Swans, People, Place

Naarm 📍

This inquiry follows a group of children aged 6–7 years as they explore the idea of community, initially through the lens of their own sense of identity and belonging, and gradually expanding to consider the relationships and interconnections between humans, other living beings, and place. Through regular observation of the swans in Hobson’s Bay, the children are invited to slow down, look closely, and notice patterns – exploring how the swans live, move, and respond to their environment.

As the inquiry unfolds, the children consider how their own actions as visitors to this place may support or disrupt the swans’ lives, and what it might mean to respectfully share this space together. In this way, the project centres on relationships – between swans, humans, and place – inviting the children to reflect on how communities come together, sustain one another, and care for each other over time.