Struggling to come up with some too cool for home-schooling ideas? Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) has your back. The major Sydney gallery has unveiled Your MCA, a brand new digital platform serving up arty experiences, and next week it will unleash a slew of kids activities based on the First Nations-led Biennale of Sydney NIRIN program.
Led enthusiastically by MCA’s kids and families coordinator Pip, and MCA artist-educator Merindah, fresh content will drop every morn at 9am.
First up on Monday, the theme is Gurray, which means “transformation”. Pip and Merindah will share how to make a special marsupial-like pouch to hold Ngawal-Guyungan (powerful ideas), inspired by artists Huma Bhabha, Misheck Masamvu and Tony Albert, in collaboration with Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network.
Tuesday draws on the idea Bila, meaning river, with Pip and Merindah asking kids to draw something that connects them to a special place they love, channelling artists Noŋgirriŋa Marawili, Aziz Hazara, Eric Bridgeman and Haus Yurival.
Wednesday’s theme is Bagaray-Bang, meaning healing. Drawing from the work of artists Pedro Wonaeamirri and Patrick Freddy Puruntatameri, kids will learn to bring their memories to life by creating sculptures.
On Thursday, Pip and Merindah will turn to Muriguwal Giiland, meaning different stories. Inspired by artists Mayunkiki and Kulimoe’anga Stone Maka, they’ll challenge kids to interview a friend online about an important experience, then create a line drawing portrait of them based on that story.
And rounding out a brilliant week, Dhaagun, meaning earth, will draw on the ideas of sovereignty and working together. Pip and Merindah will task kids with snapping a selfie that shows them strong and proud in an outfit they’ve just created from scratch, inspired by Zanele Muholi and Joël Andrianomearisoa.
Your MCA will also make more than 140 other kid-friendly activities available online, exploring past exhibitions covering everything from climate change to feminism, to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language and culture.
Big kids (aka grown-ups) won’t be left out either, with plenty of artist talks to dive into and a 360-degree virtual tour of NIRIN narrated by artistic director Brook Andrew, the first Indigenous steward of the Biennale of Sydney.
Check the MCA website for more information.