e - Spotlight Promotions

• spotlight on spotlightAbove: Fabrics from the Babbarra Women’s Centrewomen, in particular, from challengingbackgrounds and environments with apath to becoming financiallyindependent and self assured.Recently Spotlight and Brotherdelivered six sewing machines andan overlocker to the BabbarraWomen’s Centre. Artists therespecialise in producing gorgeous,two to three metre lengths of fabricusing lino-tile and hand printeddesigns. They also print fine silkscreenedfabrics from original artworks. The results are spectacular;loyal to age-old designs and colourpalettes, yet freshly contemporaryand versatile.The nearby Maningrida Arts andCulture (MAC) organisation works hardto develop markets to support thisinnovative and meaningful art form.The Maningrida region is diverse bothculturally and linguistically meaning theworks reflect the different languagesand identities of the makers.By supplying the new sewing machinesand overlocker Spotlight helps enableartists at the Women’s Centre tobroaden the use of their fabrics andthe products on offer. It also meansthose women, whose talents lie insewing, garment and object designand construction, can participatemore fully in the programme and reapthe benefits for themselves and theirfamilies.Several of the artists have expressedinterest in travelling to Cambodia tomeet the Stitch in Time sewers at theTogether in Cambodia orphanage inSiem Reap, to compare techniques andstories and they are pursuing fundingfor this endeavour.Spotlight is currently examining thepossibility of licensing designs fromThe Bagot textileartists produceeye-catchingfabrics of dark basecolours decoratedwith the use ofbleach and the hotDarwin sun.the Babbarra Women’s Centre to sellfabrics in stores throughout Australiaand New Zealand. Fair Trade termswould underpin this arrangement,further increasing the artists’earning potential and careers.Also in Darwin, and only fivekilometres from its Darwin store,Spotlight is making friends with theBagot Community which operates itsown small scale, women’s sewingcentre. The Bagot textile artists68 spotlight.com.au