This article explains my living educational theory in the form of a professional framework that I call PART, which conceptually unites the roles of the artist, researcher and teacher (ART) to foster critical, participatory (P), and socially engaged action. I discuss how I improved my practice over four action research cycles to be more in line with my professed values of creativity, connectedness and care, followed by six learning platforms conducted with pre-service art teachers and community children in a South African context. Evidence of the students’ transformational learning was gathered over six learning platforms. Reflecting on my observations, pedagogical strategies and on students’ visual images and critical reflections on their learning, I found that the professional framework changed pre-service art teachers’ views – they became more learner-centred, using art as a mediating tool to engage learners in thinking about critical social issues and developed collaborative and leadership skills. The fundamental principles of the framework, aimed at developing critically engaged and reflective practitioners, working in diverse learning environments could be applied to almost any discipline within teacher education.
