Enhancing Children's Voices


Date: Jun 2
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm
Where: Theatre
Coffee & Culture

For the past two years, Dr. Anne Burke and Dr. Diane Collier from Memorial University have been co-researching innovative teaching, language, culture and identity. Alongside primary teachers and children from two multicultural elementary schools in St. John’s, they have worked together to enhance ways to listen to young children's perspectives, to talk about artifacts and engage in various ways of making art to tell stories.

Please join the researchers, teachers and children as they talk about this rich project looking at experiential learning that honours the voices of children. Through working with artists and partnering with Memorial University and The Rooms, their research is part of a larger project called  ADVOST that includes projects in Finland and the United Kingdom.

Most recently, they completed an identity mapmaking project with the support of educator Anne Pickard-Vaandering at The Rooms. Children came to The Rooms to interact with the exhibition "Helping Hands: 30 Years at Kinngait Studios". They experimented with mapping and drawing their interests and identities, and then returned to their classrooms to create their own art. Their artworks are featured in the MakerFaire event at The Rooms on June 3.

Events & Programs

10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Playdate

Join us for a delightful morning at The Rooms!
Bring your little ones to our enchanting Harbour View Room for unguided playtime surrounded by an array of toys and books tailored for infants and toddlers aged 0 to 4.

No prior registration is necessary; simply pay your admission at The Rooms front desk and drop in anytime between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm! Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please note that caregivers must accompany their children throughout the session. While our program room can accommodate up to 20 adults with their little ones, if it reaches capacity, we kindly ask caregivers to momentarily step back to make room for others to join in the fun.

The Playdate is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms Members.

With support from Thomas and Susan (Kent) Foran Family Foundation.

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Craft at Risk

Eco printing is a great technique for those new to natural dyes. It has a striking visual impact, is easy to learn, and everyone comes away with something — in this case, a piece of silk fabric and dyed watercolour paper. Natural dyeing, the process of adding colour to textile materials through the use of natural materials such as plants or animals, was added to the 2024 Craft at Risk List and listed as Endangered.

Cost: $40 plus HST. 10% discount for Rooms members. All materials included. Register online!

About the Presenter:
Susan Furneaux is a teacher, artist, craft consultant, and mentor. She specializes in natural dye and fibre techniques, learning, teaching, and exhibiting throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, nationally and internationally. Susan has won multiple awards for her embroidery, natural dyes, and innovative use of natural materials, including the 2024 Arts NL Arts and Education Award. In 2022, Susan was a mentor with Heritage NL’s Mentor-Apprentice Program. Motivated by reciprocal knowledge exchange, capacity building, and the preservation of traditional skills, Furneaux shared the craft of Bark Tanning.

Presented in partnership with Heritage NL.

1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Open House

Come with your family to share in The Rooms Provincial Archives Open House!

Visit the Reference Room to see archival treasures, talk to reference staff about genealogy collections, or take a “Behind the Scenes” vault tour.

Vault tours: 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm

Children can also join in the fun by creating their own handprint family trees or making a personalized button. Enjoy coffee, cookies, and prizes!

Free event. 

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Tour

Peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador

Stroll across land and sea, and through time, to meet the peoples who have made Newfoundland and Labrador home for the past 9,000 years.

Each tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.