A hands on creative workshop where little (and big) kids explore their creativity and practicality through the use of the iconic paper plane. Young designers experiment with their planes in the aerial playground—a purpose built obstacle course in the ‘sky’.

Best for ages 3 years+

In these hands-on workshops students have the opportunity to work alongside professional designers Kristian Aus and Adam Goodrum as they research, generate ideas and create a prototype for a chair inspired by the Museum’s design collection.

Kristian and Adam will provide students with industry insights into their design practice alongside demonstrations of techniques and material manipulation. The workshop will conclude a showcase of the final designs in a group critique which includes a stress test on their solution.

Students work collaboratively in response to the design brief which has one unique design parameter – the chair is not allowed to have four legs!

A basic water bottle may be an everyday product but once this item has been reworked by a group of Design & Technology students, it could become a future designer item in the not-too-distant future.

During these hands-on activities, students will receive various design examples to stimulate ideas. Working in groups, they get to generate various design improvements to their water bottle, eventually choosing and sketching a solution to present to the group.

SCAMPER is a design activity, aimed at helping students generate a multitude of ideas for design improvements to an everyday product. This workshop is a great preparation for Year 9-12 students before later exploring the various design displays as part of Sydney Design 2010. This activity will encourage them to think about ways they can make improvements to the world of design that exists around them.

One of Sydney’s most respected craft specialists, Tamara Maynes blends cutting-edge design and homespun techniques to produce striking homeware products, ranging from patchwork cushions to cross-stitch letters and macramé wall hangings.

In this creative workshop, Tamara teaches you cross-stitch techniques using one of her original kits. She also reveals a simple, inexpensive way to create your own cross-stitch design charts using graph paper.

This hands-on workshop will feed your newfound addiction to contemporary craft. With advice and design tips from Tamara, you will discover just how easy it is to create a modernistic craft piece to take home and treasure. This workshop is suitable for 15 years and over.

Join a hands-on workshop led by knitwear and textile designer Nikki Gabriel. It’s her skill of mixing old craft practices with new materials and innovations in knit production that gives her garments a contemporary feel.

At the workshops, Nikki demonstrates how to knit beautiful, complex garments from easy, straightforward designs. Quick simple shapes are progressively added to each other to create different items – from a scarf to a bolera to a cardigan. Visitors get to use one of Nikki’s Construction Workshop Kits which includes a knitting construction plan and luxe bespoke yarn. Collaborating with small farming communities and spinning mills, this customised fibre is harvested and spun locally while retaining its natural colour.

Knitting construction with Nikki Gabriel is a chance to make, construct and discover endless possibilities. All knitting needs will be provided on the day. This workshop is suitable for 15 years and over.

Families are encouraged to create cards with a story! Apply designs and artwork to a pre-designed base and explore basic paper engineering mechanisms. Presented by Benja Harney, a Paper Engineering designer from Paperform.

Best for ages 10 years+

For the first time, keep little designers engaged with a hands-on design weekend for kids and families.

Take a tour of the fascinating Tinytoreum exhibition, aerial playground (3 years and over), make a pop-up book (10 years and over), or go backstage with fashion workshops (10-15 years) in the Frock stars or Creating the look exhibitions. Take a mini tour of the Museum for the whole family, led by kamishibai storytellers.

The Easton Pearson activity centre in Frock Stars: Inside Australian Fashion Week exhibition gives young visitors hands on activity to discover the creativity of fashion and design behind the catwalk glamour.

Young hands can make a wardrobe of paper outfits for their paper dolls, mixing and matching patterns, shapes and outfit designs inspired by pieces from the designers’ collections. For this special kids’ weekend only, the Museum’s Fashion Curators give an introduction to the activity and an insight into the fashion world.

This workshop is best for ages 10-15 years.

Lights, camera, lipstick – arrive dressed to kill and be ready to pose! Indulge your desire and become an instant supermodel, taking part in a high-end photographic shoot. You’ll be styled at a hair and make-up bar to bring out the model within, then directed to a specially prepared set. Surrounded by carefully constructed props by celebrity interior specialist Megan Morton and designer Benja Harney with wardrobe styling by Anna Raju, your every pose, pout and position will be guided by Powerhouse Museum photographers.

Unlike a traditional magazine shoot, Captured! will embrace a more edgy look; this will be a portrait like no other! These lucky – and fearless – models can also select a free favourite image to order. To guarantee your place, remember to book early.

Here’s your chance to participate in a collaborative artwork that will grow and change over time. Artist, Helen Earl will install one of her wooden chair and ceramic artworks in a space defined by a ‘carpet’ of synthetic grass. It will be photographed in its pristine condition – and then it’s time for you to step in. In supervised workshops you are invited to make flowers from chickpea size pieces of paper clay. These will be fired once then placed into the synthetic grass to create a flower field or ‘carpet of flowers.’ An animation in which it will appear that the flowers are growing and multiplying will be made from photographs as the flowers are installed.

The flowers, created by the collaboration of strangers, symbolise growth and change while the artwork itself is a reflection of the concept that when people come together and commit time to a task, change is inevitable.