The Children’s Sensorium – creative strategies to support children’s well-being

The Children’s Sensorium – creative strategies to support children’s well-being

‘The Children’s Sensorium’ is a creative research project designed to support emotional resilience and well-being by allowing children to express themselves through sensory-based art installations and mindfulness practices.

Led by Professor Grace McQuilten, the resulting exhibitions and immersive public programs were designed to be fully interactive so visitors could engage all senses in a fun and creative way.

A creative response to a crisis in children’s well-being

‘The Children’s Sensorium’ was initiated as a response to a significant crisis in children’s well-being. The research drew from emerging literature on the impact of the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, and research data from the Kids Helpline and The Australian Federal Government’s 2021 National Children’s Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy (2021). 

Building on evidence of preventative strategies to aid children’s well-being and resilience, including mindfulness/embodiment, play and emotional intelligence, an ongoing series of interactive exhibitions was developed.  

To date, two exhibitions have been presented in Melbourne and Castlemaine, each complemented with a large public program comprising group activities and workshops in the space, with practical resources and take-home information.

sensorium participant resting on blue netting Archives of Feeling, 2022, RMIT Design Hub Gallery. Credit: Tobias Titz

An innovative co-creation process

As a creative researcher and curator who has been developing arts-based social enterprises, McQuilten has been expanding the role of the arts to create social change.

‘The Children’s Sensorium’ exhibitions were developed through an innovative process of co-creation between McQuilten and a diverse group of artist-researchers. They included Tamara Borovica (mental health research and creative practice), Angela Clarke, Camila Maling, Heather Hesterman (planting and botanical exploration), Hiromi Tango with Moon Girle, Philip Samartzis (sound), Anna Schwann (scented sculpture), Playbour (play and games), Vivian Qiu and Alex Danay (colour and textile installation), Live Particle (embodiment), Fiona Hillary (light), and Larissa Hjorth (social play).

McQuilten and the artists also collaborated with Boon Wurrung elder N’Arwee’t Carolyn Briggs, who provided artistic direction. 

McQuilten said that Aunty Carolyn’s stories not only drew out a multisensory engagement but, more importantly, provided the next generation with a wonderful way to connect to Country.

archives of feeling exhibit at the sensorium Archives of Feeling, 2022, RMIT Design Hub Gallery. Credit: Tobias Titz
Through a process of ‘deep listening’, [Aunty Carolyn] talked about the Indigenous ways of knowing and being, such as the importance of laying down and looking at the sky, the idea of ‘weelams’ (safe huts) to provide a sense of safety and enclosure, and the importance of listening to water.

(Grace McQuilten)

A Novel Approach for Children to Experience Art and Emotions

In 2022, the first exhibition held at RMIT Design Hub focused on promoting children's well-being and resilience in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Held as part of The Big Anxiety Festival (Naarm, August to October 2022), the exhibition also offered interactive workshops that delivered practical, daily strategies for children and families that could be replicated at home for continued support.

The exhibition featured diverse artworks created specifically to engage children’s senses. The space was designed to be fully interactive, so they could touch everything, smell, listen, and draw on the walls.

sensorium room Archives of Feeling, 2022, RMIT Design Hub Gallery. Credit: Tobias Titz
This slower and playful, imaginative element of art-making grants children an opportunity to work with and express their emotions, which is an integral element of well-being and regulation.

(McQuilten, et al, 2023)

Artists collaborated to design exhibition features including:

  • Soundscapes inspired by local Kulin seasons and installations evoking the waterways of Melbourne.
  • Spaces designed as 'weelams' (safe huts), allowing children to play, explore, and express emotions. 
  • Sensory elements, including scent pods and sound tubes.

 The large public program developed to complement the exhibition engaged 300+ people in workshops, with more than 2000+ exhibition visitors.

“At the start, kids were not interacting with one another as much, probably an effect of the pandemic lockdowns. But they were desperate for physical and creative opportunities. Lots of families came back and some would stay for a long time,” said McQuilten.

By prioritising a child-friendly, strength-based artistic space, the project redefined the role of art exhibitions for children and demonstrated the potential of sensory-based artworks to foster emotional and mental well-being.

Art, Play and Mindfulness at Castlemaine Art Museum 2024

children playing in a green tent at the sensorium The Children’s Sensorium, 2024, Castlemaine Art Museum. Credit: Daniel Williams

In 2024, the Castlemaine Art Museum (CAM) hosted the second exhibition, supported by Mount Alexander Shire Council and VicHealth as part of the FLIP Winter Children’s Festival.

This exhibition featured ‘Yawa’, an interactive arcade game to learn Boonwurrung language, developed by Aunty Carolyn and game researchers.  Fiona Hillary also produced a new work ‘Shimmering Aurora’ that allowed visitors to bask in the reflected glow of neon lights emulating auroras, while listening to a soundscape developed by Philip Samartzis. The regional gallery attracted more than 3000 visitors.

In May 2025, the exhibition travelled to Hamilton Regional Gallery; in August, it will go to Bayside Gallery in Brighton; then in October, it travels to Townsville, Queensland. Each community is different and has different needs and therefore each exhibition will be adapted accordingly.

Yawa game Yawa game, 2024, Castlemaine Art Museum. Credit: Daniel Williams

Engagement and impacts

The project has demonstrated strong engagement with local communities, having expanded its effects through artistic installations and sensory spaces at local schools in Melbourne, a regional exhibition tour across Victoria, and a digital platform with free downloadable resources.

In 2024, the team launched a Wellbeing Garden at Flemington Primary School that drew on the principles of The Children's Sensorium exhibition to provide a space for students that connects them to nature and their senses and supports student wellbeing, particularly for neurodivergent students and those with complex emotional lives. They are currently working with Collingwood College on an indoor sensory space building on these pilots.

Evaluative methods, including surveys and interviews, revealed that the exhibition promoted positive emotions, calmness, and agency among children. The feedback from the exhibitions emphasised the role of art and sensory experiences in supporting mental health, aligning with broader research that highlights the arts' benefits in fostering emotional resilience and well-being. One survey involved kids drawing their responses to the exhibition.

McQuilten said:

There were very positive responses. We identified a need for sensory play that supported feelings of calmness and improved mood. A lot of families were inspired by the exhibition, and they talked about taking home the strategies presented in the interactive workshops.

The outcomes contribute to the growing body of research supporting the arts as a valuable tool in mental health and well-being, highlighting the importance of integrating arts into recovery and support programs for children.  

For further information and to download resources, visit The Children’s Sensorium project website.

Funding

The project received $50,000 from VicHealth in 2022. In 2024, it received $50,000 from Creative Australia for the school-based projects; and $5000 from Bluebirch Foundation for the Wellbeing Garden at Flemington Primary School.

References

Key contact

Professor Grace McQuilten
Associate Dean, Research and Innovation
School of Art, College of Design and Social Context

SDGs
art children exhibition curation mental health sensory well-being

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