In 2003, within a year of Timor-Leste gaining formal independence, a women’s art cooperative called LO’UD, was founded by female resistance fighters.
LO’UD weavers from the country’s far-eastern municipality of Lautem, still work to preserve culture and alleviate poverty by marketing naturally dyed, hand-woven textiles know as Tais.
Tais weaving is a traditional skill taught to girls from a young age. Through the use of specific designs and patterns, Tais are an expression of Timor-Leste’s diverse cultural identity, and this important tradition has endured despite successive occupations.
LO’UD and Australian volunteer organisation East Timor Women Australia (ETWA), celebrate 20 years of cooperation in 2024. This year also marks the 25th anniversary of Timor-Leste’s independence ballot and the start of the Australian-led UN mission known as InterFET.
Tais, Culture & Resilience is dedicated to Marcelina Pinto and Dr. Helen Hill, who fought for Timor-Leste’s sovereignty. This exhibition has been curated by ETWA in partnership with Trinity College, and includes photography by Elaine Briere, Sally Gray, Jorge da Araujo, and Ross Bird, and audio-visual design by Marcus Salvagno.
Exhibition Opening Hours
Dates: September 24 to December 10, 2024
Opening Hours: 10am - 4pm | Tuesdays & Thursdays
Location: Professor Sir Joseph Burke Gallery, Gateway Building, Trinity College, University of Melbourne, 100 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC 3052
In Collaborative partnership with:
With generous support by our partners:
SYMPOSIUM
The symposium will delve into the themes of Timor-Leste’s occupation, resistance, and traditional culture.
Featuring scholars, activists, and experts, will delve deeper into these themes, with discussions on Timor-Leste’s occupation, resistance, and traditional culture.
We are delighted to announce official INTERFET historian, Professor Craig Stockings, UNSW as our keynote speaker. Craig will also be joined by the following speakers:
- Señora Ilda da Cruz, Coordinator of the LO’UD Cooperative, Timor-Leste
- Professor Michael Leach (Politics & International Relations), Swinburne University of Technology
- Dr Kim McGrath (Former Research Director at the Bracks Timor-Leste Governance Project)
- Lara Nicholls, Curator of Art, Art Section, Australian War Memorial
Professor Clinton Fernandes (International & Political Studies), UNSW - Josh Trinidade, Independent Researcher, Timor-Leste
- Maria Madeira, Contemporary Artist, Timor-Leste
We invite you to contribute
Collaboration has surpassed our expectations, opening up exciting new opportunities to elevate the exhibition.
We invite you to contribute to our (Austalian Culture Fund) fundraising campaign to bring our immersive audiovisual exhibition to life, celebrating the resilience of Timor-Leste’s cultural arts and showcasing the collaborative efforts of photographers, community developers, and audio-visual designers spanning over two decades of solidarity and partnership with Timor-Leste’s women.
We are deeply grateful for the generous support we have received through donations so far!
With your support to reach our target we can:
-Amplify and elevate the exhibition’s impact to bring Timor-Leste’s cultural stories to life.
-Fund essentials like quality printing, cultural items, and marketing to ensure this free exhibition reaches as many people as possible.
Donations made via the Australian Cultural Fund are tax deductible