About Central Craft

Central Craft is a member based not-for-profit organisation in Alice Springs which is a valuable community resource in an isolated part of Australia in region stretching from the South Australian border to include Alice Springs, Yulara, north to include Tennant Creek and all outlying communities. This includes a population of approximately 30,000 covering over 546,000 square kilometres of land, with over 2,000 businesses and makes up 40% of the Northern Territory

Central Craft offers workshops, Open Days and other free activities that enrich lives and encourages community participation and social inclusion. People from all walks of life including people from non-English speaking backgrounds, people with disabilities, people with mental illness, Indigenous people and older people are welcomed at Central Craft and encouraged to learn new skills and form friendships and connections to keep them engaged in our community.

By doing so, Central Craft strengthens our community by providing opportunities for learning, creative expression and social networking. It supports emerging practitioners through to established artisans working in the disciplines such as ceramics, lapidary, jewellery making, leather craft, woodwork, painting, basketry, weaving, spinning, lacemaking, feltmaking, knitting, screen printing, silk painting, surface decoration, fabric manipulation, embroidery, fashion design and construction.

As a member based organisation, Central Craft aims to:
• build the visibility of contemporary craft and design from the Northern Territory
• exhibit high quality craft and design to local, regional and international audiences
• engage and educate individuals and groups in craft and design practice
• improve the viability of emerging and professional craft and design practitioners
• build strong cross-cultural partnerships to create opportunities for innovation in craft and design practice
• enhance the reputation of the Northern Territory as a significant centre for contemporary craft and design

Central Craft is open
Office: Mon - Fri 10.00am - 4.00pm

Retail Outlet and June Marriott Gallery: Mon - Fri 10.00am - 4.00pm and Sat - Sun 11.00am - 3.00pm

News

Call for Volunteers for the Beanie Festival Workshop Weekend

Central Craft’s four days of workshops for the Alice Springs Beanie Festival is a highlight of our year’s program. Central Craft is calling for volunteers to assist during the four days of hectic happiness that is our Beanie Festival Workshops.

We are asking for a few hours of your time to help with one or some of the following:
Welcoming participants and assisting them with workshop registrations, directing participants to their respective workshop locations and other marshalling, assisting tutors with set-up/pack-up in the limited time between workshops, keeping up the supply of tea and coffee and cakes (and the donation of cakes for sale at our coffee & cake stand) and other less glamorous but no less important roles such as keeping an eye on garbage bins, paper towel and other supplies etc!
If you have a little or a lot of time to spare for any of these roles over the Friday 21st to Monday 24th program, please contact us on 8952 4417.

Call for Committee members

Are you interested in supporting the craft and design in Central Australia by offering your skills and experience to a not for profit community organisation? Then why not consider joining our Central Craft Committee and make a difference, and have a say in the direction of our organisation? Committee nomination forms are available here


Central Craft's 2013 Beanie Festival Workshop Program 21 - 24 June 2013

Join us at Central Craft during the 2013 Alice Springs Beanie Festival in a celebration of craft over 4 fun-filled days from Friday 21st June to Monday 24th June 2013. With over 20 different workshops to choose from, including freestyle silk painting, pewter casting or learning how to make surrrealist tea cosies.

Or why not try your hand at embellishing beanies, making silk paper, or crocheting a garden in stitches. There’s knotless netting, shibori on a bottle, the ever popular dyeing and painting wool, 'No frogs No holes' crochet for beginners, easy-carve printmaking and of course all kinds of fabulous felting.

Workshops cost $35.00 each with additional materials fees for kits to the tutor on the day.

So join our lively team of local and interstate tutors, eager to pass on their knowledge and skills in the relaxed and vibrant atmosphere at the Central Craft Studio.

Workshop numbers are limited. Advance bookings recommended to secure a place

To view the daily workshop schedule Please click here

For details on each workshop Please click here

To download an Enrolment Form Please click here


2013 Wearable Arts Awards

The 2013 Wearable Art Awards are on!
Saturday 26th October, 2013 at 7.30pm
Araluen Theatre in the Araluen Cultural Precinct

The Wearable Art Awards is an important local community arts event, held annually since 2002 as part of the Alice Desert Festival program. At the beginning of this year it was determined that the event would no longer be a part of the Festival due to a changing strategic direction of the managing organisation, Red Hot Arts Central Australia (RHACA). With the future of the event in jeopardy, Central Craft is pleased to announce that the Wearable Art Awards will return in 2013 under their management.

Central Craft has been a long-standing partner of the Wearable Art Awards, through ongoing sponsorship and a shared vision to inspire and support craft practice at all levels in Central Australia. With a 40-year history, Central Craft is one of the Northern Territory’s pioneering craft and design organisations. Guided by a strong management team, Central Craft presents a community inclusive annual program of workshops, exhibitions and events within the Araluen Cultural Precinct. With established local networks and a growing membership, the organisation is perfectly placed to adopt this well-loved arts event.

For this year’s Wearable Art Awards, entrants will have the opportunity to submit works into the following categories: Natural Fibre, Recycled and/or Found Objects and Open Fantasia. Prizes will also be awarded for a Standout Youth Entry, Standout Performance and the traditional Central Craft Acquisition Award.

Acquired works will be displayed in the Brian Tucker Gallery of Wearable Art in the Araluen Arts Centre foyer.

Calling for Expressions of Interest
Central Craft is calling for expressions of interest from local wearable art creators.
These can be made via email to wearablearts@centralcraft.org.au, phone 8952 4417 or in person at Central Craft at the Araluen Cultural Precinct, 61 Larapinta Drive, Alice Springs.

Expressions of interest should include a contact name, telephone number and/or email address.