Basket Weaving workshop with Jodie Dowd and Sasha Parlett

Join us during the Gai-mariagal Festival and learn the art of weaving in a hands-on experience with local artists Jodie Dowd and Sasha Parlett. 

Connect with First Nations culture and learn traditional weaving methods to create your own bangle and mini basket. Whether you are a seasoned artist or novice, these workshops provide a welcoming space to learn, create, and celebrate First Nations culture and heritage. 

These workshops are suitable for adults and youth aged 12+ when accompanied by an adult. 

All materials and refreshments will be provide 

About the artist – Jodie Dowd: 

Jodie Dowd is a Noongar basket weaver, curator, and consultant belonging to the Menang, Gitja, Ballardong and Wangai nations of Noongar boodjar (Western Australia). Jodie has called Gaimaragal Country on Sydney’s northern beaches home for the past six years. 

Born and raised on Gunai/Kurnai Country in southeast Australia, Jodie was taught to weave by Noongar and Gunai/Kurnai Elders as a child and has been weaving all of her life. In 2020 Jodie was given permission from her Elders to share her knowledge of weaving with children, women, community members and the general public. 

Jodie regularly hosts weaving workshops for community events including at Ngalu warrawi marri at Australian Museum, First Nations Circle at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival Fair Day, Cultural Day for primary school students on Darkinjung Country, Community weaving days on Gaimaragal Country, and online for international womenx travel community Her Adventures. 

About the artist - Sasha Parlett: 

A Malayangapa and Barkindji woman; Sasha has a passion for being creative. Sasha has a wide range of experience working across many formats of filmmaking. Unleashing her creativity as a Visual Designer for a theatre production, public installations of video art and travelling art exhibitions across Australia and internationally. 

Sasha grew up embedded in First Nations community. This has helped shape her as a multifaceted person and artist. Sasha founded her company Red Handed Productions in 2017 to give representation to First Nations stories in Australia and empower the development of First Nations practitioners in the corporate field of filmmaking and photography. 

 Sasha wants to dive further into her solo practise as an artist. She reignited her art journey when she started fine art classes at Art School Co and has since been working solely on original pieces to exhibit in group exhibitions. Sasha is well known for her skills as a documentary filmmaker and photographer due to her techniques in visual storytelling. She is ready to take her career to the next level, dedicating her time to researching new techniques and creating larger works with the goal of mounting a solo exhibition embedded in cultural artistic practise.