In this episode, I am in conversation with Dr. Louisa Penfold - educator, artist, researcher, Lecturer and Co-Chair of Arts and Learning at Harvard Graduate School of Education, and co-director of Project Zero’s ArtPlay.

In our conversation, we talk about Louisa’s journey from Australia to the UK and the US, her work in museum education with children and families, contemporary arts in early childhood, arts visibility within academia, and how Project Zero’s Art/Play is exploring meaningful ways of bringing contemporary arts into public schools. We also talk about her upcoming book on children’s art education, coming in September 2026.

Listen on YouTube and Spotify — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio

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#WhyArtsPodcast #ArtsEducation #ContemporaryArt #EarlyChildhoodEducation #ProjectZero #Harvard #creativity

In this episode, I am in conversation with Cristian Fabbi, an international early childhood education expert working with UNICEF on curriculum reform and teacher education programmes. Cristian is the Director of Fondazione Reggio Children and previously served as President of Reggio Children and the municipal preschool system in Reggio Emilia.

With a background in psychology, early childhood education, and relational psychotherapy, Cristian has worked across schools, communities, and education systems around the world—including projects with UNICEF and UNESCO across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.

In our conversation, we talk about what it really means to value the capabilities of children, parents, and educators in every context. By focusing on conversations and relationships rather than rigid structures, we can nurture creativity and learning.

It’s about recognizing the rights of every child, fostering a community-oriented mindset, and allowing every individual to shine.

In a world that’s changing rapidly, these values can help us navigate uncertainty. Reggio teaches us that education is a political choice and a path to building a more inclusive society.

What’s your take on education?

Listen on YouTube and Spotify — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio

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In this episode, I’m in conversation with Eloisa - Remida project coordinator, Atelierista and Researcher in Reggio Childhood Studies. She has been working with the Reggio Children Foundation since 2012. In 2025, she completed her PhD in Reggio Childhood Studies.

We talk about materials and our relationship with them—how materials are not just things we use, but something we listen to, respond to, and think with. We explore what it means to work with discarded materials, how waste can become a site of learning, and how the Pedagogy of Listening shapes the way we see children, materials, and the environment.

Listen on YouTube and Spotify — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio📲 Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whyarts_wnanvi?igsh=aHRkYWhuMHB2MWVz&utm_source=qr

In this episode, I’m in conversation with Ron Grady—an early childhood educator, researcher, and storyteller whose work centers the voices and lived experiences of young children.

Currently a PhD researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Project Zero doctoral fellow, Ron explores preschoolers’ peer cultures through art, photography, play, and conversation.

Drawing from his experience in Reggio-inspired and nature-based classrooms in New Orleans—and his work as the author of Honoring the Moment in Young Children’s Lives and children’s books like What Does Brown Mean to You?—Ron shares what it truly means to listen to children and co-create learning with them.

We talk about how relationships with art and photography can become powerful ways of seeing and understanding children’s thinking in early childhood.

Ron shares what it means to truly honor a child’s voice—not as a concept, but as a daily practice shaped through listening, documentation, and reflection. We explore how authentic inquiry emerges when educators slow down, pay attention to children’s lived experiences, and co-create learning alongside them.

Listen in for a thoughtful, grounded conversation on seeing children—and learning—differently.

Explore more of Ron’s work: childology.co🎧

Listen on YouTube and Spotify — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio

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In this episode, I’m joined by Peter H. Reynolds—an award-winning author and illustrator known for beloved books like The Dot, Ish, and The Word Collector. Through his work, Peter has inspired millions of children and educators to see themselves as creators. He is also the co-founder of FableVision and The Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning & Creativity, where he continues to champion creativity and learning.

Together, we explore what it means to create bravely—taking that first step, making a mark, and trusting the process. We talk about why this mindset is essential for lifelong learning, how mistakes are not failures but invitations for growth, and what it looks like to teach for inquiry rather than simply follow instructions.

This conversation is a reminder that creativity isn’t about perfection, it’s about beginning, exploring, and allowing ourselves (and our students) the freedom to be ishful.

🎧 Listen on YouTube and Spotify — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio

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#WhyArts #ishthinking #Thedot #creativitymatters

In Episode 14 of Why Arts?, I’m in conversation with Jean Appolon and Meghan McGrath, who are reimagining what dance can be as a space for expression, identity, and community.Jean Appolon, Co-founder and Artistic Director of Jean Appolon Expressions, is a choreographer and master teacher whose work bridges Haitian folkloric traditions and contemporary dance. Meghan McGrath, Executive Director, has led the organization’s growth, deepening its impact through arts education, cultural exchange, and community-centered work.

Together, they are creating spaces where dance becomes more than movement—it becomes a language of healing, resistance, and belonging.We talk about blending Haitian folklore with modern styles, building inclusive and welcoming environments, and how dance can support both individual expression and collective liberation.

🎧 Listen on YouTube and Spotify — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio

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#WhyArts #DanceAsHealing #CulturalMovement #ArtsEducation #JeanAppolonExpressions

In this conversation, I’m in conversation with Coco Allred, a visual artist and educator whose work explores the intersections of public space, aesthetics, and experimental pedagogy. From sculpture and printmaking to participatory environments, Coco creates experiences that invite people to engage, question, and learn with one another—activating space as a site for collective learning and resistance. She is a current master's student in the Art, Culture, and Technology program at MIT.Coco shares how her journey—from early creative explorations to her current work at MIT—has shaped her belief that art is not just a product, but a process of discovery, interaction, and connection.

Her work centers on participation, where art becomes a way to bring people together, bridge generations, and open up meaningful dialogue.In this episode, we also explore how, for children, art becomes a natural extension of play—a space to narrate experiences, express emotions, and grow through iteration. And importantly, how art can also feel challenging. That frustration, that tension, is often where the deepest learning begins.

This conversation invites us to think about:✨ How can art activate spaces for collective learning?✨ What does it mean to create with others, not just for others?✨ How can art foster connection across generations?

🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube and Spotify.

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In this episode, I’m in conversation with Stacy Davidson Minicucci, M.Ed., an Arts Educator at Nurtury Early Education whose work is rooted in early childhood, expressive arts, and mental health. Over more than two decades, Stacy has created art experiences that support young children’s emotional development, resilience, and self-expression.

Stacy reflects on what it means to create a “yes” environment in the arts — one where children are trusted, materials are offered with openness, and the process matters more than the final product. We talk about flexibility, loose parts, and how art spaces can become places of emotional expression, relationship-building, and belonging.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that the arts are not just about making — they are about connection, identity, and possibility.

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In Episode 11 of Why Arts?, I’m in conversation with Steve Seidel — educator, researcher, and the Bauman & Bryant Chair in Arts in Education, Emeritus at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Many of us know Steve for his long-standing contributions to the field of arts education and his work with Project Zero. But in this conversation, he takes us on a more personal journey — reflecting on his own schooling, his years as a theater teacher and actor, and the path that eventually led him into education and research.Before becoming a researcher, Steve spent nearly two decades teaching high-school theater and language arts and working as a professional actor and stage director.

Over more than 35 years at Project Zero, his work has explored arts learning, reflective practice, and the close study of student work. He also led the influential research project that resulted in The Qualities of Quality, examining what excellence in arts learning and teaching really looks like.In our conversation, we talk about the role of the arts in shaping how we learn and teach, and how artistic practice can help build more thoughtful and democratic classrooms.

One idea Steve shared that stayed with me:Imagine walking through a forest—every discipline is there together. But over time education has separated knowledge into isolated subjects. In reality, like a forest, everything exists in relationship. Those of us who care about integration are trying to bring learning back to that interconnected whole.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube and Spotify.

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In Episode 10 of Why Arts?, I’m in conversation with Sarah Lieberman — museum educator, thoughtful listener, and someone who deeply believes that art belongs to everyone.As a child, Sarah made outfits for her dolls out of napkins and scraps — experimenting, imagining, redesigning. That early instinct to transform everyday materials into something meaningful never really left her.Today, Sarah is the Assistant Educator for School and Teacher Programs at the RISD Museum, where she designs object-based learning experiences for K–12 students in Providence.

Before this, she was a Cunningham Fellow at the Harvard Art Museums, teaching interdisciplinary university courses, mentoring graduate students, and building family and teen programs.

In our conversation, we talk about:

• What object-based learning really looks like in practice

• How museums can become spaces of dialogue rather than quiet compliance

• Why there isn’t one “right” interpretation of an artwork

• How confidence grows when students realize their voice mattersMuseums should feel welcoming. Families should feel invited. Students should feel trusted.

🎧 Listen on YouTube and Spotify — Why Arts? by Emergent Inquiry Studio

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#WhyArts #MuseumEducation #RISDMuseum #ArtForAll #ObjectBasedLearning #CreativeLearning