Out of the Box Festival: Tree of Hope

QPAC asks children to reflect on what hope means to them as part of a statewide activation that will culminate in a grand art exhibition adorning the Cultural Precinct for the duration of the festival.

15 schools and early childhood centres from almost every corner of Queensland are participating in the program, namely:

• The Murri School, Acacia Ridge
• C&K Walker Street Community Childcare, Bundaberg
• Caboolture State School, Caboolture
• C&K Whiterock Community Kindergarten, Cairns
• Currumbin State School, Currumbin
• Bethany Lutheran School, Ipswich
• Woodridge State School, Logan
• Longreach State School, Longreach
• School of Distance Education, Longreach surrounds
• Tagai State School, Mabuiag Island
• C&K Sunset Community Kindergarten, Mount Isa
• St Paul's Primary School, Rockhampton
• C&K Maranoa Community Kindergarten, Roma
• Yarrabah State Primary, Yarrabah

Over 1,000 children were invited to create artworks for tree installations that will be planted around QPAC showcasing the hopes, dreams and artistic expressions of each community for all festival visitors to enjoy.

The Tree of Hope is part of a long legacy of creative art collaboration with young children, with the program taking different forms over the years since the festival’s inception in 1992. Initially developed by noted visual artist Dr Barbara Piscitelli AM, the underlying principle of this activation celebrates children as instinctive artists and experts in imaginative play. This year, the concept has been reignited by artist Lucinda Shaw who has curated a workshop experience that is being carried by local artists in each participating community, with the resulting artworks coming together in an impressive installation developed by award-winning designer Josh McIntosh.

FREE ACTIVITY
If you had a magical seed what would you hope would grow? Use your imagination to draw an artwork of something you are hopeful for, then add it to the branches of a growing tree at the State Library!

No booking required for this free activity.  

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QPAC’s Out of the Box Festival for under 8s returns from 17 – 22 June 2025 

Whether your child enjoys music, storytelling, movement, or hands-on creative play, explore the program to discover the best performances, workshops, and free activities. 

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