International Women's Day 2026

A person cuts into a large fabric, painted and drawn by IWD 2025 participants

Image: A participant cuts a large piece of fabric, featuring painted patterns and drawings, at the 2025 IWD celebration event.

QVMAG and the City of Launceston, in collaboration with Interweave Arts, invite you to Weaving Stories of Strength - an arts workshop series in celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD).

The free arts workshop series brings the 2026 IWD themes to life through seven creative workshops, culminating in a symbolic wearable sculpture to be revealed at a special morning tea event. 

Through art therapy, textile design, movement, and sound, the project invites women and gender-diverse individuals to reclaim narratives, explore embodiment, and create a powerful symbol of collective strength.

Participants will offer garments and stories, transforming them into textile panels inscribed with words and symbols of resilience. These panels will be assembled into a collective sculpture – a cage, skirt, or bell-shaped form – that embodies solidarity, healing, and rebirth.

The journey culminates in a free public sharing event on 6 March at QVMAG, and again on 17 April at Government House in Hobart, where the wearable artwork will be presented alongside audio-recorded reflections and soundscapes.

About IWD 2026

This year, International Women’s Day calls us to embrace two distinct yet complementary global themes:

  • Balance the Scales – A promise that every woman and girl should be safe, heard, and free to shape their own life. It reminds us that inequality is not inevitable – it is built, and it can be dismantled. Read more at www.iwd.net.au

  • Give to Gain – A celebration of generosity and reciprocity. When we give – our time, resources, knowledge, and support – we gain a stronger, fairer world where women and gender-diverse individuals can thrive. Read more at www.internationalwomensday.com

Weaving Stories of Strength brings these themes to life by creating space for sharing, generosity, and collective making. Each garment and story offered becomes an act of giving, while the resulting wearable artwork stands as a shared expression of balance, resilience, and empowerment.

IWD 2026 EVENTS

Weaving Stories of Strength: free workshop series 

A workshop participant paints a patterned heart on a tie-dyed fabric.

Image: A QVMAG workshop participant creates an artwork on fabric. 

The wearable artwork will be developed over the course of seven workshops at the Museum at Inveresk. Each session will focus on a specific technique or action to complete the piece. 

Find out more about each workshop and book your spot by clicking on the events below. 

 

Presentation and Celebration - IWD morning tea 

Attendees of the International Women's Day 2025 celebration event.

Image: Attendees at the IWD 2025 celebration event at the Museum at Inveresk.

Celebrate International Women’s Day at this FREE special event as we unveil the collaborative wearable sculpture for the very first time. 

Join us to experience the atmosphere of community, reflection, and creativity, and be part of a rare opportunity to witness a project that honours women’s strength and generosity.

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