17 Feb Wet Season Weaving

Enterprise Report : Jan/Feb  2021

The wet season in the Top End has now arrived, the rivers are rising and roads in and out of remote communities across the Territory are closed due to flooding. With support from Circulanation Margaret, Rhonda, Hazel and Dora have been able to stay in Katherine to continue to progress their creative projects. 

Urapunga Arts Showcase

After a successful meeting with the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre (GYRACC), Chief Executive Officer, Jess Powter, the Urapunga community has been invited to exhibit a showcase their work in the K-Space Gallery in September 2021.  

Urapunga Arts are made up of a collective of artists who are members of the Urapunga community. The showcase spans a range of styles and mediums including carvings, artifacts, painting, textiles, and weaving. 

The showcase provides Urapunga Arts with a platform to officially launch their arts enterprise, connect with potential buyers, and build confidence in their practice as professional artists. 

The community’s involvement includes the curation of the showcase, production of works, design, and participation in the launch event. Community members will be actively involved in the marketing of the event and in the sale of artworks and products produced for the showcase.

Showcase Preparation

Urapunga artists come from a long lineage of artists and masters in traditional weaving, painting, and carving. Artists from the region have developed their own unique style that is contemporary and colourful to represent their traditional beliefs, connection to country, and to illustrate their life experiences and history. 

Artists Margaret Duncan, Rhonda Duncan, and Hazel Ponto have begun preparation for the GYRACC showcase, painting large-scale canvas, collecting pandanus and bush colour for basket weaving, and wood for carving artifacts. 

Building e-commerce skills

Dora has been working on learning how to photograph products for sale online via a  Shopify e-commerce store. Dora set up a small studio made out of a cardboard box and photographed pandanus earrings and baskets, bush soaps, and scarves. 

Dora returns to school in Katherine after having some time away last year. She proudly re-enrolled at Katherine High School in the STARS Pathway Program. Her aspiration is to finish school and join the army or police force.  

Annie processed orders that came through the online store, learned how to package items, and use the back end of the Shopify website to notify customers of their delivery and track parcels using Australia Post.   

Banatjarl Strongbala Wimun Grup –  Culture Connects

Banatjarl Strongbala Wimun invited Urapunga women to join them for Culture Connects, hosted at the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts and Culture Centre (GYRACC).

In preparation, Dora screen-printed t-shirts with a series of new designs created by herself, Rhonda, and Richard Collins. Dora also taught others the screen printing process and transferred the knowledge she has gained in designing and printing t-shirts.

Margaret, Rhonda and Hazel set up a weaving workshop at the Culture Connects event. Teaching small groups of people how to weave earrings and baskets from pandanus and share their cultural knowledge. 

Dora set up a market stall and sold baskets, t-shirts, soaps, bangles, and scarves, this opportunity was another chance for her to build confidence and practice her interpersonal and business skills. 

This was a fantastic event and we are very grateful to the Banatjarl Strongbala Wimun Grup and their coordinator Pip Gordon for inviting us to be part of it to showcase our work and connect with others.