Kids' APT - A collaboration

When the Gallery embarked upon Kids’ APT in 1999, art museums were yet to be considered key sites for children’s learning and engagement, and were not widely involved in enriching visitors’ experiences with active participation. As with APT itself, the aim of the children’s component was to engage young audiences and families with the ways in which artists working in the Asia Pacific region reflect their diverse cultures and beliefs. Now in its tenth year, Kids’ APT has become a familiar and eagerly anticipated component of the Asia Pacific Triennial series. Growing exponentially with each exhibition, Kids’ APT has come to engage the keen and curious interest of many of the exhibiting artists who share our fascination with children’s responses to art. Since 2006, Kids’ APT has reached beyond the Gallery and into the community through Kids’ APT on Tour – an important strand of the program that encapsulates the spirit of Kids’ APT. Designed especially for communities in rural and remote areas across Queensland, this program expanded in 2010 to engage with children and their families across 40 venues including, for the first time, local children’s hospitals. Collaboration underlies every aspect of Kids’ APT. In preparing this overview, we have revisited the many collaborations that have enabled Kids’ APT to reach as many people as possible in the local and regional community. In particular, we recognise and celebrate the collaboration that has emerged with Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, whose support and enthusiasm for Kids’ APT is greatly appreciated by the community and the staff at the Gallery. The impact of Kids’ APT in engaging new audiences is reflected in a recent visitor survey, which revealed that 25 per cent of visitors to Kids’ APT in 2009–10 were first time visitors to the Gallery, and 40 per cent of these had heard about Kids’ APT from conversations with their friends and families. Community engagement of this kind continues to be a core consideration for the Gallery and, through projects such as Kids’ APT, we hope to be able to bring about new connections and long-term relationships. Andrew Clark Deputy Director, Programming and Corporate Services Introduction Hiraki Sawa’s Kids’ APT artist project Every Little Thing Moving 2009 / Photograph: Katie Bennett 5