Woodwork, sewing and mosaic work: Inside Cairns’ first She Shed
A first for Cairns – a She Shed is opening on Friday, offering a safe space for women of all ages to create, connect or simply chat over a cup of tea. CHECK IT OUT
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Cairns’ first She Shed is opening in on Friday to offer a safe space for women of all ages to create, connect or simply chat over a cup of tea.
“I could see a need in the community for a place for women to come together,” founder and co-ordinator Jane Mitchell said.
“Being creative is a human need and being creative together is even more special.
“So it’s about sharing and connecting, because that basically opens people’s worlds right up.”
With only a handful of She Sheds in Australia, the Cairns site’s membership numbers have proven the need for a women’s community space.
Within 24 hours of opening up memberships, all 200 spots were filled, and another 100 women were placed on a waitlist.
“I get phone calls all the time from people saying they really need the service,” Ms Mitchell said.
“There are women that are marginalised from various things … they might be going through a husband dying or something else that’s going on at home and they just need somewhere else to come and sit down and be safe.
“We would love to help everybody and it’s heartbreaking.”
The space in Manunda was Ms Mitchell’s family property and has had an incredible 12-month transformation after being burnt in a fire in July 2024.
The transformation has been a determined community effort, with the She Shed receiving donations from more than 50 Cairns businesses and countless individuals to both build and stock the space.
“I’ve never ever seen such generous donations from community businesses or individuals ever in my life. It was unbelievable,” workshop co-ordinator and artist Kylie Burke said.
“And it’s still happening,” Ms Mitchell said. “It’s such a testament to the Cairns community.”
The shed has equipment and supplies for a range of activities, including mosaic work, woodwork, screen printing, textiles, sewing, quilting, candle-making and gardening.
“We’re sitting in probably the most well-stocked art studio space in all of Cairns,” Ms Burke said.
The space will initially operate an open studio format, where women can use the facilities at their leisure, with plans to eventually run skill-based workshops and educational talks on topics such as financial literacy.
“Essentially, it’s well stocked for whatever needs will start to be revealed to us once we’re open with our members,” Ms Burke said.
“Once we get to know each other as a group of women, we’ll start to find out exactly what the need is and see where the skills are and match those things as best we can.”
Ms Mitchell said all women were welcome, no matter their “level or capacity”.
“You don’t even have to do anything. You can just sit on the couch and have a cup of tea,” she said.
She Shed Cairns will open from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 12.30pm.
You must be 16 or older to join.
For more information, go to sheshedcairns.com.au.
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Originally published as Woodwork, sewing and mosaic work: Inside Cairns’ first She Shed
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