Production Team

Sue Batten’s passion for tapestry began when she learnt to weave at the ATW during work experience in 1976. She commenced an apprenticeship at the ATW in 1977 and combined her weaving training with the study of drawing, sculpture and ceramics at Melbourne State College and textiles at RMIT. In 1999 she undertook further study in tapestry and drawing at Monash University.

Sue has led many major commissions including Diggers, designed by David Larwill for Ballarat University, Alice Bayke by Yvonne Todd for the Queensland Art Gallery, The games children play by Robert Ingpen for the Royal Children’s Hospital, and Eye desire by Sally Smart for the Royal Women’s Hospital, which was completed in 2011. She is currently working on a tapestry designed by Brent Harris, No 22, which will be exhibited at the 2012 Melbourne Art Fair.

Chris Cochius studied Environmental Design, followed by Interior Design in Adelaide. In 1982 she worked with artist Kay Lawrence on a tapestry for the Australian High Commission in Dacca, Bangladesh before commencing work at the ATW in 1983. From 1986-87 she was employed by the West Dean Tapestry Studio in the UK to weave a tapestry designed by British artist Henry Moore.

Chris has led many projects at the ATW, including Forest Noise designed by Singapore artist Ian Woo, Research and respond by Merrin Eirth for the Royal Melbourne Hospital, The Visitor by Jon Cattapan for Xavier College, Melbourne, Fire and Water-moths, swamps and lava flows of the Hamilton Region by John Wolseley for the Hamilton Art Gallery and Allegro by Yvonne Audette for the Lyceum Club, Melbourne. She is currently leading the interpretation of a tapestry designed by John Wolseley for the Warrnambool Base Hospital.

Pamela Joyce became interested in tapestry whilst studying a double major in fine art in conjunction with her teaching degree. She began working at the ATW in 1980 and has since worked on numerous major projects including the Roger Kemp Suite in the Great Hall at the National Gallery of Victoria, the Arthur Boyd Reception hall tapestry for Parliament House in Canberra and the Jørn Utzon tapestry Homage to Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach for the Sydney Opera House. In 1985 she undertook a year of study in tapestry and textile conservation with Conservator Tina Kane from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 

Pamela has led many major commissions including Creek Bed by Elizabeth Marks Nakamarra for The Australian Embassy in Paris, Spring Street end by Ben McKeown for the State Library of Victoria and Kunnawaritji to Wajaparni for the Australian Embassy to the Holy See in Rome, which was based on a painting by eight Indigenous artists who took part in a project that re-examined the history of the Canning Stock Route.  Pamela is currently leading the interpretation of Kungkarrakalpa (The seven sisters) by Anmanari Brown, which will be shown at the 2012 Melbourne Art Fair.

Emma Sulzer completed a Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) from Monash University in 2000, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education. She has taught art and craft to young people in the USA and at secondary schools in Victoria.

 Emma joined the Workshop in 2005, and has worked on several major commissions, including Research and respond by Merrin Eirth for the Royal Melbourne Hospital, The Visitor by Jon Cattapan for Xavier College, Melbourne, The games children play by Robert Ingpen for the Royal Children’s Hospital, Ngayuku Ngura (this is my country) by Nyankulya Watson for the Australian Embassy in Rome, Spring Street end by Ben McKeown for the State Library of Victoria and Kunnawaritji to Wajaparni for the Australian Embassy to the Holy See in Rome that was based on a painting by eight Indigenous artists who took part in a project which re-examined the history of the Canning Stock Route. Emma is currently leading the interpretation of Untitled by David Noonan, which will be shown at the 2012 Melbourne Art Fair.  She has exhibited her own work in one solo and numerous group exhibitions and was selected for the Inaugural Wangarratta Textile Award in 2009.

Professional dyer Tony Stefanovski has a Bachelor of Applied Science from RMIT and has worked in textile colour laboratories for 16 years.

He first worked as an assistant at Calum Textiles, which amalgamated with CDA to form Austrim where he became a senior technician. When Austrim was liquidated, he worked for Melba Industries becoming a laboratory manager for about six years. Both Austrim and Melba fell victim, at different times, to the shrinking Australian textile industry.

In September 2009 Tony was appointed to the position of Dyer at the Workshop.