Yipirinya School & Yipi Art Studio

Yipirinya School is a two-way learning community in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. We recognise and acknowledge the Aboriginal town camp families of Yipirinya School, who founded the school in 1978.

Yipirinya School offers a unique experience that keeps culture strong and language alive, teaching in four Aboriginal languages – Central Arrernte, Warlpiri, Luritja and Western Aranda, plus English.

 In the Art Studio, we have observed local artists and compared western art and design practices, to understand how artists tell stories to audiences as visual language through paint, brushes, skewers, mixed-media, carving, printing, sculpture and installation.

Throughout this year, we have investigated principles of art and design and craft, with students shown techniques by our Aboriginal artists-in-residence and guest experts.

Our themes included:

• Cycles of water and broader themes of environmental sustainability.
• Bush tucker and bush medicine, with a focus on traditional medicine and two-way health between western clinicians and local healers.
• Totems, Dreaming and Country, explored through transforming 2-dimensional painted dot-work into sculptural mixed-media, and a 3-dimensional weaving project.