Play, make, create at Waverley Council

We are thrilled to have received an event entry from Waverley Council for Sydney Craft Week 2019. In this Q&A the SCW team chat with artist and maker Frances Mahony who produces the Makers Craft + Design program for Waverley Council about what they run at Bondi Pavilion and what they have planned for SCW this year and why you should get involved.
 

Can you please tell us about the Makers Craft + Design program at Bondi Pavilion?
The Makers Craft + Design program invites the community to delve into the richness of making, to follow their curiosity and discover their self and others. Engaging with a range of digital, traditional and contemporary mediums elicits joy and awe and brings balance to life to increase wellbeing and connection. Each month, more than 12 events are held for a range of ages and abilities.

Last year you participated in Sydney Craft Week, can you share with us some of your highlights and thoughts on the festival experience? 
It was invigorating to see our creative communities come together across Sydney for Sydney Craft Week. In Bondi, many enthusiastic bodies emerged from their warm abodes on a night of wild weather to participate in the inter-generational making, tours and the conversations that filled the air. Ideas hold the power to inspire and deepen cultural empathy. In creating a space to share ideas, small actions gain strength and grow to touch thousands of lives.

What does Waverley Council plan to do for Sydney Craft Week this year? 
Waverley are excited to be celebrating our year of creating in clay. Our Bondi beachside studio and exhibition will be open for tours, demonstrations and hands-on making experiences. We're also inviting Sydney to dive deeper with us into the lives of the makers, their passions, creative play and current concerns.

What words of encouragement do you have for people who may be considering hosting an event for Sydney Craft Week? 
Whether you’re making on your own, with a group or working in the field, don’t hesitate to participate in Sydney Craft Week. It is a celebration full of passionate, skilled people doing amazing things that will inspire you. 
When you chose to broaden the range of people and organisations you work with, new directions unfold through discussion and the sharing of know-how. Ideas are sparked, abilities are harnessed and change occurs. Immerse yourself!

Are there any venues or facilities in Waverley Council that potential participants could consider as a venue for their event?
Waverley has an abundance of transformative spaces from theatres and studios to seaside exhibition rooms. If you're interested in finding out about holding an event with us, please email makers@waverley.nsw.gov.au.

Play is the theme for Sydney Craft Week this year. How important is play and craft within your programming? 
We are all inherently creative, inventive creatures. Play restores and revitalises our balance. Play deepens connections. Play expresses our inner spontaneous selves and delights when it reveals the unexpected. 
At Waverley Council, play is a cherished component of our Makers program. We weave play into our programs to relax and enter a state more open to discovery and connection with others. It’s an enchanting resonance.

More information

For more information on the Makers Craft + Design program, click here. Or email the team at makers@waverley.nsw.gov.au

To submit an event as part of Sydney Craft Week, ENTER NOW - deadline 12 June 2019.