Awarded to an Artist with demonstrated success in working with teachers and students in Department schools.

James Parker is a highly skilled and versatile visual artist who has been working in schools, communities and the local film industry in South Australia over many years. James shares his love of drawing, collage, assemblage and found object art with the students he works with and is regarded as an outstanding arts educator. He has a genuine passion for learning and his sincerity and sense of fun is evident in everything that he does.

James has been selected as the Artist in Residence on many schools arts projects, with a visual arts/ film project at Para Vista Primary, involving students from 53 different cultural groups, being the most recent. James has worked as an artist in many regional schools and, in 2010 at Murray Bridge North Primary Schools for a creative education partnership. Through a shared artistic leadership, James was instrumental in this expansive drawing project going on to win the International Drawing Inspiration Award (UK)

The Para Vista AIS project has been instrumental in providing James a focus for his professional development, which will take him on a journey to build on his diverse set of skills throughout 2012. Participating in relevant international courses, will assist and inspire James in the development of larger collaborative works with the students he mentors in the future.

(Taken from Carclew's Programme 2012 Education and Arts Minister Award - 1st Nov 2011 Odeon Theatre Norwood)