Introduction

ART ‘N’ MOVE has rapidly spread its wings across Australia, and we are excited to have now expanded to Asia and to offer Hong Kong parents the opportunity to watch the joy on their children’s faces as they participate in ART ‘N’ MOVE.

When ART ‘N’ MOVE first started as a small program in 2003 in Sydney, Australia it was greeted with great enthusiasm. Over the years it has gained the reputation of being one of Australia’s leading developmental programs for young children. Offering a truly unique experience, our recipe for success is that we have a deep understanding and knowledge of children’s developmental needs. We cater to these needs by incorporating four key learning areas of art, music, play and movement into every session.

Beyond ART ‘N’ MOVE’s unique content, what distinguishes our classes are our qualified, experienced and enthusiastic teachers and assistants. This ensures that every session is consistently of the highest quality. Fun and dynamic, our programs fire the children’s imagination and have an all round positive impact.

ART ‘N’ MOVE was created by Debbi Gomel, an infants teacher with a passion for working with and stimulating the creativity of children. As her first child began to enjoy art and craft at home with her, other parents who wanted their children to have the same type of fun and enjoy the same developmental benefits asked Debbi to run holiday workshops. This was the beginning of what soon became a rich, textured and engaging program like no other.

Mira Hasofer

I’m Mira Hasofer. I grew up in Sydney, Australia and graduated with a Bachelor of Education (Hons.) from the University of Sydney. I taught at a private school in Sydney, where I met Debbi, founder of ART ‘N’ MOVE.

I moved to Hong Kong almost ten years ago and spent most of this time teaching in an international primary school.

I completed my Master of Education at HKU in 2005, focusing on the learning styles of international and local children in Hong Kong. I was fortunate to have as my colleagues, people from all around Hong Kong and it was this experience that solidified Hong Kong as home for me.

As a mother of three young children, all born in Hong Kong, I have always been on the lookout for quality early childhood programs, run by teachers with outstanding qualifications who truly understand the needs of young learners. There is no doubt in my mind that ART ‘N’ MOVE meets these needs.

We are truly privileged to finally have ART’N’MOVE in Hong Kong. I invite you to bring your children along to share in the magic of ART ‘N’ MOVE.

Debbi Gomel

I’m Debbi Gomel, Creative Director and Founder of ART ‘N’ MOVE. I have always had a passion for working with and stimulating the creativity of children. After completing my Bachelor of Education and Diploma of Teaching at Sydney University, I taught for over 13 years in the infant and primary departments at a private school in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. With a long list of fun ideas and projects waiting for busy hands and inquiring minds, I also ran Art and Craft workshops in the school holidays.

As my first child began to explore and enjoy art and craft at home with me, I found that there was nowhere to take him on a regular basis. My friends with toddlers also wanted their children to do art and craft and asked me to run my holiday workshops all year round.

While all parents saw the importance of art and craft in their child’s development, many preferred not to focus on it at home. For some it was just too messy, while others preferred an experienced Art and Craft teacher to guide and stimulate their children.

Aware of what parents were looking for, I developed ART ‘N’ MOVE. Combining Drama, Music, Movement and Storytelling together with Art and Craft, and all arranged around a weekly theme, I created and launched this unique program in January 2003. It has been a great joy to watch ART ‘N’ MOVE enrolments grow, as parents bring their children back and recommend our classes to friends. In line with our promise to keep class sizes small, we continue to add extra classes to meet the demand.

Initially setting up in Bondi, many parents travelled from as far north as St Ives and Manly, and as far south as Sans Souci. The need for classes in the north and south soon became apparent. In late 2006 and early 2007 ART ‘N’ MOVE opened 3 new centres - Willoughby, Brookvale and Maroubra. Later in 2007 we opened in the Hills District, and in 2008 in Homebush, Cronulla, Mosman and Warriewood.

As I worked with the younger age groups I became aware of yet another need. Many parents wanted expert guidance stimulating their infant children. In 2004, I set to work developing PLAY ‘N’ MOVE - classes with interactive play and movement for babies 6-14 months. From the moment PLAY ‘N’ MOVE classes commenced in February 2005 they met with great response.

At the end of 2008 we moved closer to ART ‘N’ MOVE being a complete multi-level program, catering from the ages of 6 months to 6 years. We recruited a highly experienced early childhood expert to help us write a school-readiness program that would be both fun and educationally sound. After several months LEARN ‘N’ MOVE was created, and after barely 1 year it proved successful beyond our expectations.

Jo Bailison

I’m Jo Bailison, I have a Bachelor Degree in Primary School Education. After teaching at a private school in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney for 8 years, I found that full-time teaching was becoming too difficult with my growing family.

I was already familiar with ART ‘N’ MOVE as my eldest daughter was enrolled at its inception in 2003, when Debbi began creating and developing the most exciting interactive children's program imaginable. In 2007 when I enrolled my second daughter, Debbi employed me to teach at the North Bondi Centre and then later, at Maroubra. In 2008 she extended her trust by inviting me to join her as partner in ART ‘N’ MOVE. Our desire was to not only maintain the high standards and unique concept that we all know ART ‘N’ MOVE to be, but also to explore new opportunities.

Teaching the ART ‘N’ MOVE program continues to be an enlightening and exceptionally rewarding experience. Becoming a partner - a dream come true!