Stitch and Resist | Civics and Citizenship

Link Visual Arts, Civics & Citizenship, and History with a new joint program from the Parliament of South Australia and AGSA in 2025.

Part 1: 90 mins | Parliament House

Students begin their visit at Parliament House where they explore the building and recreate passing the 1894 law that saw women get the right to vote and the right to run for Parliament. Students reflect on the arguments used at the time, and how they can use their voice and have a say in 2025.

Part 2: 90min | Art Gallery of South Australia

Explore the exhibition Radical Textiles through a civics and citizenship lens where students will see works of art such as Women’s Suffrage Centenary Tapestries, union banners and the pink shorts worn by South Australian Premier Don Dunstan. Alongside these works are textiles made by contemporary artists that respond to ideas of protest, resistance and equality.

Students will also have an opportunity to do some hands-on making in The Studio and take home a collaborative making activity to do back in the classroom post visit.

Term 1, Weeks 1 - 9

Maximum of 60 students per session

Suitable for years 5-12

Cost: Ticket to Radical Textiles, $50 per class, $30 equity.

Available dates

Friday 31 Jan, 10am - 1.45pm
Monday 3 Feb, 9.45am - 1.30pm
Friday 7 Feb, 10am - 1.45pm
Monday 10 Feb, Booked Out
Friday 14 Feb, Booked Out
Monday 17 Feb, 9.45am - 1.30pm
Friday 21 Feb, 10am - 1.45pm
Monday 24 Feb - Booked Out
Friday 28 Feb - Booked Out
Monday 3 Mar, 9.45am - 1.30pm
Friday 7 Mar, 10am - 1.45pm
Monday 10 Mar - PUBLIC HOLIDAY
Friday 14 Mar, 10am - 1.45pm
Monday 17 Mar, 9.45am - 1.30pm
Friday 21 Mar, 10am - 1.45pm
Monday 24 Mar, 9.45am - 1.30pm
Friday 28 Mar, Booked Out

If your school is unable to visit on Mondays or Fridays for the joint program with Parliament House, Civics and Citizenship Tours in Radical Textiles at AGSA can be booked any day throughout term 1, weeks 1-9.

Please note:

Times for this joint experience cannot be modified due to Parliament sitting times.
Gallery Guides at AGSA are volunteers and can not always be guaranteed. In the event that you will need to self guide, we will suggest resources to support your visit. We advise that teachers are always prepared to self-guide in the event that Guides are unwell at short notice.

Key Civics and Citizenship curriculum connections

Year 5: elections, what is democracy, how can people participate?

Year 6: levels of government, how Parliament makes law, how can I make change?

Year 7: structure of Australia’s democracy, influences on democracy, courts, how can I use our systems?

Year 8: politics in our democracy, law making in detail, participation in detail, how am I being influenced?

Year 9: Australian Constitution, courts, how can I influence others?

Year 10: International comparison

SACE: Women’s Studies, Social Studies, Politics, Legal Studies

The cross curriculum priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Culture is also highlighted in this tour.

Book

Stitch and Resist Collaborative Activity

Stitch a word or symbol onto a square of fabric that represents a social or environmental cause or issue that you are passionate about.

AGSA will be collecting contributions for a large collaborative piece that combines each square completed by a South Australian young person.

Contributions are to be sent or delivered to AGSA Education by the end term 1.

The fabric squares will be joined together for display at the Gallery during SALA 2025.

Download Stitch and Resist Activity Information

Resources

Women’s Suffrage Centenary Tapestries

Two tapestries hang, facing each other among portraits of former Premiers and Speakers, in the House of Assembly Chamber of the South Australian Parliament. Conceived by a bi-partisan group of women politicians, they were woven in public and were hung in the Chamber in 1994 to mark one hundred years of ground-breaking legislation in South Australia, legislation that gave women the right to vote and equality before the law.
- Kay Lawrence, Radical Textiles catalogue, 2024.

Hear more about these tapestries from Education Manager, Parliament House, Natalie Badcock. The works of art will be on loan to AGSA for the Radical Textiles exhibition from 23 November 2024 - 30 March 2025

Parliament House Education Resources