Here are some thoughts from the women who make these workshops possible and those who attend. It seems there are amazing and inspiring things transpiring for all the women involved in this project.
"From Waste To Wonderful is the fruition of an idea of an assimilation project between our community and the refugee community and low income women. Annie has been a great back up for this, and Rosi as well, so the three of us have been working for a couple of years now just running different workshops, which have been great. Sometimes it can be a bit crazy, a bit mad, and a bit nutty! But good things seem to happen and people seem to come back. We've had the pleasure of having Gwen on board which has been great. Gwen has just done a great job of operating within a place where there's no boundaries, not a lot of rules. Hannah was great too, she was amazing she jumped into Gay's role when she got sick. Everyone just works together as a team and its great.
The ultimate aim of this is for the women to have ownership of it and to make it more of a collective and different people to have the freedom to run workshops or organise things. This project is not only for refugee women its for any women, including low income women, and that is a big part of the project; to link community and create opportunity for people to meet up learn skills that they can use and make friends with people from other parts of the world that they might not otherwise get the opportunity to meet. To share stories".
- Tess
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| Tess the Gwen |
"I'm basically Tess's assistant! She's been the brains behind the project and I've been interested because of our connection through Art From Trash. Last year for Art From Trash we had a group entry from women who had made things at previous workshops. I've just been Tess's sidekick and bringing whatever skills I've got to the mix. I've also learned new skills. You can always learn something because people do things in different ways and different styles. I enjoy the sense of connectedness, and learning that we have more in common than not. I find joy in watching women become more confident as skills increase. I feel this is an exercise in confidence building in the community. I like to see sometimes women leave children with friends so they can come along alone and practice with and learning new skills. I find a richness of experience".
- Annie
"I was aware of these workshops and then I was invited to be the artist for this set of workshops and decided to do some screen printing, as a way of getting everybody to work together because it would be something new. Its had mixed success, quite ambitious to do something like that in this environment, but some of the women got it really fast and they were just like me when I first learned it, just making heaps of copies which was great. In the second week we did some discharge dying as well because I thought that would be an interesting way to add layers of pattern to the cloth that's come from resource. It got pretty chaotic with both things going at once! But anyway we'll learn from that!
I think its a lovely project and really important. There are lots and lots of things going on in the background, friendships being forged or people learning about how to survive here and that has been really valuable. I'm not sure if I'll come back as an artist but I'm quite keen to come back as a volunteer! And follow up on the screen printing just in a quiet way along with other things happening. I hope that happens because I'd really like to re-connect with the project and some of the people involved.
I learn a lot from the newly arrived women. I would like to be able to right some of the wrongs our government has inflicted on these women. I haven't travelled much so this has been great to learn about other cultures".
- Gwen
"I love being involved with From Waste To Wonderful because of the connection and friendships developing amongst Australian and newly arrived women. Sharing skills, mentoring, "a sense of we", togetherness. Hearing women's English language improve. The child friendly atmosphere and sharing meals. A richness of energy!
- Ankarah
"Today 30th January and the last sessions for second workshop with Tess and other friends. I think I am very lucky to be familiar with this group.
I am a person and asylum seeker, Tasmania is a new hometown for me. This workshop gives me a chance to find new friendships and it is a big opportunity for me. I am thankful to Tess and her group.
I hope this workshop continues in the future and I wish this group, especially Tess, Gwen, Annie, Ancara and Rosi and others good health".
- Homyra.
"It was a privilege to prepare a table of food from the dishes and ingredients provided by the group, and a pleasure to see women working creatively with the recycled textiles.
Lunch was a time to share food and listen to the gentle conversation. I enjoyed most the string making workshop.
Working amongst others I find the most pleasurable - and easiest - way of meeting and learning about others".
- Julie
"I like coming because of friendship, learning new skills people share and practising English".
- Hamida
"I love learning new crafts, sewing, talking english and making friends".
- Uba
"This workshop for me provides connection, exchange language, skills, life experience, building friendships"
- Catherine.
