Third Workshop
The third in the series of workshops was held in February 2007 at Riawunna—Centre for Aboriginal Studies at the University of Tasmania in Launceston.
This workshop included Gloria Andrews, Dulcie Greeno, Fiona Hughes, Fiona Maher, Vicki maikutena Matson-Green, Aunty Muriel Maynard (dec), Colleen Mundy, Verna Nichols, Amy Ogden-Brown, Dyan Summers and Vicki West.
Dyan, Nannette and Fiona travelled to the north-east coast to collect the majority of weaving material for the week, allowing the women to create a range of experimental pieces. The workshop was in an informal community setting with fibre work tutor Colleen assisting new weavers one-to-one.
A major focus of the Riawunna workshop was the commencement of a journal in which a number of the women started placing notes, samples and drawings from each workshop they attended.
‘Inspiration for my work comes from my connection and the time that I spend out on my land. I also enjoy our time together weaving as women. It gives you more motivation when you are with other women weaving. It’s a bit boring just sitting there on your own weaving and it’s also the yarning and the sharing that we do together while we are weaving. It’s like we are teaching our own little stories and histories. And that’s part of culture. That’s what our living culture is about—we’re not relic of the past. We’ve still got culture and we’re still practicing it today. We should be very proud of that and hand all those lovely skills and resources and materials onto our younger generation so we can keep culture alive.’
Fiona Maher, November 2008
