Navigating Creativity: From Slow Looking to Bold Thinking

Saturday, October 17th at Wesley College, Elsternwick

A proud part of ReimaginED’s Festival of Learning

Click Here to View Workshop Options and Register

In a profession defined by coverage and outcomes, the Navigating Creativity: From Slow Looking to Bold Thinking conference invites a different stance, one that begins with curiosity and the courage to think differently. In times of rapid change and uncertainty, Bold Thinking is what we need most.

Two Keynotes

Nathalie Ryan

Nathalie Ryan, Nathalie A. Ryan, Ed.M. M.A., is an educator, artist, writer, and musician based in Washington, DC. She is Senior Educator at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, where she has led programs for educators, families, teens, and the adult public since 2002. Her current work focuses on researching the intersection of awe, creativity, and well-being in art museums, a collaboration with Dr. Dacher Keltner and a team at the University of California-Berkeley.

Nathalie’s Keynote: Cultivating Awe: How the Science of Wonder Helps Students Thrive - What is awe and why do we need more of it? Learn how this human emotion enhances academic learning, opens us up to greater creativity and deeper empathy, and supports student and teacher well-being. Consider how you can nurture an awe mindset and leverage “wow” moments for learning and human flourishing.

Andrew Pennay

Andrew Pennay explores “How do we move creative thinking from an occasional "spark" to a deliberate daily culture in our schools?

Too often, school structures push us toward the predictable—what educator and researcher Andrew Pennay calls "schoolish" creativity. But real, transformative learning requires space for the "outlandish"—imaginative, boundary-pushing thinking that challenges convention. Drawing on over a decade of international performance with The Australian Voices, his doctoral research in secondary music pedagogy, and frameworks like Harvard Project Zero’s Cultures of Thinking, Andrew brings a unique perspective on the architecture of human creativity. He doesn't just view creative output as a stroke of luck—he views it as an environment you can design.

In his keynote, Andrew will challenge us to navigate the tension between conventional outcomes and genuine innovation, offering practical ways to build classrooms where curiosity leads and original ideas flourish.

Plus Six Workshops

Educators like you will facilitate workshops exploring how ideas from Project Zero can be translated into classroom practice - how slow looking can become routine, how curiosity can be cultivated, and how bold thinking can be sustained in the life of schools - Explore the Workshop Options Here