International Pathways Workshop hosted by Craft Australia
Kevin Murray, Janet DeBoos, Valerie Kirk
11 November 2026
Day + Time | Friday | 11.30am – 1.30pm
Location | Craft + Design Canberra, 180 London Circuit, Canberra, ACT, 2601
Entry | General Admission $20 | Registration required
Access | template, template, template
The International Pathways workshop is designed to help craft practitioners make the most of opportunities to showcase and promote their work overseas and to participate in international exchange. A practical survey of what is available and what it takes to realise each opportunity, this workshop offers makers a clear and comprehensive map of the international craft landscape.
The craft world has expanded significantly in recent years, with many new festivals emerging as countries seek to promote themselves internationally. These often involve destinations rarely visited by Australians, such as Uzbekistan, and emerging centres for international craft, such as Vietnam. Beyond the opportunity to show work, these events open up creative inspiration and connection with people across different cultures, with craft serving as a powerful ambassador for Australian culture and a demonstration of openness to exchange and respect for other traditions.
The session maps the full range of international pathways available to makers, grouped across the following areas:
Festivals and biennales, including the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial, the Cheongju Craft Biennale, Munich Craft Week and the Global Craft Festival in Hanoi.
Craft fairs, including Santa Fe International Folk Art Market and Révélations.
Funding opportunities, including the Churchill Fellowship, the Japan Foundation and other foundations.
Platforms, including the International Academy of Ceramics, Homo Faber Guide and the Asia Pacific Craft Alliance.
Prizes, including the Loewe Craft Prize. Tours to destinations including Laos, Morocco and Mexico.
The workshop is coordinated by Dr Kevin Murray, editor of Garland magazine, and will include contributions from experienced practitioners in international opportunities, including Janet DeBoos and Valerie Kirk.
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Dr Kevin Murray is the editor of Garland Magazine and Secretary of Craft Australia. He was previously Vice-President of the World Crafts Council – International. He has served on the International Committee for the Cheongju International Craft Biennale and is an advisor for the Global Crafts Festival in Hanoi. He has also served as a juror for a number of World Craft Cities.
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Janet DeBoos is one of Australia’s most influential ceramic artists, writers and educators, with a practice spanning five decades. She was Head of Ceramics at the Australian National University School of Art and Design from 1998 – 2015. She is an Emeritus Fellow there and a longstanding member of the International Academy of Ceramics where she represented Australasia and Africa on Council. A noted authority on glazes, she has built deep working connections with the ceramic communities of China.
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Valerie Kirk is a tapestry weaver, artist, writer and teacher who has shaped contemporary tapestry in Australia and abroad. Born and trained in Scotland at the Edinburgh College of Art, she came to Australia in 1979 to weave at the Victorian Tapestry Workshop, then led Textiles at the Australian National University School of Art from 1991 – 2017. Migration between Scotland and Australia runs through her work, alongside major commissions, including six tapestries celebrating ANU’s Nobel, Kyoto and Japan Prize laureates. She has researched Australian Indigenous and Southeast Asian textiles and led community projects and textile tours. In 2022 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia.
Images | International Craft Festival 2019 | Photos courtesy of Craft Australia