In celebration of International Woman's Day, the ATW and Multicultural Arts Victoria (MAV) collaborated for a special cultural event as part of Conversations at Emerald Hill on Friday 8 March 2013

The Woman’s Gathering –weaving stories together brought female artists practicing different weaving traditions together for a day of sharing and conversation. It was also the launch of the project INTERTWINED: Stories on the wall, a six-week weaving training program funded by the City of Port Phillip for two groups of women from refugee communities to learn from professional tapestry artists to create deeply evocative new works.

Many women see the traditional art of storytelling and cultural expression as a means of integrating the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of health and empowering individuals and communities. This gathering focused on issues related to culturally-based empowerment of women. The gathering also looked at the role of women as traditional preservers of cultural history through weaving, art and storytelling.