Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre, like all the Australian Craft Design Centres (ACDC) has had the benefit of targeted funding towards youth mentorships, allowing young emerging artists time with a selected mentor resulting not only in new work, but a greater understanding of studio practice and the business of art. But once the work is made where to from there, who is interested, who will curate them into the next stimulating exhibition exploring the realm of Australian craft and design? Developing curatorial practice for this sector is an essential role of the ACDC network, which in turn compliments and strengthens the outcomes of the artist's mentorship program.

Most curatorial practice is primarily targeted at contemporary art which, whilst it doesn't preclude contemporary craft and design, it certainly does not represent it in proportion to the number of practitioner and ideas that abound. The ACDC network have been supporting this area of practice for a number of years, however the number of people working in this field and with curatorial skills or knowledge in this area are still limited. Over the past 40 - 50 years there has been impressive historical and critical knowledge about craft and design practice, however the idea of curating for contemporary craft and design is still second to curating contemporary art. A large number of curators learn about this field on the job, and I include myself in this group. It is important then that we encourage emerging curators and arts administrators to look towards the contemporary craft and design fields as areas of incredible depth, ideas and skills that are not necessarily discrete from contemporary art but which like all genre's have identifiable histories, genealogies, ideas and interpretations.

Craft ACT has been involved in mentoring new generations of craft and design curators and arts administrators over the past five years with great success.

When I first took up the role of Executive Director at Craft ACT the organisation supported volunteer internships from the Australian National University (ANU) School of Art students undertaking a Professional Practice course. These students would spend one day a week over one semester at Craft ACT gaining insight into the nuts and bolts of exhibition presentation and organisational structure. Students would initiate these internships based on their own interests. In 2003 Craft ACT was approached by Robyn Meier, who was a student of the Graduate Diploma in Art History and Curatorship at the ANU. As part of this course the students were required to undertake a year long placement in one of the many national institutions housed in Canberra, a fertile ground for learning curatorial and museum practices. Meier, an active member of the Canberra Region Feltmakers (CRF) wanted more hands on pratical exhibition management experience that had its basis in the community and which she could then apply to the CRF annual exhibition.

The ANU School of Art Professional Practice students, Meier's experience, and an earlier project hosting two indigenous artists employed through an indigenous training program to develop curatorial and exhibition management skills, together demonstrated the potential professional development expertise within a small to medium arts organisation. It further highlighted the role Craft ACT could play in filling the void in developing contemporary craft and design curatorial practice.

Previously Craft ACT had operated on a request basis for internships, it has now become a part of the organisation's vision to not only provide professional development, but to generate new curators and critics of the sector by hosting them at the pointy end of things, where art meets the public - in the considered and supported presentation of resourced and responsive exhibition programming and the management of artists to realise their own vision through an exhibition and public program.

The intern program has developed over the years and not only exposes the intern to the internal machinations of a small to medium arts organisation; it also places them into an arts infrastructure that is a unique environment with many stakeholders. The intern dives head first into the world of members, artists, funding partners, audiences, media, peers in the industry. They instantly become part of a small hard working team that not only needs their support but offers the best learning experience in the field.

The program now offers interns the opportunity to curate, develop and present a discrete exhibition on behalf of Craft ACT. The exhibition may take place off-site providing the intern with additional experience of negotiation and assisting Craft ACT to reach new audiences. The interns' first task (apart from helping with the mail out!) is to develop a concept for an exhibition and, in partnership with the staff, identify a venue for the exhibition - no small task for someone fresh from university. The aim is to employ the intern as soon as possible within the fabric of the organisation, provide them with a discrete project that drives their internship and develops management skills from the start. This in turn imparts an immediate sense of the organisation to the intern, and importantly provides an opportunity to understand the curatorial process, where they obtain first hand experience working directly with artists and being responsible for an exhibition. This process is supported by all staff at Craft ACT offering professional support in all aspects of what initially is a daunting task, but ultimately is a learning and rewarding experience. Without fail, each of the interns have performed above their experience and presented unique and quality exhibitions on behalf of Craft ACT. Each intern has brought their vision to contemporary craft and design curating emerging with strong ideas about the field and its place in contemporary art culture.

An example of this is a recent intern, Mim Kelly, a graduate of the Art Theory and Textile Workshops at the ANU School of Art. Kelly spent six months with Craft ACT before being employed at Megalo Print Studio + Gallery and moving to the National Gallery of Australia. Kelly curated Re-Fab, an exhibition of rehabilitated and pre loved cloth at the Belconnen Community Centre Gallery in north western Canberra. Kelly developed an exceptional exhibition pulling together artists who have re-valued clothing, fabric and home wares to draw out the new ideas based in arts practice that are becoming a recognised part of the recycle movement. Kelly included six artists (established and emerging), wrote the exhibition essay, and organised a special opening event, Clothes Swap-A-Rama by the youth environmental collective Green Threads. Kelly's vision to incorporate a public event that echoed the curatorial theme demonstrates that with the right support and opportunity emerging curatorial practice opens the field in new directions. The success of Kelly's project was evident as it becAme the most well attended exhibition with 1000 visitors in 20 days, ever to be hosted at the Belconnen Community Centre's gallery.

Kelly summarised her experience noting new skills she developed such as: developing a curatorial rationale, identifying and formally inviting six innovative practitioners, researching participating artists and their work by visiting their studios or via written communication, developING all formal written communication and exhibition contracts with the participants, liaising with staff at Belconnen Gallery, organising for an additional event held in association with the exhibition opening, locatING and invitING an opening speaker, writING the exhibition essay. In her report she went on to say: The placement gave me the opportunity to gain the kind of industry experience required to obtain full-time paid employment in the Arts, and provided an excellent basis for comprehending my responsibilities in my two subsequent places of work. The tasks and projects that I undertook during my placement were clearly communicated from the outset and I was always well supported and assisted.

During the period that Re-Fab was showing at the Belconnen Gallery and in response to the publication of Kelly's essay by The Canberra Times, this email was sent to Craft ACT from a member of the general public:

Dear Ms McConchie,
The recent Canberra Times article by Mim Kelly about Craft ACT's 'Re-fab'exhibition is one of the best pieces of writing about art that I have read ... Although not a professional artist or craftsperson myself, I have had a long association with the arts through personal friendships and vocational projects, including community art shows. I have therefore read a lot of writing about art. Much of this writing is basically unclear, and is therefore unable to convey an impression of the work or its significance. Ms Kelly's piece about 'Re-fab' is, in contrast, beautifully written. It consisely [sic] interprets the meaning of the pieces in the exhibition, without ever making the curatorial assessment seem more important than the works themselves. I have not yet visited the exhibition, but intend to do so. My visit will be wholly a result of Ms Kelly's excellent writing.

Surely there is no higher praise than the satisfaction of the general public.

Kelly is not the last in a string of great interns. Craft ACT has expanded the role to cover aspects of the organisation including public programs and the development of retail for the organisation which suits the experiences sought by a range of applicants. This focussed approach has firmly established this program and since 2003 we have continued to support a volunteer intern at Craft ACT annually culminating in three volunteer interns this year alone. Craft ACT's volunteer internships are making a small headway in developing curatorial practice in this field and judging by the enquiries by potential candidates it is not a moment too soon.

Barbara McConchie
Executive Director
Craft ACT: Craft and Design Centre
July, 2008