Join the GUL Collective for ‘Stories in Thread’, a day of creative fibre and textile making to explore the stories and memories attached to the places that have been important to our lives: our places of origin, the places that have nourished us, our grandparent’s and aunties houses or the places we currently inhabit and cultivate relationship with. We will be intuitively exploring threads and fibre materials to create embroidered, stitched, stuffed and embellished patches alongside small mesh pouches.
Designed as an all ages and all abilities workshop, no prior skills are required. You will be guided by GUL Collective members who will join in the making. Materials will include both new and reclaimed fabric, thread and yarn offcuts. The mesh patches and pouches become soft vessels for fragmentary recollections and memories, pieces that you will be able to turn into ornaments or wearable objects to gift or keep.
‘Stories in Thread’ is a continuation of The GUL Collective x Community project launched in April 2025 as part of the Western Terrace series at PHIVE Parramatta. The GUL x Community project includes an ever-evolving artwork and series of workshops that has since been exhibited at their inaugural art exhibition “Plant Stories in Thread” at the Royal Botanic Gardens in May 2025.
Biennale of Sydney Family Day participants will also have the option of contributing to the GUL Collective x Community artwork by gifting a patch or pouch that will be added to the evolving artwork as a celebration of gathering in community and connecting through creative exchange.
The GUL Collective is a collective of emerging artists working across various fibre and textile techniques including weaving, crochet, coiling, hand stitch and embroidery. The GUL Collective is comprised of migrant women from diverse backgrounds working with visual artist Paula do Prado and program producer Yamane Fayed under the Multicultural Women’s Hub program at Arts & Cultural Exchange.
Family Days at the 25th Biennale of Sydney are a celebration of creativity, colour, and connection! Designed for kids (and kids at heart), these lively days invite families to explore, play, and make art together. Expect hands-on workshops, performances, and activities bursting with energy, music, and laughter, all curated by community-led organisations who bring their unique perspectives and local spirit to the program.
Joyous, loud, and full of life, Family Days are your invitation to dive into art, imagination, and shared experiences for all ages. And best of all, entry is free!
Presented by Major Partner Arada.
Image: Gul Collective x Western Terrace ‘Deep Roots: Shared Plant Stories'” (2025) Phive, Parramatta. Photograph by Garry Trinh
