As part of National Reconciliation Week 2026, Pwerle Gallery welcomed a small group of four year old children from Emali Early Learning Centre into the gallery space for a hands on cultural art experience centred around creativity, storytelling and connection.

This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme, All In, is a reminder that reconciliation requires all Australians to actively participate in creating a more connected and understanding future. For Pwerle Gallery, that begins with younger generations, because some of the most meaningful conversations around reconciliation start through curiosity, creativity and shared experiences from an early age.

Having previously collaborated with Emali Early Learning Centre, the session continued the growing relationship between the gallery and childcare community, creating an opportunity for children to engage with Aboriginal culture in a way that felt open, joyful and freely creative.

The experience itself was genuinely special to witness. From the moment the children entered the gallery, there was an immediate sense of excitement, curiosity and imagination. Watching such young children explore so openly, ask questions so honestly and immerse themselves completely into the creative process was a powerful reminder of how important it is to take the time to educate and connect with the younger generations coming through.

The workshop was inspired by the Emali artwork created by artist Charmaine Pwerle, with Pwerle Gallery director Jade Akamarre, Charmaine’s niece, carefully working from the original painting to draw inspiration from its stories, movement and symbols in a way that young children could genuinely connect with and understand.

Rather than simply teaching Aboriginal symbols on their own, the entire experience was designed around the Emali story itself. Through simplified visual storytelling, the children learnt how the painting represented familiar parts of their own everyday world, from the track lines showing journeys between home and childcare each day, to symbols representing parents, grandparents, community connection, shared meals, learning alongside educators, story time, outdoor play and animal tracks inspired by the Hampton location’s farm animals and connection to nature.

Disclaimer: Educational materials created exclusively for the Emali Early Learning Centre Reconciliation Week workshop and used solely for cultural learning purposes.

Seeing the children begin recognising parts of their own lives within the artwork was incredibly moving. It transformed the experience into something far more personal than simply painting on a canvas, allowing the children to understand that Aboriginal art carries stories, memories, movement, relationships and lived experiences.

Throughout the hour long session, each child was given their own 30 x 30cm canvas to create an artwork using symbols, colour and storytelling. The children were encouraged to interpret the symbols in their own way, allowing space for individuality, imagination and self
expression.

The session then evolved into a larger collaborative painting experience, where the children were invited to freely paint together across a shared canvas and floor based painting space. The room quickly filled with colour, laughter, movement and excitement as the children worked instinctively beside one another without hesitation or judgement. The collaborative artwork created during the session will soon be displayed within the childcare centre itself, allowing the experience and conversations to continue long after the workshop had finished.

The experience itself was genuinely special to witness. From the moment the children entered the gallery, there was an immediate sense of excitement, curiosity and imagination. Watching such young children explore so openly, ask questions so honestly and immerse themselves completely in the creative process was a powerful reminder of how important it is to take the time to educate and connect with the younger generations coming through.

Part of the workshop centred around the commissioned Emali Story artwork created by Charmaine Pwerle, which tells the Emali story through Aboriginal symbols and visual storytelling. The artwork provided an educational starting point for discussions around storytelling, symbols, family, community and connection to Country, with Pwerle Gallery director Jade Akamarre facilitating these conversations in a way that young children could meaningfully engage with and understand.

Rather than simply teaching Aboriginal symbols in isolation, the experience was designed around the Emali story itself. Through simplified visual storytelling, the children learnt how the artwork represented familiar parts of their own everyday world, from the track lines showing journeys between home and childcare each day, to symbols representing parents, grandparents, community connection, shared meals, learning alongside educators, story time, outdoor play and animal tracks inspired by the Little Hampton location's farm animals and connection to nature.

The educational resources developed for this workshop were created exclusively for the Emali Early Learning Centre Reconciliation Week program. They were designed to support cultural learning and discussion for participating children and were not produced for commercial sale, reproduction or distribution.

Following the painting session, Pwerle Gallery founder Jade Torres guided the children throughout the gallery space, introducing them to different Aboriginal symbols and artworks displayed across the walls. Through storytelling and conversation, the children were introduced to ideas surrounding Country, family, community and culture in ways appropriate to their age and understanding.

Experiences such as these highlight the importance of creating opportunities for younger generations to grow up with awareness, respect and understanding of First Nations culture. Reconciliation is built through ongoing learning, shared experiences and genuine human connection, and those conversations are just as important with children as they are
with adults.

At Pwerle Gallery, we strongly believe that younger generations have the ability to shape a more inclusive and connected future. Creating spaces where children feel comfortable to learn openly, ask questions and engage with culture firsthand is one small but meaningful step toward helping bridge understanding between communities.

This year’s All In theme reminds us that reconciliation is something that belongs to everybody. Watching these children learn, create, collaborate and connect so naturally together felt like a beautiful reflection of exactly that.