forgotten world within a jar.
Choose from a range of easy care succulents to plant out your terrarium and take it home and watch it grow.
Build a world in a jar!
