Ever fancied learning how to make your own silver earrings, partaking in a spoon carving lesson or making your own natural dye? The Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades has all of this and more, with multiple rare and forgotten trade courses running throughout the year.
Located in Ballarat, Wadawurrung Country,the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades is a place to learn and preserve Australia’s rare arts and trades through a series of workshops, masterclasses, events and residencies.
The centre has nearly 100 workshops to explore, including leather plaiting, hand caning, beginner embroidery and water colour paint making.
Aside from workshops, there will also be four themed curated evenings that will run throughout the year. The nights are titled Pecha Kucha, which is a Japanese term meaning “chit chat”. They are delivered in a relaxed presentation style, where speakers share their work and ideas in a concise and visually engaging slideshow.
The first Pecha Kucha night is taking place on Friday, March 1, with a focus on fashion. The evening is part of the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s Independent Programme.
Guest speakers include 2023 Australian Hairdresser of the Year Lyndal Salmon, fashion researchers Ricarda Bigolin and Chantal Kirby, author and academic Sarah Bendall, founder of Replica Project Amanda Nicholls, designer Jordyn Smith and pleater Avril Buchanan.
Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase at the event, so you can sip and soak in the words of these inspiring speakers.
The Pecha Kucha nights are $10 each, plus booking. The workshop prices may vary.