etwa: Weaving Tour 2007

Weaving Tour 2007

Gallery images by Sally Gray


		
		
		
			
				
			

			
				
			

			
				
			


			
				
			

			
				
			
				
				Natalie with a little audience
				

			
				
			
				
				Weaving lesson Los Palos
				


			
				
			
				
				Dyeing thred, Los Palos
				

			
				
			
				
				Cayden on camera filming Domingas, Cainliu Village, Iliomar
				

			
				
			
				
				Basket weaving, Cainliu Village
				


			
				
			
				
				Marcus filming, Cainliu village
				

			
				
			
				
				Deb walking with kids, Fuat Village
				

			
				
			
				
				Fishing
				


			
				
			
				
				Gaye showing photos to kids, Cainliu
				

			
				
			
				
				Tais buying, Cainliu Village, Iliomar
				

			
				
			
				
				Dusk on the east coast
				


			
				
			
				
				Weaving lesson, Cainliu
				

			
				
			
				
				weaving together
				

			
				
			
				
				Meeting an old friend, Fuat Village, Iliomar
				


			
				
			
				
				Tanja, smiling at the confusion
				

			
				
			
				
				Amazed at the complexity, Los Palos

The very first Weaving Tour: Relational Foundations

July 3^rd – 16^th

The Weaving Tour aimed to facilitate cross-cultural exchange, provide Timorese cultural experiences to Australian women and empower Timorese weavers as teachers rather than passive aid recipients; in this we’re confident we achieved more than our goal. The workshops were a highlight and mutually beneficial experiences, offering Timorese women opportunities to proudly share their skills and Australian women an opportunity to receive insights into women’s culture.

The workshops heightened the weavers’ awareness of their own capacities as artisans and unlocked opportunities for genuine exchanges of friendship and dialogue. The Los Palos weaving collective conducted the first of the workshops, followed by workshops in the villages of Kainliu and Fuat in Iliomar. All groups were extraordinarily organised and well-prepared, demonstrating a deep understanding and passion for their craft. Every aspect of weaving- from organic dying to various weaving and finishing methods- were demonstrated in detail and with precision. Australian tour participants were delighted and astounded by the women’s skills, knowledge, generosity of spirit and hospitality, particularly given their poor health and the crippling poverty they face daily. Through Tais purchases, we injected significant funds into the community and our support for festivals in Kainliu and Fuat enabled the community to come together in celebration.

In summary, the tour was more than an opportunity to learn about Tais weaving. It was also a mechanism for connecting with the community and deepening trust and friendships, particularly between ETWA and the women we aim to support. The experience laid a solid foundation on which to build projects aimed at improving the quality of life for women in these remote communities. In addition, the time spent in informal dialogue with the women, their husbands and children and observations of life in the remote villages of Fuat and Kainliu gave the three ETWA members a meaningful understanding of what is needed and how we can assist.