On 3-5 November, the UNIS Hanoi Visual Art teachers attended and presented at the Asia Region Workshops for Art Educators conference, hosted by South Saigon International School, HCMC. Teachers had the opportunity to attend a variety of workshops led by other international arts instructors and local artists, including internationally renowned watercolour artist Hồ Hưng and mixed media artist Pham Thanh Toàn. Three UNIS Hanoi teachers, Jesse Bradley (MSHS), Sayoko Oda (MS) and Vicki Wilson-Jiwatram (ES) presented at this conference.

Sayoko and Jesse presented a powerful resource from the book by Tiffany Jewell, This Book is Anti-Racist. The workshop asked teachers to engage with a protocol exploring identity and looking for bias. After the protocol, participants applied their new identity statement to a typographic artwork. “Thanks for this workshop. It generated and inspired great discussion, resulting in interesting work.” – workshop participant. 

Vicki co-presented with another art educator, Jules White of Hong Kong International School, sharing how they approached the creation of smash books in the art programme, across their different grade levels (Elementary and Middle School). Vicki shared the background of a unit of inquiry into visual journaling from grade 4 art last year. Using the beautiful artwork of current Grade 5 artist Hyejeong Yoon, she shared how UNIS Hanoi students worked in choice art planning sessions, developed craft through exploration, and selected final ideas, themes, and methods to design and make these carefully constructed origami artworks. 

Previously an annual event, hosted by various international schools’ Art departments each year, with the last one being in 2019, the UNIS Hanoi visual art teachers were excited to attend once again alongside art educators from all over the Asia region, sharing best practices, leading workshops and engaging in professional dialogue.