In September 2026, Australian Tapestry Workshop Co-Director Sophie Travers travelled to France with support of a Gordon Darling Foundation Travel Grant.

The trip took in Paris, Aubusson, Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon, connecting Sophie with leading French textile artists, weavers, designers and curators. Highlights included Paris Design Week, a behind-the-scenes visit to the Cité de la Tapisserie in Aubusson, tours of weaving workshops, wool mills, Jacquard studios and dye laboratories, and visits to major textile and contemporary art biennials.

The trip offered an exciting opportunity to deepen ATW’s connections with the French textile community, discover new approaches to tapestry and textile practice, and introduce Australian artists and ATW’s residency program to an international audience. We look forward to building on these new connections and sharing more of what’s to come.

ATW warmly thanks the Gordon Darling Foundation for making this valuable international exchange possible.