From too afraid to speak to too afraid not to: exploring the potential of arts-integrated practices to confront teachers’ apprehension towards Indigenous education

‘From too Afraid to Speak to too Afraid not to’ was a research project conducted in Queensland, Australia. Employing a multi-methodological strategy synergising Kraehe’s arts equity framework with Rallis et al’.s concept of ‘relational ethics through the flesh’, it sought to understand better teacher anxiety concerning the effective teaching of critical issues related to race and Indigeneity through art. This paper presents a qualitative snapshot of this project, analysing three in-depth teacher discussions organised into three emergent themes: Fear, complexities and capabilities; Embedding perspectives through arts; and Arts-based communities of practice. Indigenous and non-Indigenous teachers in the arts reported a range of factors that impeded their ability to engage critical issues while identifying innovative strategies to overcome personal or structural impediments. The project highlighted the importance of addressing teachers’ fears through structural support and resources. Further, the potential of arts-based relational communities of practice was identified as an effective solution to the systemic issue of teacher anxiety, offering a tangible starting point for future research and practice towards systemic change.