Corporate Basketry Workshops

So often innovation and creativity is linked to technology and developing the latest digital application. What if your innovative and creativity process used ancient techniques that not only engage with logic and problem solving, but also taps into the creative and imaginative side of the brain.

It’s time to explore creativity that’s all about play, reconnecting with nature and the most ancient of all crafts – basketry.

Nature-based artist and entrepreneur, Catriona Pollard, develops tailored workshops in nature-based experiences including basketry and ephemeral art that can be about play and story telling, tapping into creativity using this ancient art form, problem solving, digital detox, or simply a fun hands on learning experience.

You can learn ancient basketry techniques which have been used since the beginning of humanity and have the opportunity to transform ordinary natural objects into something extraordinary. Using a variety of foraged and harvested natural fibres to weave vessels and sculptural forms to tell you stories in interesting ways, and help you tap into powerful creativity.

These workshops are all about reconnecting to imagination and joy, through nature and art.

We have seen noticeable resurgence in participating traditional crafts in the past few years. Today, we live in a fast-paced world that can lead to mental fatigue, overwhelm and burnout.

It’s the combination of how virtual our lives have become, how busy we all seem to be, which has resulted in people looking for arts and craft that reconnects them with slower, traditional creative experiences. This type of ancient creativity helps us slow down, quieten the mind and solve complex problems.

Basketry has been used since the dawn of humanity and has helped evolve the human race. Figuring out how to weave a basket lead to so many changes that sustained and evolved humanity like gathering food, holding water, catching fish and shelter. Early civilizations also used baskets for bartering, which played a key role in the development of trade-based economies.

These baskets were woven from the natural materials they had around them such as grasses, vines, trees and roots. It’s one of the oldest art forms that dates back to our primal roots and hasn’t changed for thousands of years.

TAILORED WORKSHOPS:

  • Fun hands on learning experience
  • Soft skills focus
  • Team building through basketry and ephemeral art
  • Problem solving through play and story telling
  • Collaboration by tapping into creativity using the ancient art form of basketry
  • Digital detox through ancient art

KEY LEARNINGS:

  • Solving organisational/team issues
  • Unblocking creativity
  • Developing story telling approaches
  • Uncovering shared experiences
  • Discovering the natural world through creative exercises
  • Discovering your own artistic practice
  • Sense of fun and play
  • Reconnecting with nature
  • Learning through your hands

Get in touch if you would like a tailor made workshop for your organisation. Go to Contact us  or call 02 8969 6088 to chat about it. We’d love to hear from you. 

CREATIVITY and INNOVATION WORKSHOPS FOR ORGANISATIONS

Experience and explore play, innovation, creativity and sculptural basketry techniques. Learn how to create something from found organic material just using your hands and imagination.

These workshops are from 2 hours to a day (even a week) and are used in team building, experiential experiences for organisations and to assist teams/organisations to develop new concepts and ideas by accessing creativity and new ideas. Extremely powerful and transformational. Forget brainstorming, try creating a sculpture out of sticks and leaves.

PLAY and WEAVING WORKSHOPS FOR GROUPS and ORGANISATIONS

Slow down and gift yourself the time to find the secret life in natural objects. We are surrounded by the beauty of nature, but so often we are too busy or digitally connected to slow down and reconnect with it. Catriona’s workshops are all about exploration and play, and unlocking your creativity.

Experience and explore sculptural basketry techniques and learn how to create something from found organic material just using your hands and imagination. By the end of the experience, you will have a sculptural form and a deeper understanding of the wonderful art of weaving, and your creativity.

Suitable for Adult and weaving beginner.

Get in touch if you would like to tailor a workshop with your work/friends/community/art group etc. Go to Contact us to chat about it.


ABOUT CATRIONA POLLARD – Nature-based artist and entrepreneur

Catriona Pollard is an international speaker and trainer and is renowned for being an inspiring presenter who shares practical skills and expertise so attendees can immediately implement what they’ve learnt to see real results.

She has presented an inspiration and motivational TEDx talk, and has shared her dynamic and practical expertise with thousands of people both in Australia and around the world for organisations such as TEDx, DELL, CeBIT, TAL, BRITTA, CPA Australia, Health NSW, Women on Boards, CEO Institute, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and University of Sydney, to name just a few.

She straddles business and art. In 2012, near burn out she did some reassessing and realised she needed to incorporate creativity and art into her life. It wasn’t about finding balance; it was deeper than that. She needed to find creativity that wasn’t about perfection, but more about exploration, play and disconnecting from digital. She wanted to think in new ways and use creativity to gain new insights and perspectives that she could also use in her business. (Read more about Catriona’s journey here.)

The result was transformational. She began responding to change in new and unexpected ways. She wrote a book, and launched an online, productised side to her business. She started to work with her team in different ways so the business could leverage the collective strength of their ideas. The business became more stable, but more importantly, she felt more in control of where she wanted to take the business and what its purpose in her life was.

Through nature based art, she was able to change how she saw things. It helped her overcome business challenges and appreciate risk and potential in different ways.

Not only did it have a significant impact on her business, she is now a celebrated artist whose unique sculptural work offers glimpses of shapeshifting natural forms, from unnoticed branches, leaves and seedpods into stunning works that celebrate the abundance of nature.

She uses foraged and discarded plant material with traditional basketry and assemblage techniques to reimagine nature. Her work is emotionally authentic, uniquely contemporary, and visually stunning.

She uses nature as a way to connect with people that goes beyond physical beauty but touches them in a personal and profound way. Transforming discarded organic material into sculptures forces people to view the natural world around them in a different way.

Catriona has had several solo exhibitions and exhibited extensively in selected and group exhibitions. She has been shortlisted as many art awards including Emerging Artist of the Year Craft NSW, Ravenswood Women’s Art Prize, Northern Beaches Art Prize, North Sydney Art Prize, Warringah Art Prize, and Mosman Art Gallery. Her work is profiled across major art and design media and is featured nationally in galleries, high end design spaces and private collections. She runs booked out public basketry and creativity workshops. For more information about her art: www.theartofweaving.com.au

Get in touch if you would like a tailor made workshop with  your organisation. Go to Contact us  or call 02 8969 6088 to chat about it. We’d love to hear from you.