*** This is a four week course, starting on the 9th of May, finishing on the 30th of May. The course will run each Tuesday from 10am until 4pm. ***

In an effort to encourage more women to tap into the absolute GOLD that is artistic expression, I’ve decided to follow my own truth, and offer a collaborative & enriching environment in which women have the opportunity to access and upskill in a predominantly masculine field–metal fabrication.

The space I am cultivating will be exclusively run by, managed and filled with women: female instructor, assistant, studio manager, as well as female students. The significance of this gender-specific space stems from my own history of metalworking, welding, and fabrication courses run exclusively by men and for men, where in which I have more often than not felt disempowered, undervalued, or left out. By cultivating a female-exclusive space, it is my intention to empower the women involved, granting them permission to turn to one another, ask for help, give assistance, and utilize one another’s skills and abilities without giving up or losing their own power.

This course is intended to be an in depth overview of metal fabrication and welding techniques. The skills you will learn in this course could enable you to design, create and install incredible art on the paddock, allow you to upskill in an area that nourishes and enriches a practice already in place, or simply encourages you to make wicked yard art. Whatever your intention is with this course, know that it is welcome and encouraged.

The Women’s Welding Workshop will run for 4 sessions, every Tuesday, with 4 women, 1 assistant, and 1 instructor, resulting in lots of hands-on learning and demonstrations. The dates for the classes will be as follows:

May 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th

Over the 4-session course, we will cover the following:

– Safety overview, warehouse and studio tour, tool and component indepth overview.

– Metal alteration and power tools: cutting, shaping, grinding, drilling.

– Hand power tools and table-mounted power tools.

-Cold joining techniques.

– MIG welding: safety overview, “how it works”, welding basics & patterns, joining metals (butt, T, angle)

– Clean up! Surface refinement, textures and finishing.

In addition to the 4 course sessions, students have the opportunity to utilize the warehouse outside of class time. It is encouraged that you come at least once a week and practice your skills, work on your projects, and generally take up the challenge and benifits of being self-reliant. This is how you will get the most out of the course, by applying all that you’ve learned in our class sessions.

The 4-session course is priced at $550, and includes warehouse hire, instructor fees and all material fees.

NORM warehouse hire is $25 for a half day, $40 for a day, or $50 for a weekend, (+ $10 for welding consumables) so if you intend to use the space outside of class time, be sure to communicate with your instructor and fill out the necessary paperwork, as well as bring cash for the space hire.

The course will be held at NORM warehouse which is an awesome space in North Coburg, right behind the Batman Train Station, next door to Bunnings. Each session will start at 10 am, and will finish around 4 pm, with an hour lunch break halfway through.