Strathaven High and Low Care Facilities, Tas

The Knitting Room

Strathaven High and Low Care Facilities (run by Strathcare) in Tasmania have been awarded a Better Practice in Aged Care Award for The Knitting Room project, a community arts project which is so successful it's become a tourist attraction!

The Knitting Room is a collaborative labour of creativity, laughter and memories, which is bringing to life part of a 1950s home. The creative process is centred around older citizens, who are rarely associated with this type of project, and harnesses their knitting, crocheting, weaving and stitching skills in an unexpected way.

A work in progress, The Knitting Room consists of a front garden with its white picket fence and a white car tyre swan ornament, through the hallway to the dining and living rooms where mum irons, the kids play and dad reads his newspaper, past the 'blue corner' (an acknowledgement of depression in later life) and through the backyard, complete with veggie patch, gum tree, chooks and the ubiquitous outdoor 'dunny'. Everything within the display has been magically conjured entirely from threads and fibre and glowing with vibrant colours.

With approximately 300 participants from Strathaven and the wider community, including other residential care homes and community groups, and ranging from 10-95 years of age, the project has managed to capture the imaginations of young and old and created intergenerational links within the community.

Exhibited a number of times The Knitting Room has been overwhelmed with visitors and media interest. In May 2006 at the Moonah Arts Centre the exhibition attracted over 3,000 visitors both local and interstate. The support from the media continues to assist in promoting a positive face to ageing.

The Knitting Room project is a celebration of life, of creativity and of relationships in situations where it is not expected.