In 2018 ATW collaborated with artist Emily Floyd on ‘The Declaration of the Rights of the Child’, a commission for the new Joan Kirner Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Sunshine, Victoria.

Joan Kirner (1938 - 2015) was an Australian politician and the first female Premier of Victoria. She was a fierce advocate for gender equality, social inclusion and education.

The original artwork stems from the artist’s long-term research in the Ruth and Maurie Crowe Archive at the Victoria University Special Collections Library in Footscray. The Crow Archive includes significant printed materials and working papers that relate directly to the experiences of women and children in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Amongst the materials contained in the collection are several of Kirner’s writings, as well as pioneering works in relation to urban planning, community building and sustainability.

Floyd has reimagined and overlapped archival publication images from the Crow Collection to create colourful and commanding works for a contemporary audience. Amongst the materials referenced includes the artist’s tribute to the 1989 recognition of the ‘Declaration of the Rights of the Child’, and the 1975 ‘Women of the West’ publication, originally produced by the Sunshine Childcare Cooperate on the ‘needs of Sunshine women and their families’. The process of translating community history through the medium of tapestry weaving celebrates women’s contributions to society and will provide a playful and optimistic centerpiece for the new hospital.

Each of the three tapestries measures 2 x 1.3 m and will be suspended on curved battens in the main foyer of the hospital. As the artwork will be visible from both sides of the tapestry, the weavers have meticulously woven in the yarn ends to ensure that each image remain clear.

These tapestries have been funded by the Tapestry Foundation of Australia, the State Government of Victoria and the Australian Hotels Association.

Emily Floyd is represented by Anna Schwartz Gallery.