The team was quick to put on their creative thinking caps about how to connect with their community when the gallery's public programs and other events couldn't go ahead.

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When it came to delivering the Art Central program, Zoom became the answer and it has been quickly embraced by people far and wide.

The gallery's Ali Haigh, who runs the program, has been thrilled with the response, which has seen people from as far as Puerto Rico and Sydney applying.

"It's such an exciting process for collaboration, learning and connection," she said.

Last term's six week program proved a great success, with another program already underway this term.

"We had two classes in term two," Ali said.

"We tried to keep it to a maximum of nine, so including me there was 10 in the class.

"I was really unprepared for how connected it actually was. I thought there would be a little discussion but in fact it was the opposite," she said.

"They all developed relationships. One day there was a storm and the connection with a family of three kids dropped out and everyone was worried and hoping they were okay.

"The next week it was, 'where is so and so?'. They looked out for each other."

Another things Ali noticed from a teaching perspective was seeing each student express their own creativity in each task without being influenced by their peers (because they weren't sitting next to them in a classroom) or worrying about about whether they were doing it correctly.

"They came up with their own ideas and I thought that was great. I loved that and get really excited about it.

"The other thing that was really beautiful was that in the beginning, parents were watching the lesson and by the end they were all on there drawing and doing all the activities. It was really cool - all those surprising things that I didn't expect."

Ali said participants received a six lesson plan and art supplies to do each lesson (the Creative Kids voucher is applicable).

Last term participants included five-year-olds to 13-year-olds and a mixture of boys and girls.

Ali said they try to link the program back to what they're doing at the gallery. Term 2 was portraiture, in line with the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, which has recently closed.

This term it's about colour and landscape.

"We make it themed so there's a progression. We cover elements and principle of design as well as artistic process.

"It's more than just doing a drawing. It's technique and skill."

At the end of the six weeks the participants exhibit their work at the gallery.

Ali said when the gallery was shut down due to COVID and public programs not up and running, and even when the gallery reopened, the staff put their heads together and got thinking about how they could move forward.

The idea to use Zoom came pretty quickly.

"It made us think differently about connection, education and learning," she said.

"We rang Service NSW and they said they hadn't had anyone ask that question yet."

The gallery also combined with MidCoast Libraries to deliver programs, which will be ongoing in the school holidays.

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