<p>In this episode I talk to Dewi Cooke, who is the CEO of The Social Studio in Melbourne. The Social Studio is a social enterprise which was founded in 2009 by a group of community members, local designers and fashion industry professionals, who joined together with a common idea: to embrace up-cycled fashion as a vehicle for social change and uplift youth from migrant and refugee backgrounds. The Social Studio have grown from a small enterprise to having a shop and an accredited course in textile manufacturing. Dewi talks about how The Social Studio adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic, how they foster a sense of inclusion in their space, and their future ambitions. </p>

The View From Australia Episode 4 - Brian Parkes

Welcome to the Craft Expertise podcast channel, which includes two shows focusing on issues around inequalities and diversity in craft - Maker Stories, and Craft Expertise: The View From Australia. This podcast is hosted by Dr Karen Patel, a Research Fellow at Birmingham City University, as part of the Arts and Humanities Research Council funded Craft Expertise project, which ran from 2019-2023. The project was in collaboration with Crafts Council, and focused on the lived experiences of makers from minoritised backgrounds in craft, and explored the practices of craft social enterprises in the UK and Australia. 
In Craft Expertise: The View From Australia, we interview academics, makers and people involved in craft social enterprises in Australia, exploring the specific context of Australian professional craft, as well as examples of inclusive practice from craft social enterprises. 
In the Maker Stories podcast we talk to inspirational crafts women from black and ethnic minority backgrounds who are based in the UK. 
For more information about the Craft Expertise project visit the website craftexpertise.com. You can also follow us on Instagram at craftexpertiseresearch.