Central Craft is a community run artist co-operative, multi-purpose studio, gallery and craft retail outlet located on the Araluen Cultural Precinct.

In 2024 we will hold our 50th anniversary 

We represent over 400 member artists and 22 member organisations. 

In 2022 we:

• had 65 fee based workshops and 113 community workshops,
• for a total of 1308 participants.
• Artists were paid $49,000 to run workshops.
• Our studio is open 7 days from 7am to 11pm
• 5058 artist visits were made to our studio in 2022.
• 15,045 visits were made to our gallery and retail shop,
• over 4000 artworks were sold on behalf of local artists.

In July 2022 Central Craft hosted Apmere Mparntwe - The Australian Ceramics Triennale

• 604 delegates with a total attendance was 2943 at all associated events over 5 days
• Apmere Mparntwe was responsible for bringing 497 primary purpose visitors to the Alice Springs Region. With the majority from interstate (483 visitors)
• Apmere Mparntwe generated 4,602 direct visitor nights to the Northern Territory, where 3,417 of these nights were in the Alice Springs region.
• Overall, the event stimulated the Northern Territory economy by just over $1.9M, with $1.6M of this generated by in-scope visitors. (source NTMEC /IER Research Report)

Our 2023 focus is The Young Makers 

Central Craft is committed to helping young artists who are focused on making craft and the arts their vocation.  Support to build their practice includes mentoring, workshop places and workshop tutoring opportunities. As part of this focus we are hosting two Under 25 NXT Gen First Nations artist / arts worker placements for six months. 

Young Maker Aero (left) helps out at the recent Pollyfarmer Stencil Workshop. Aaliyah Anderson & Alyssa Mason (right) join Isla and Lucy on the team at Central Craft today. These two amazing young women are the recipients of Arts NT Nxt Gen Under 25yrs Placements.)

Craft for community wellbeing 

Every week we are approached by organisations and groups seeking supported access to facilitated wellbeing focused craft workshops.

In 2023 we have already run:

• 3 Self Care Clay Pinch Pots for NPY Women's Council and WOSCA (DV Seminar) 
• Gap Youth Centre Holiday Clay workshops x 2
• St Joseph's Flexible Learning Centre - Jewellery making for senior girls 
• Clontarf Academy Stencil Cut Screen Printing Workshop Year 7
• Polly Farmer Foundation Stencil Cut Screen Printing Workshop Year 7 x 2
• CASA Disability Services Day Program Craft - Felting (ongoing program)

Partnerships are a big part of what we do

Being isolated as we are, we need to work together and maximise opportunities, here is an example. In March 2023, The National Gallery of Australia Travelling Exhibition Rauschenberg & Johns and Significant others opened next door at Araluen. Central Craft was invited to co-host a workshop program. The program we devised involved 55 artists over four targeted workshops with 24 hours of teaching. The four workshops were community artists, yr12 visual arts students, women in alternatives to custody and Walkatjara art centre from Uluru. The Pop Up Prints exhibition in our gallery increased interest in printmaking, with new workshop plans and a screen printing collective considering starting up in our space.