check out the workshops at ballarat’s new centre for rare and forgotten trades
The new centre has launched an ace program of classes led by talented makers.
Ever wanted to learn how to make medieval-style armour or shape silver into jewellery? Here’s your chance!
The brand-new Australian Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades has just launched a rad program of hands-on workshops and events led by local creatives, like jeweller Rachel Grose and Wadawurrung weaver Tammy Gilson, as well as interstate makers. The facility is the first of its kind in Australia and is dedicated to showcasing, teaching and preserving amazing trades and crafts that are becoming harder to find as the years go by.
SAORI weaving with Prue Simmons
You can learn, for example, rare skills like silversmithing, weaving and basketry, woodwork carvings and construction, leatherwork, locksmithing, longbow and cane fishing rod making, medieval-style metal works, dyeing techniques, knife making, chair creation and leadlight glass making. The list goes on! (And it’ll continue to evolve as new makers are brought in.) To make sure attendees get the most out of the experience, workshops are taught in small groups, materials are provided, and attendees can even take home their unique creations.
While Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill (a cherished childhood destination of ours) has already helped preserve rare trades like blacksmithing and lollymaking, the Rare Trades Centre is going even further by showcasing a broader set of practices and skills, including First Nations cultural practices and crafts from across the globe.
The Rare Trades Centre isn’t available for walk-in visits, but you can check out all of the workshops on offer and make a booking at the centre’s website. If you feel like making a weekend out of it, pop over here to see what else is going on in Ballarat (it is a globally-recognised UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, after all!).
Silversmithing with Rachel Grose
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