Sydney Craft Week 2018 program launch
Spanning 10 days in October, Sydney Craft Week puts the spotlight on the city’s incredible craft scene.
In the second year of the festival, Sydney Craft Week is bigger than ever, with 89 venues across 48 suburbs, including
· 109 workshops,
· 47 exhibitions and
· 200+ events total
An initiative of the Australian Design Centre, and supported by a City of Sydney Festivals Grant, this year’s festival is jam-packed with events for everyone, including but not limited to: exhibitions, talks, workshops, retail events (including markets), open studios and live demonstrations. There are also lots of events with food and drink, fun family-friendly events for the school holidays, and lots more.
Theme
The theme, mindful making, explores how working with your hands offers opportunities to focus, connect, relax and create. We also focus on how makers approach their craft by applying a thoughtful and considered approach to the sustainable use of materials, innovative processes and an understanding of community needs.
Ambassador
This year, we are delighted to welcome Karen McCartney, author and editor, as the Sydney Craft Week Ambassador for 2018. She will be leading a panel discussion at ADC for Craft Up Late on Tuesday 9 October, with five Sydney makers who will explore how their process contributes to their sense of personal wellbeing.
Festival Directors
Festival Directors Lisa Cahill and Penny Craswell are thrilled to see this year’s program come together with so many great organisations and makers involved. “At ADC we live and breathe contemporary craft and design, and we knew this festival filled a much-needed gap to celebrate and support our craftspeople, and that it would simply be fun for everyone!” they said.
Craft Up Late
After feedback from last year, Sydney Craft Week now presents Craft Up Late over three evenings in three different precincts, offering the opportunity to visit 50+ venues in the evenings (5–8pm):
· Tuesday 9 October in Sydney City, Darlinghurst, Surry Hills and Redfern
· Wednesday 10 October in Eastern Suburbs
· Thursday 11 October in Inner West
Where
Sydney Craft Week 2018 is staged in 89 venues across 48 suburbs including the following precincts: Sydney City; Darlinghurst, Surry Hills and Redfern; Eastern Suburbs; Inner West; Northern Sydney and Greater Sydney.
Sydney Craft Week is designed to appeal to professional craftspeople and anyone interested in making or supporting local creatives.
More information on all events is available at sydneycraftweek.com
The Sydney Craft Week printed program will be distributed across participating venues. View online now at sydneycraftweek.com
Follow @sydneycraftweek on Facebook, Instagram and Twi
Highlights
This year, so many of events reflect the theme, mindful making – including Craftfulness – A Conversation at ADC, a Japanese Kintsugi workshop at Studio Enti, a series of mindful workshops at Work-Shop Redfern, the Making it Better Workshop with Shared Threads at ADC, a Mindful Making workshop at gaffa, QuiltNSW’s stitch-in with Arterie at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and Wild Fibres Basketry workshop.
This year, Indigenous makers are in the spotlight thanks to the ADC exhibition In These HANDS: Mara nyangangka, which features new paintings, ceramics, tjanpi weavings and punu from the artists of Ernabella presented by Sturt Gallery and Ernabella Arts. The Australian Museum is also focussing on Indigenous makers with their Adorned jewellery workshop.
Exhibitions this year include Thinking through making at UNSW Galleries, Traditional Afghani Textiles at Guildford Library, Artisans in the Gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Form, Surface, Structure: Sculptural Ceramics at Kerrie Lowe Gallery, The Intuitive Thread presented by The Japan Foundation, Embroidered Relations: From India to UTS at UTS Library, Feast of K-Chopsticks at Korean Cultural Centre, Bravery Unmasked at Casula Powerhouse, Seed Stitch Contemporary Textile Awards at ADC, Future of the Anthropocene at Courtesy of the Artist, Making in Pieces, Hypersensitive/ Hipersensitif and Pop Life at gaffa, Landlines by Melinda Young at Ihnen Atelier Jewellery, Received Landscapes Brenden Scott French and Inflorescence Cathy Franzi at Sabbia, Shells at Barometer Gallery, ap–ro–po at Stanley Street Gallery and Blanc Feelings Milly Dent at Saint Cloche.
Occurring during the school holidays, this year sees a number of family friendly events taking place. Workshops and activities for kids are being put on by Monster Mice Collective in Glebe, Creative Kids Co in Paddington, Melissa’s Art Studio in the Inner West and Mosman Art Gallery, while ADC is holding more sessions of its extremely popular 3D printing workshops for kids. Kids are also welcome to come along to a range of great events.
There are three big markets taking place, the Makers and Shakers Market at Marrickville Town Hall on Saturday 6 October, Made by Hand: Hazelhurst Art and Design Market at Hazelhurst Arts Centre on Sunday 7 October and ADC’s own Makers Market in Darlinghurst on Saturday 13 October.
There are 109 workshops on during Sydney Craft Week this year covering a huge range of different disciplines and creative ideas from basketry to glass blowing, jewellery-making to ceramics, weaving to mathematical paper folding. See the website for more details.
About SCW
Sydney Craft Week is an inspirational festival that speaks to our fundamental human urge to create, while also showcasing exceptional contemporary craft.
An initiative of the Australian Design Centre, this ten-day festival features a range of exhibitions, workshops, talks and open studios.
Sydney Craft Week unites the very active craft sector within Sydney’s creative community – including ceramicists, jewellers, quilters, knitters and other textile artists, plus timber workers, print makers, leather crafters, Indigenous makers and creatives of all kinds who work with their hands.
The core of Sydney Craft Week is collaboration, creativity and community participation.
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