You are invited on a journey of design on the Felt Road. Prepare to be inspired, share creative stories with fellow felt makers and embark on a road of discovery.

Hosted by Canberra Region Feltmakers, Felt Road is the 2023 Southern Hemisphere Felters Convergence. It will be held over four days in Canberra, the beautiful national capital of Australia. There will be keynote speakers, felting demonstrations, mini workshops and a felting challenge.

Catch up with felting friends and meet new ones. Learn new felting techniques and revisit some golden oldies. Dip into the Canberra region foodie wonderland, cool-climate wines and world-class art while you are here. Stay a little longer and soak in the sensory overload that is Floriade in Canberra.

Registrations close 31 July 2023.

Program

Felt Road begins with registrations in the afternoon on Sunday 10 September followed by welcome drinks.

On Monday we get started on a four day program featuring keynote presentations by three textile artists: Helen MacRitchie, Sharon Peoples and Julie Ryder. In the tradition of Convergence, attendees are invited to volunteer to present and attend short sessions about all things felt during the four days. These might be demonstrations, mini workshops or talks.  Helen MacRitchie will also run short workshops about a special knotting technique that she uses in her felt making.

A Traders Hall will give you a chance to add to your felting supplies and you can felt all night if you so desire in the Glasshouse.

Just to spice it up a little, there will be a collaborative challenge – something fun that Canberra Region Feltmakers have been exploring over the last year and are keen to share with you. We are also planning a pop up fashion parade as part of the Felt Road Dinner on the final night (Thursday 14 September).

See more about our keynote speakers.

Venue

The Pavilion on Northbourne is a late twentieth century hotel with rooms around two spectacular tropical atriums. There are plans to demolish and rebuild but in the meantime we are looking forward to enjoying the ambience and original glory of this building.

The hotel is located on Northbourne Avenue, 8 minutes drive by car from the city centre and 11 minutes drive from Canberra Airport. It has free on-site parking and is located on the Canberra Light Rail line that runs between the city centre and Gungahlin Town Centre. 

Accommodation options

Convergence attendees and partners will organise their own accommodation. We have negotiated special Convergence accommodation rates for two hotels:

Pavilion on Northbourne is the Convergence venue. Convergence rate for single or double room is $175/night. These rooms are clean and comfortable but a little older than some hotels in Canberra. This accommodation is very handy for people who want to felt all night in the Glasshouse. Breakfast is available from the café in the main atrium. https://pavilioncanberra.com.au/

Deco Hotel is a newer hotel a few doors down from Pavilion on Northbourne. Convergence rate for single or double Lux King Room is $209/night. The Deco Hotel offers better accessibility for those with mobility challenges. https://decohotel.com.au/

What is included

Your Felt Road registration includes

• Drink voucher and canapes on Sunday evening
• Attendance at all Felt Road daytime sessions (Monday-Thursday)
• Light lunches and all day tea and coffee (Monday-Thursday)
• Access to Traders Hall
• Starter pack of materials for Collaborative Challenge
• Dinner on Thursday evening

To register, complete the registration option on this page and pay the $100 deposit. The balance of the registration fee is due by 1 July 2023. The total registration fee is $650. People who were members of CRF on 1 January 2023 are eligible for a significant subsidy from CRF for their registration fee.

Things to see and do in Canberra

The Convergence venue is handy for exploring the city along with the Braddon and Dickson precincts which offer a variety of shopping and eating experiences.

Members of Canberra Region Feltmakers are working on a list of their favourite secret places of Canberra to share with Convergence participants. In the meantime, the Visit Canberra website has plenty of information about places to go and things to do in the Canberra region. https://visitcanberra.com.au/

Questions

For more information, contact us.