collaborative sculpture Forging
A collaborative forging team will be formed again for the 2025 festival.
Details to be announced soon.
Participants in this professional development opportunity will be involved in planning and preparation and forged as part of a team commencing on 14-18 May including the two public days of the festival (17-18 May).
Participants are required to have significant blacksmithing experience to take part in this project.
Please contact steve@blacksmithsfestival.com if you would like to express interest in joining the team.
key Info
Date: Wednesday 14 - Sunday 18 May 2025
Times: 9:00am-4:00pm
Details to be confirmed
Collaborative forging team projects
at the 2019 and 2022 Blacksmiths festivals
2022 Team led by Will Maguire forging a cantilever seat
In May 2022 Will Maguire led a collaborative sculptural project in the lead up to and throughout the Blacksmiths Festival in Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria. The sculptural cantilever seat was constructed from reclaimed timber and steel from the old Footscray Wharf. The wharf was being reconstructed and the festival sculpture was later installed when the new wharf was finished. The sculpture now sits adjacent to the festival site and become part of the public art landscape along the Maribyrnong River.
Nine participants worked as part of three teams of three blacksmiths, with Australia’s own Ben Beames, Matt Mewburn and Woody Blower as forging team leaders. This was a unique experience, working alongside some of the most exciting smiths in the country, each team completing elements of the sculpture that will come together as one piece at the end of the event.
Participating Blacksmiths: Will Maguire (Project Leader) - NSW, Matt Mewburn (Team Leader) - NSW, Ben Beames (Team Leader) - TAS, Woody Blower (Team Leader) - NSW, Alex Wixted - NSW, Alice Garret - VIC, Colin Dray - NSW, Dan O'Toole - TAS, Dara Carey Quilty - VIC, Denise Axelsen - QLD, Elliott Franklin-Browne - NSW, Kieran Gleeson - VIC, Mark Rochlitz - NSW, Robbie Alderson - VIC
2019 Team led by Jake James forging ‘Many Hands‘ sculpture
In 2019 the collaborative sculpture project was designed and directed by Jake James, from Vancouver Island, Canada. The sculpture, “Many Hands” was forged at the Blacksmiths Festival in April over a period of 4 days by three striking teams involving 12 blacksmiths from Australia, Canada and the USA.
The sculpture’s design relates directly to the municipality, incorporating three key elements:
Leaves – these components form the extremity of the work and reflect the natural environment, as it was, and as it exists today, transformed by human activity.
Sun – forms a ring around the centre and symbolises a new dawn of hope for all who have arrived in the area.
Three joined hands – form the core of the sculpture and speak to the diversity of people that have lived and worked together to create the rich cultural landscape that epitomises Footscray.
Participating Blacksmiths: Jake James (Project Leader) – Canada, Will Maguire (Team Leader) - NSW, Pete Mattila (Team Leader) – TAS, Ben Beames (Team Leader) - TAS, Robbie Alderson – VIC, Craig Thorpe – VIC, David Graham – VIC, Elizabeth Belz – USA, Matt Mewburn - NSW, Matthew Pither – QLD, Michael Clarkson – NSW, Michael Gsell – VIC, Peter Birchall – NSW, Willie Rennison - NSW