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Weaving Artwork in Collaboration with Tabitha Lean

This year, Catherine House hosted a collaborative weaving project led by a First Nations woman with lived experience of homelessness, domestic and family violence, and incarceration.

The project centred Aboriginal weaving techniques and ways of making, creating a calm, creative space where women could gather, learn, talk, and connect at their own pace. Each participant contributed a woven circular piece, reflecting her own story, energy, and creativity, to the collaborative art piece.

As the sessions unfolded, the weaving became more than an art activity. It became a place for conversation, cultural exchange, and community building. Working with Aboriginal weaving practices opened space for women to yarn about culture, and to ask questions they may not have felt comfortable raising in other settings. These informal, peer-led conversations supported understanding, respect, and connection between the women attending.

The project also provided space for honest and meaningful discussions about domestic violence, incarceration, homelessness and life after prison. Women spoke openly about their concerns and
assumptions, and these were met with care, insight, and lived experience knowledge. Through these conversations, participants gained a deeper understanding of the systemic challenges faced by women in different circumstances to theirs and reflected on how compassion and solidarity strengthen shared living spaces.

The final collaborative artwork brings together dozens of individually woven circles into a flowing, wave-like form. Each piece is unique, yet together they form a unified whole, symbolising resilience, healing, and collective strength. The weaving project highlights the power of culturally grounded, peer-led programs that foster belonging, learning, and connection, and reflects Catherine House’s commitment to community-centred, trauma-informed practice.

—Written by Tabitha Lean

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