In 2003 Fusion, a year long multifaceted event exploring cross-cultural fusion in the arts, was held at The Australian National University in Canberra. Included in this event was the exhibition Art on a String at the School of Art gallery. The symposium Translocality: Revaluing Indigenous Crafts accompanied the exhibition and included practical master classes, presentation of papers and theoretical and critical debate. The symposium included a wide range of international and local speakers including the prominent textiles specialist Jasleen Dhamija from India. In her summing up she presented the challenge to further the valuable discussion in "the Aboriginal heartland of Australia".
Selling Yarns: Australian Indigenous textiles and good business in the 21st century has been initiated to further the dialogue, highlight the issues involved with the production and marketing of Indigenous textiles and to explore opportunities for further business and industry support with greater financial benefits to artists.
» Writes Valerie Kirk and Louise Hamby
Blurring the Boundaries:Fashion Design Innovation in Contemporary Knitting is a cutting edge exhibition, a showcase of work by thirty artists who explore the art of knitting and whose work blurs the boundaries between art, fashion, craft, design and technology. This is a unique exhibition evoking the eternal debate of what constitutes the art of dress and sets a new precedent in the art of knitting.
» Review by Vishna Collins
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June is the beginning of winter and the halfway point of the calendar. For some of us this marks the start of a mild panic as the realisation grows that there are only six more months until the end of the year. Whether you are the cup half full or cup half empty personality type, you may want a few tips for activities to prioritise as 'must do' before the end of the year.
Register to participate in the Selling Yarns conference in Darwin. Selling Yarns: Australian Indigenous textiles and good business in the 21st century is a conference that investigates best practice and sustainability in the Indigenous textile industry. Held over 2 days at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory the conference coincides with the 23rd Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards. Craft Australia is a key partner with The Australian National University and Territory Craft in delivering this conference.
In addition to the program of speakers there will be workshops with leading Indigenous artists from Northern Territory, South Australia and Victoria demonstrating practical techniques in basketry, weaving, beading and possum skin rug making. Registration to attend the conference is now open. http://www.sellingyarns.com
Go online and meet new craft mates. No it's not a dating agency, it's the second national online forum organised by Craft Australia and it will be live from August this year. Youth @craft·design includes interviews with young craft·design entrepreneurs, exporters and designers who have been blazing a trail in the craft·design world and are leading Australian practice to new heights. They will share their success stories with you online from August. If you would like to be part of this conversation or would like to share your stories online send an email to craft@craftaustralia.com.au and register your interest. Simply include youth@craft·design in the subject line and you will be part of a mailing discussion list. More details about youth@craft·design will be appearing in the next issue.
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Call for submissions
The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has been asked to examine the offence of sedition, as amended by federal Parliament in 2005. The sedition provisions were controversial, with concerns expressed through the media and identified by a Senate inquiry that the laws may intrude unreasonably upon freedom of speech.
To help clarify the issues under consideration in this Inquiry, the ALRC has released two consultation papers - an Issues Paper, Review of Sedition Laws (IP 30) on 20 March 2006 and a Discussion Paper, Review of Sedition Laws (DP 71) on 29 May 2006. The Discussion Paper contains 25 proposals for reform.
The proposals made in the Discussion Paper are not the ALRC's final recommendations for reform - the ALRC is consulting further with key stakeholders and is also keen to receive comments and submissions from the broader community, and in particular the arts community.
The ALRC is committed to consulting as widely as possible, within the short timeframe provided. Individuals and organisations interested in making submissions are urged to do so as quickly as possible. Submissions close 3 July, 2006.
About the Inquiry
Current review (DP 71)
Submission
Media release 'Sedition' should go
Related links
Craft Australia board director and international contemporary craft practitioner, Gilbert Riedelbauch, has been selected to exhibit work in Interface Concept to reality, an international travelling exhibition presented by The Devon Guild of Craftsmen. The exhibition explores the use of digital technologies and its impact on the technique, material and production of the crafted object.
Representing and promoting excellence in craft and design Craftsouth will receive $198,500 from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) to develop Applied Ideas Online.
Applied Ideas Online is an e-commerce solution which links designer-makers with manufacturers and markets across Australia. The portal will deliver e-training and other services to designer-makers and manufacturers which will enable them to work collaboratively to develop new products for the Australian marketplace.
Media release 
Last Month Craft Australia launched the National Craft Mapping Project: Service provision for professional craft artists and designer/makers, a report on sustainability and skills development in the Australian craft·design industry. The report addresses the fine balance between makers' needs and infrastructure support provided by service organisations to ensure growth in the industry and is relevant to both makers and service providers.
Order your free copy 
Australian visual artists are expressing their enormous disappointment that the Federal Government has announced in the Budget that it will not legislate for an Artists' Resale Royalty Right. Despite the fact that no government funds would be involved, the Government announced it would not give its support.
Artshub
Peter Garrett
ArtsPeak has met with the Council of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences to map out the key principles of a National Cultural Policy. Does Australia Need a Cultural Policy? by David Throsby, published by Currency House
The federal Minister for Arts and Sport, Rod Kemp, will retire at the next election, a move that raises the prospect of a reshuffle of the Government's front bench.
Media release
The Government announced on 13 May that it would introduce 'sweeping changes' to the Copyright Act. The amendments and press release can be viewed on the Australian Copyright Council website.
Memories in Place: art in high country huts catalogue is now available from Craft ACT. The project incorporated an exhibition at Craft ACT and three discrete temporary installations located in the Brayshaws, Westermans and Waterhole huts within the Namadgi National Park. More
The Power Institute Foundation for Art and Visual Culture at the University of Sydney is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a grant of USD $100,000 (AUD $130,000) by the Getty Foundation of the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles, California. The grant is for Power Publications to produce a series of books, Australian Studies in Art and Art Theory.
Craft Australia is supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments.
Craft Australia is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.
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