‘Interweaving People: Connecting Communities:’ Case study of southern Indigenous Weavers Project
Southern Indigenous Weavers: An Accidental Arts Project.
The Southern Indigenous Weavers project uses a community capacity building approach to respond to community need, as identified by a group of local Aboriginal women. This group of local Elders wanted opportunities to participate in social activities, within an accessible, Indigenous-specific group. Other concerns that the Elders identified were the need to strengthen inter-generational relationships and to pass on cultural skills.
Late 2005, a Community Development Officer, City of Onkaparinga, trialled some craft activities, which attracted mostly older Indigenous women. Weaving was the preferred medium and some of the women shared styles that they remembered from childhood. Government funding from SA Arts Health Promotion Through the Arts enabled the Indigenous Weavers project to be developed.
As weaving materials are harvested locally, environmental factors also play a role in the success of the project. Locally, rushes have become scarce, so promoting planting of appropriate materials is an important strategy for sustainability.
Other materials and contemporary fibre arts have been introduced by guest artists and through experimentation. Connecting with textile projects in remote Aboriginal communities has provided inspiration, as well as providing the catalysis to explore business opportunities.
The links between community arts activities and increasing health & wellbeing, as well as economic opportunities for participants, has become an important focus of the project. With the participants’ increased fibre skills, recent focus has been assisting the group to exhibit and market their works. Through local schools, the women are teaching weaving to Aboriginal children and providing cross-cultural experiences for non-indigenous people through community workshops.Karen Wyld is employed with the City of Onkaparinga as a Community Development Officer, in the Neighbourhood Development Team. Karen studied for a Bachelor of Arts in Aboriginal Studies, and has a background in social housing, Indigenous community health and wellbeing, Elder support and community development. To strengthen her understanding of using arts in her work, Karen participated in Building Community Using the Arts, a short course in Community Cultural Development for Indigenous community artists and workers. Over the last eighteen months, she has developed the Southern Indigenous Weavers project with support from local Elders and artists.