IOTA Partisans
A vibrant group of emerging craft advocates who play a vital role as volunteers, assisting the IOTA public program delivery, injecting energy and curiosity.
'Partisans' are: strong supporters of a group or idea. In this case, craft in the Indian Ocean region.
IOTA Partisans:
- want to exchange ideas about craft with a local and international community,
- understand the value of craft,
- and are eager to celebrate craft artists and artisans.
The Partisans contribute fresh ideas from their perspective, as emerging artists and arts workers, towards the larger IOTA program.
The IOTA team identifies the importance of involving young artists and arts workers, as part of the sustainability of the organisation, as well as providing experience opportunities.
IOTA also acknowledges that ‘emerging artists’ are sometimes people beginning their arts journey later in life. Although the IOTA Partisans specifically involve arts workers and artists between the ages of 18-35, other opportunities are also available for older volunteers.
IOTA Partisans are led by a small voluntary committee of stakeholders in the Perth/Boorloo craft community.
WHY JOIN?
Volunteering at a major biennial or triennial has been foundational experience for many arts workers who later have become artistic directors, arts managers, and festival directors in Australia and overseas.
Benefits include:
- connecting with international residency artists and lead artists selected for the international exhibitions,
- hands-on experience relevant to a career as an arts worker, and
- access to a network of peers who care about craft in the Indian Ocean region.
Contributions
IOTA Partisans contribute on a volunteer basis, and may or may not have tertiary training related to visual arts and arts work.
The time commitment will vary, depending on each person’s availability and interests. It might range from 3 hours, or up to dozens of hours over many months.
Contributions might include:
- liaising with international artists throughout their Perth/Boorloo residency,
- creating digital content that responds to IOTA exhibitions – this might be (creative or critical) writing, or another artistic response,
- assisting with running events, including set up and pack down, and
- another way that’s interesting to the individual.
Apply Now
IOTA Partisans strongly encourages applications from those who are:
- First Nations
- Culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD)
- neurodiverse
- LGBTQIA+
If you’re interested in joining IOTA Partisans, please complete this form (approx. 5 mins), and Stirling Kain (Festival Coordinator, Partisans Lead) will be in touch.
Let us know if you’d prefer to apply to IOTA Partisans in a way that’s more accessible to you – this might be an email, a phone call, or an in-person meeting.
If you have any questions and/or accessibility requirements, please email Stirling Kain (Festival Coordinator, Partisans Lead) at festival@indianoceancrafttriennial.com
2024 Partisans' Committee
Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli
Nazerul is a Singapore-born multidisciplinary visual artist who is deeply interested in the folk beliefs of his homeland. Through ceramics, drawings and installation works, he explores his relationship(s) with shared cultural and personal mythologies, and the possibility and importance of communing with deities, tutelary, and ancestral spirits of the region.
Katie Dukovčić
Katie is a multi-disciplinary artist, who continues to experiment with new techniques, skills, and materials. She explores intricate details of nature, and the importance of paying attention, and has more recently delved into the feeling of being small in a large, immense landscape. Katie is currently Admin Assistant for IOTA24.
Regina Ndossi
Regina is a Management & Events student at Curtin University, Corporate Events Coordinator at Volunteering WA and Conference Coordinator for IOTA24. Regina is currently President of Enactus, a Curtin University not-for-profit for student entrepreneurs, and held positions with the Curtin University Women in Business Organisation since 2022, where she is currently Vice-President.
Molly Ryan
Molly is a textile artist, researcher, and educator focused on understanding people's relationships with clothing and textiles through practice-led research. Molly completed a Master of Research (Fine Arts) in 2023 and a Bachelor of Arts (Fashion) in 2020. Alongside her studio practice, Molly is a Casual Academic and Technician in art and design learning areas at Curtin University.
Stirling Kain
Stirling is a creative producer at the City of Fremantle and festival coordinator of IOTA24. Her creative interest is producing works with culturally and linguistically diverse artists. Stirling graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from UWA in 2020, and is also an emerging photographer who has exhibited locally.
Weaving unforgettable stories. We are dedicated to supporting craft artists and artisans from the Indian Ocean rim to excel. Their narratives, told through the medium of contemporary craft, resonate through time and culture, and matter today.
Other ways to give an IOTA: Sponsors & Volunteers
In-kind support in the form of sponsorship of services and products or voluntary time is a huge part of how IOTA is delivered. Contact us if you are keen to contribute and would love to be involved in this fast-growing influential phenomenon of the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial.
Image credit: banner: Nazerul Ben-Dzulkefli, Tujuh Dulang Hati Hama / Impossible Requests, 2021, stained stoneware, dimensions variable. Photo: Craig Williams.
About IOTA
Founded in Western Australia, the Indian Ocean Craft Triennial (IOTA) stands as a unique bastion for contemporary craft from the Indian Ocean Region.
It embodies a movement that celebrates diversity, nurtures talent, and fosters deep bonds among artists, audiences, ambassadors and supporters.
The Indian Ocean Craft Triennial Inc (ABN 90 705 472 375) is a registered charity, and is endorsed as a deductible gift recipient (DGR), confirmed by the Australian Tax Office. Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997).