Art and Yarning: A Culturally Responsive Method to Engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children
Tracks
Ballroom 4 - In-Person Only
| Monday, October 12, 2026 |
| 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Ballroom 4 |
Overview
Kate Anderson, Ms Tasha-Jade Cole and Ms Taleah Carson, Australian National University
Presenter
Associate Professor Kate Anderson
Senior Research Fellow
Australian National University
Art and Yarning: A Culturally Responsive Method to Engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children
Presentation Overview
Conventional research methods frequently fail to capture the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, positioning them as passive subjects rather than recognising them as knowledge holders with expertise in their own lived experiences. This paper introduces Art and Yarning, a novel research method developed for the What Matters 2 Kids (WM2K) project; a nationally funded initiative to co-design a culturally grounded wellbeing measure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5-11 years.
Art and Yarning adapts the established Draw, Write, Tell method by integrating yarning; an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communication practice that encompasses collective knowledge creation, shared storytelling, and relational meaning-making. The method unfolds across three interconnected phases: children create artwork in response to a research topic, reflect on and describe their creations, and then participate in culturally grounded yarning circles that allow for collective sense-making and knowledge sharing.
The method was applied with approximately 220 children across 15 community sites and 22 sessions in diverse regions including the Torres Strait Islands, Tasmania, the Pilbara, and Dubbo. Findings from Indigenous facilitators who delivered the method indicate that Art and Yarning builds trust through cultural familiarity, accommodates diverse communication styles and capabilities, and generates rich qualitative data reflecting children's authentic perspectives. Critically, yarning was woven throughout all phases of engagement, not treated as a discrete activity, creating a safe and relational environment grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing.
Art and Yarning offers an important methodological contribution for researchers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It privileges Indigenous knowledge systems and relational ethics while generating meaningful data to inform policy and practice. Practical implementation insights, challenges, and recommendations for community-based adaptation are discussed.
Art and Yarning adapts the established Draw, Write, Tell method by integrating yarning; an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communication practice that encompasses collective knowledge creation, shared storytelling, and relational meaning-making. The method unfolds across three interconnected phases: children create artwork in response to a research topic, reflect on and describe their creations, and then participate in culturally grounded yarning circles that allow for collective sense-making and knowledge sharing.
The method was applied with approximately 220 children across 15 community sites and 22 sessions in diverse regions including the Torres Strait Islands, Tasmania, the Pilbara, and Dubbo. Findings from Indigenous facilitators who delivered the method indicate that Art and Yarning builds trust through cultural familiarity, accommodates diverse communication styles and capabilities, and generates rich qualitative data reflecting children's authentic perspectives. Critically, yarning was woven throughout all phases of engagement, not treated as a discrete activity, creating a safe and relational environment grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing.
Art and Yarning offers an important methodological contribution for researchers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It privileges Indigenous knowledge systems and relational ethics while generating meaningful data to inform policy and practice. Practical implementation insights, challenges, and recommendations for community-based adaptation are discussed.
Biography
Associate Professor Kate Anderson is a non-Indigenous researcher at the Australian National University whose work focuses on the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. She leads a program of research developing culturally grounded measurement tools, community-administered data systems, and evidence translation pathways that return genuine analytical power to Indigenous communities. Her research is built on co-design principles and Indigenous data sovereignty, in partnership with Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations across Australia.
Ms Taleah Carson
Indigenous Project Officer
Australian National University
Art and Yarning: A Culturally Responsive Method to Engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children
Presentation Overview
Conventional research methods frequently fail to capture the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, positioning them as passive subjects rather than recognising them as knowledge holders with expertise in their own lived experiences. This paper introduces Art and Yarning, a novel research method developed for the What Matters 2 Kids (WM2K) project; a nationally funded initiative to co-design a culturally grounded wellbeing measure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5-11 years.
Art and Yarning adapts the established Draw, Write, Tell method by integrating yarning; an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communication practice that encompasses collective knowledge creation, shared storytelling, and relational meaning-making. The method unfolds across three interconnected phases: children create artwork in response to a research topic, reflect on and describe their creations, and then participate in culturally grounded yarning circles that allow for collective sense-making and knowledge sharing.
The method was applied with approximately 220 children across 15 community sites and 22 sessions in diverse regions including the Torres Strait Islands, Tasmania, the Pilbara, and Dubbo. Findings from Indigenous facilitators who delivered the method indicate that Art and Yarning builds trust through cultural familiarity, accommodates diverse communication styles and capabilities, and generates rich qualitative data reflecting children's authentic perspectives. Critically, yarning was woven throughout all phases of engagement, not treated as a discrete activity, creating a safe and relational environment grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing.
Art and Yarning offers an important methodological contribution for researchers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It privileges Indigenous knowledge systems and relational ethics while generating meaningful data to inform policy and practice. Practical implementation insights, challenges, and recommendations for community-based adaptation are discussed.
Art and Yarning adapts the established Draw, Write, Tell method by integrating yarning; an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communication practice that encompasses collective knowledge creation, shared storytelling, and relational meaning-making. The method unfolds across three interconnected phases: children create artwork in response to a research topic, reflect on and describe their creations, and then participate in culturally grounded yarning circles that allow for collective sense-making and knowledge sharing.
The method was applied with approximately 220 children across 15 community sites and 22 sessions in diverse regions including the Torres Strait Islands, Tasmania, the Pilbara, and Dubbo. Findings from Indigenous facilitators who delivered the method indicate that Art and Yarning builds trust through cultural familiarity, accommodates diverse communication styles and capabilities, and generates rich qualitative data reflecting children's authentic perspectives. Critically, yarning was woven throughout all phases of engagement, not treated as a discrete activity, creating a safe and relational environment grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing.
Art and Yarning offers an important methodological contribution for researchers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It privileges Indigenous knowledge systems and relational ethics while generating meaningful data to inform policy and practice. Practical implementation insights, challenges, and recommendations for community-based adaptation are discussed.
Biography
Taleah Carson is an Indigenous Project Research Coordinator at Yardhura Walanai, part of the Cultural and Wellbeing Program at the Australian National University. Previously, she worked as a Project Research Officer on the What Matters 2 Kids (WM2Kids) Project. In her current role, Taleah provides high-level administrative and research support, including participant recruitment, community engagement, and liaison. She also plays a key role in planning and delivering community outreach and dissemination activities throughout the project’s duration.
Ms Tasha-Jade Cole
Indigenous Project Officer
Australian National University
Art and Yarning: A Culturally Responsive Method to Engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children
Presentation Overview
Conventional research methods frequently fail to capture the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, positioning them as passive subjects rather than recognising them as knowledge holders with expertise in their own lived experiences. This paper introduces Art and Yarning, a novel research method developed for the What Matters 2 Kids (WM2K) project; a nationally funded initiative to co-design a culturally grounded wellbeing measure for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged 5-11 years.
Art and Yarning adapts the established Draw, Write, Tell method by integrating yarning; an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communication practice that encompasses collective knowledge creation, shared storytelling, and relational meaning-making. The method unfolds across three interconnected phases: children create artwork in response to a research topic, reflect on and describe their creations, and then participate in culturally grounded yarning circles that allow for collective sense-making and knowledge sharing.
The method was applied with approximately 220 children across 15 community sites and 22 sessions in diverse regions including the Torres Strait Islands, Tasmania, the Pilbara, and Dubbo. Findings from Indigenous facilitators who delivered the method indicate that Art and Yarning builds trust through cultural familiarity, accommodates diverse communication styles and capabilities, and generates rich qualitative data reflecting children's authentic perspectives. Critically, yarning was woven throughout all phases of engagement, not treated as a discrete activity, creating a safe and relational environment grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing.
Art and Yarning offers an important methodological contribution for researchers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It privileges Indigenous knowledge systems and relational ethics while generating meaningful data to inform policy and practice. Practical implementation insights, challenges, and recommendations for community-based adaptation are discussed.
Art and Yarning adapts the established Draw, Write, Tell method by integrating yarning; an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communication practice that encompasses collective knowledge creation, shared storytelling, and relational meaning-making. The method unfolds across three interconnected phases: children create artwork in response to a research topic, reflect on and describe their creations, and then participate in culturally grounded yarning circles that allow for collective sense-making and knowledge sharing.
The method was applied with approximately 220 children across 15 community sites and 22 sessions in diverse regions including the Torres Strait Islands, Tasmania, the Pilbara, and Dubbo. Findings from Indigenous facilitators who delivered the method indicate that Art and Yarning builds trust through cultural familiarity, accommodates diverse communication styles and capabilities, and generates rich qualitative data reflecting children's authentic perspectives. Critically, yarning was woven throughout all phases of engagement, not treated as a discrete activity, creating a safe and relational environment grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing.
Art and Yarning offers an important methodological contribution for researchers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It privileges Indigenous knowledge systems and relational ethics while generating meaningful data to inform policy and practice. Practical implementation insights, challenges, and recommendations for community-based adaptation are discussed.
Biography
Tasha is a proud Luritja woman, who is a project officer for the Yukaaywa Purrary (YP) study and partly with the What Matters 2 Kids project.
YP is an emerging study that aims to generate evidence on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people’s health and wellbeing. The study will inform policy development and support program reform to improve the holistic wellbeing of young people, their families, kin, and communities.
Tasha has been involved in health research for the past 8 years and is passionate about maintaining the health and wellbeing for young mob. She has previously worked for Menzies School of Health Research and the University of Queensland.
