This article reflects the inquiries and discoveries experienced by early childhood educators and teaching artists involved in participatory action research designed to explore how to co-construct sustainable collaborations in early childhood settings. Drawing inspiration from the Reggio Emilia Approach and other international examples, the authors detail how professional development through collaborative research leads to co-constructed experiences that significantly impact artistic encounters for children. This article highlights a two-year research project, named the Leading Learning Council (LLC), and focuses on overarching pedagogical practices, the role of documentation and reflection in the co-construction of arts experiences for educators and children, an example of the classroom as a laboratory, and considerations for applying the model within diverse early childhood settings. A significant outcome of the project was participant recognition of leadership roles in sustaining collaborative arts-based approaches in early childhood education.