On South Australia’s Limestone Coast, Kingston Weaving is honouring First Nations culture and connecting locals to Country.
Led by Boandik artists Sonya, Sarah and Suzy Smith, in partnership with Open Space Contemporary Arts (OSCA), the three-year community arts project is part of OSCA’s broader ‘Project of the Everyday’ program, which generates temporary, site-specific participatory art projects in city, urban and regional locations.
With a $10,000 Strengthening Rural Communities Small & Vital grant, supported by the Australian Government, the first stage of Kingston Weaving kicked off in late 2023. The grant funded a series of free weaving and yarning workshops, open to all ages and backgrounds, with the goal of developing a large-scale public artwork that embeds First Nations knowledge back into the community.
Held across multiple venues, including the iconic Janet’s Takeaway at the Big Lobster and Kingston Community School, people from a variety of backgrounds participated, from school students to local Elders. More than 175 individuals attended, including 100+ school children, 50 community members, 15 local artists and craftspeople and a cohort of First Nations participants and regional artists.
The project grew out of strong local interest in cultural exchange and a desire for more meaningful opportunities to engage with First Nations culture. Kingston’s experience of the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires also underlined the need for community recovery activities that build resilience, wellbeing and social connection.
The Kingston Weaving project promotes connection to place and aims to raise awareness of the natural environment through the lens of First Nations knowledge. Participants were invited into a shared space of reflection and learning, exploring traditional Boandik weaving techniques and intergenerational storytelling.
As described in the video below, the artwork explores the return of water to the local swamp and a healing of the space. Temporary sculptural animal totems are a nod to enduring cultural significance and the project will culminate in a large-scale temporary installation, supported by the expertise of Paul Gazzola.
With this project, OSCA has demonstrated how cultural practices, in this case Boandik weaving, can be a welcoming and accessible way for people to come together, celebrate community and learn from one another.
It also creates meaningful opportunities to carry cultural knowledge forward to future generations, with strong participation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.
Not only has the project helped reinvigorate a shared connection to place and the natural environment, but strong partnerships were also built with local government, schools and community organisations, laying the groundwork for continued cooperation.
With growing momentum and strong support from the wider community, Kingston Weaving is a standout example of how small investments in creative, culturally grounded initiatives can spark excitement and collaboration in rural communities.
The final installation is set to be displayed in Kingston later this year so keep an eye on OSCA’s socials for updates!