Weaving as Storytelling and Cultural Education at UDRH SW

Staff at UDRH SW learning weaving lead by Leandra Healy.

At UDRH SW, we believe cultural learning should be embedded, experiential, and ongoing. As part of this commitment, staff recently participated in a weaving workshop facilitated by Leandra Healy (UDRH SW Clinical Education Coordinator), a proud Ngarrindjeri woman. The weaving workshop became a space for storytelling, reflection, and cultural connection.

Weaving has long been used by First Nations peoples across Australia as a means of storytelling and intergenerational knowledge-sharing. The materials, techniques, and final forms whether baskets, bags, or fishing traps reflect the local environment, seasonal cycles, and community needs.

Through the session, UDRH SW staff not only learnt traditional weaving techniques using natural raffia, but also shared personal stories, reflecting on identity, culture, and connection. The process created a sense of mindfulness and community, offering a break from fast-paced routines and encouraging deep, thoughtful engagement.

The woven piece created will become a permanent fixture in the UDRH SW office a collective work between both students and staff that symbolises the importance of cultural safety, storytelling, and respect.

Importantly, these weaving skills and insights will now be passed on to students during Harvest sessions, including one titled: Mirror Mirror: How Do Your Biases Reflect on Your Practice? This workshop helps students unpack their own perspectives and biases in the context of culturally safe practice while completing clinical placement in the South West. Weaving will serve as a grounding and reflective tool, helping to connect students to First Nations ways of knowing, being, and doing.

Weaving is not just craft it’s culture. It’s education, healing, and continuity. Through initiatives like this, UDRH SW continues to support cultural learning that is tangible, inclusive, and led by First Nations voices.

For more on the cultural significance of weaving, listen to this SBS podcast episode.