Learn to dye fabrics with plants, create air-dried clay figures and weave a First Nations artwork at Bankstown Arts Centre’s Craft Alive evening on Thursday 15 February.

It’s the second of three memorable nights under Council’s Art Nights: Culture Alive program, which transforms Bankstown into a spectacular hub of music, dance, art and culture.

There’ll also be craft markets, an epic line-up of live music in the Lolo Lovina Caravan stage and an exclusive art performance by Bankstown artist Garry Trinh.

The evening is all about celebrating ‘craft for care and connection’ – how craft can nurture mental and emotional wellbeing and foster social connections.

Local artist Nicole Barakat, who will be running the evening’s eco dye workshop, said craft is a meditative process.

“Its repetition allows space for one to focus and be in the moment,” Ms Barakat said.

“When we use plants to colour cloth, it is a wholistic practice. Gathering plants materials requires us to be mindful and respectful of the plant and the place we are gathering from.

“We Acknowledge the Country, respectfully connecting and asking permission before taking anything, taking only what we need and retuning it to the earth.”

The Craft Alive: Craft for Care and Connection program includes:

• Craft markets at the forecourt of Bankstown Arts Centre;
• Eco dyeing workshop by Nicole Barakat at Bankstown Arts Centre;
• Air dry clay workshops at Bankstown Library and Knowledge Centre;
• Collaborative weaving workshop by to co-create an eco-courtyard installation led Auntie Kerrie Kenton;
• Crafting Reconnections -Knotting Making x Found Poetry Workshop by Western Sydney University Young and Resilient Research Centre Centre’s Dr Sky Hugman at Incubate artists’ studio, with guest UTS artist-academic Dr Susanne Pratt;
• Curated music lineup by Beat Kitchen Records on Lolo Lovina Caravan stage
• Art performance by Garry Trinh;
• Curator’s Tour of Augmented Reality and installation Art Walk Hyperreal Amble; and
• Acoustic music performances, including Bankstown Theatre Company at Bryan Brown Theatre foyer.

Visitors can also still experience the outdoor augmented reality art walk, Hyperreal Amble, which weaves its way through the City with site-specific installations and performances and the Blak Flaneur exhibition by Travis De Vries.

Mayor Bilal El-Hayek said the Culture Alive program is a first for our City and has brought Bankstown’s thriving arts community to light.

“Our opening night was a fantastic showcase of what Western Sydney’s art scene has to offer,” Mayor El-Hayek said.

“With something for the whole family, I encourage you to come along. You won’t want to miss our Craft Alive evening.”

The final evening in the three-night program, Design Alive: Design Beyond Spatial Experience, will be heldon Friday 1 March. More details will be shared on the Bankstown Arts Centre website in the coming weeks.

For more information and to see the full program, visit cb.city/CultureAlive

This initiative is curated by Bankstown Arts Centre and proudly supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW’s Culture Up Late Western Sydney program.