The Performers

Dan and John (Rob Daniel and John Arnott) are a talented team dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of young people. They show students how to write and draw without the prospect of failing and how to trust their own creative process.

Rob Daniel, a recipient of the W.A. Education Award for Excellence, presents creative writing workshops guiding children into and through their imaginations. Dan writes children’s stories and started www.chocmint.com, an online creative writing and illustration studio for young people.

John Arnott is an artist who specialises in several art forms including wildlife, animal portraits, cartooning, murals and landscapes using a variety of mediums - pastels, pencil, oils and water based paints.

The Performance

Dan brainstorms ideas after an hilarious series of warm-ups for the brain, demonstrating that mistakes are not only inevitable, but also essential, in the creative process and from there the creative journey is entirely unpredictable. He ensures that everyone feels safe to express themselves without fear of ‘getting it wrong’ so even the most reluctant writers are compelled to meet the five minute writing challenge he sets them, with extraordinary results.

John explains and demonstrates that art is simply about learning the tricks you need to create pictures as you imagine them. His style is relaxed, easygoing and simple to follow. Children easily relate to and trust him as their confidence quickly builds. There is never enough drawing time with John.

Dan and John put fun back into areas many children find difficult, challenge young people to discover their own passion in life and show them how to begin living with this passion.

All artwork produced by John on the day is given to the school, as is a folder with ideas and concepts Dan uses during the performance with explanations on how these can be implemented during lessons.