It was a celebratory atmosphere when the ‘Keepers of the Craft’ met in Woollongong in September for the 30th annual Letterheads event from 11-13 September.

Attendees, ranging in age from 17 – 82, and included current and past students and apprentices, as well as seasoned signies, who travelled from all around Australia, New Zealand and even Finland to join in the event.

The annual event gathers together like-minded signwriters and associated crafts people to share hints, tricks and ideas, take workshops on various topics, practice their craft in an atmosphere of healthy competition, and strengthen their industry connections.

This year’s event, which kicked off with acknowledging R U OK Day, featured a Gold Leaf Workshop, hosted by Bruce Jackson, a Chalkboard Workshop with Cheryl McClean, a Pinstripe Race won by Sampsa from Finland, panel swaps, as well as some fun raffles and prize draws – and even an appearance on the local WIN news and ABC Illawarra radio.

Participants painted a bar fridge, and banded together to raise $470 for a local charity, underscoring the collaborative nature of the event. Special celebrations for the 30^th anniversary included painting the theme on cut-out surfboard shapes, echoing the Letterheads logo, and enjoying awards for achievement and – of course – an anniversary cake.

Danielle Corti, Head Teacher in the Painting &Decoration section of TAFE NSW Woollongong, says, ‘The event went so well – it was great to see the level of participation, cooperation and collaboration, with everyone willing to share their hints, tricks and ideas, throw themselves into the workshops, and enjoy a bit of healthy competition, too!

“The feedback from the event was really positive – everyone loved it and had a great time, and it was particularly good to see a new generation mixing with, and learning from, the older generation; they were like little sponges, soaking up all the knowledge they could, and I’m grateful to the older professionals who graciously supported and mentored the newcomers to the industry in this important way.”

Corti also acknowledged the event sponsors – Platinum Partner – Pozitive; Gold Sponsors – Sign Sheet Distribotors, Graphic Art Mart and ASGA; Silver Sponsors – SignRite and GooTack, as well as other helpers BiWise, Visual Connections, GJS, Taubmans, Harvey Norman Campbelltown and Lucille Designs.

“A huge thanks also to TAFE NSW Woollongong for allowing us to use their fantastic campus and building, and the staff and sections on campus for their support in helping me pull it all together – carpentry for the sign frame, electro/refrigeration for the cool room, and the P&D team for…too many things to mention,” she said.

Notably, the 30^th Anniversary also saw the launch of a new website for Letterheads Australia, with Corti saying it is the ‘next step’ in supporting the community of traditional signage professionals around the country.

To find out more, go to the website or join the Facebook community.