the story of the lost art
Our Lasting Legacy
...Made possible by Red Ridge!
A regional partnership between Red Ridge and RAPAD Employment Services Queensland (RESQ) has enabled job seekers and people with special needs to discover the arts—specifically, the practical traditions of leathercrafting. A group of twelve men shared their traditional bush skills; in turn, these skills are now used to develop anything from hand plaited kangaroo leather gifts, key rings, belts and whips.
This regional partnership builds local communities.
Reviving the art of leather has led to the group self-naming their workshop as ‘The Lost Art’. The Lost Art now strives towards creating and developing a local and tourism market for their art, promoting the traditions west Queensland in doing so. With the vision to move toward in terms of social enterprise, Red Ridge and RESQ are driving employment diversity that builds local capacity and opportunities.
Rawhide Revival
Community grown!
In creating workshops like The Lost Art, we are enabling communities to develop a self-help model by providing creative engagement, social networking and a safe environment for expression. The outcome is a sustainable future in local souvenir production and a steady development in local tourism.
The Lost Art is a social enterprise that actively supports job seekers, promoting social inclusion for disadvantaged groups and education in traditional bush leatherworking. The Lost Art is proud to present its line of hand made products made by its local volunteers, with all profits used to fund further local projects. Through the sales of The Lost Art’s crafts, we can develop our regional communities social and artistic wellness further into the future.