A structured, year-long Research & Development platform enabling sustained experimentation across architecture, wearable art, sculpture and product design.

Development Phase: July–December 2026

Public Program: January–December 2027

Evaluation Phase: January 2028

Sector Partners

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Support Material (Evidence of capability)

This page contains support material relevant to theproposal, including evidence of fabrication capability, workshop delivery readiness, and examples of prior work across sculpture, wearable and
spatial/design practice.

Pilot Workshop Session

Pilot workshop sessions are being delivered ahead of the proposed 2027 public program to test and refine delivery in a live setting. These sessions are an important development stage for the project, allowing Tide Pool Designs to evaluate workshop structure, pacing, access settings and documentation methods prior to broader public rollout.

The pilot program is designed to confirm:

  • appropriate group size and session pacing
  • the most effective workshop structure across demonstration, hands-on activity and reflection
  • material setup, safety and WHS considerations
  • supported-access delivery settings, including session structure, sensory considerations and support-worker integration
  • documentation methods that can be captured reliably during live delivery for future evaluation and reporting
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Pilot Session 01

Date: 19 March 2026
Format: Small-group workshop, 8 participants
Location: Tide Pool Gallery & Studio
Purpose: Initial format testing to assess delivery structure, pacing, participant engagement and overall viability ahead of the 2027 public program

Participants: Invited participants represented a mix of ages, genders and professional backgrounds.

Key findings:
The session was highly successful and generated very positive feedback. It confirmed strong interest in the workshop format and highlighted the value of introducing finished outcomes at the beginning of the session, before moving into process and technical explanation. It also demonstrated that live viewing of active 3D printers is most effective when positioned early in the experience, helping participants immediately connect the technology to tangible outcomes.

Selected participant feedback:
Retha, Human Resources: “Something that could make the workshop even better are handouts to make notes throughout.”
Dave, Scientist: “Loved the session, learned some useful techniques.”

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Pilot Session 02

Date: 22 March 2026
Format: Small-group workshop, 8 participants
Location: Tide Pool Gallery & Studio
Purpose: Further format and viability testing, with additional focus on supported and accessible delivery

Participants: Invited participants again represented a mix of ages, genders and professional backgrounds, including the Director of Adaptable Support Services.

Key findings:
This session again confirmed strong participant engagement and overwhelmingly positive feedback. It reinforced the value of balancing technical explanation with additional hands-on activities so that participants with different interests and learning preferences remain equally engaged. It also confirmed that a group size of 8–10 participants is well suited to the studio, allowing comfortable movement, clear sightlines, collaborative discussion and space for support workers where required.

Selected participant feedback:
Maxim, Director of Adaptable Support Services: “The amount of space/table size feels great for collaboration.”
Roy, Engineer: “My favourite part was real items to show the differences between input parameters.”

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Next Pilot Stage: Accessible Delivery

Following the successful completion of the initial pilot sessions, and the inclusion of the Director of Adaptable Support Services in the second pilot, the workshop format has been further refined in response to feedback. A dedicated accessible pilot workshop with Adaptable Support Services clientele is now being scheduled, pending participant availability.

This next stage will provide an important opportunity to test the workshop directly with supported participants and further strengthen the access framework, delivery settings and evaluation methods ahead of the 2027 public program.

Pilot Outcomes to Date

Across the pilot sessions, feedback has consistently highlighted the value of real printed examples, the collaborative studio setting and the clarity gained through hands-on comparison of print outcomes.

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Sector Alignment

Converging Tides is delivered in alignment with sector partners including:

Australian Wearable Art Festival

SWELL Sculpture Festival

Yugambeh Museum & Arts (Cultural Advisory Partner)

Adaptable Support Services

University of Queensland
(School of Architecture, Design and Planning)

Partner engagement strengthens cross-disciplinary dialogue, development pathways and ecosystem integration across Queensland’s creative sector.

Program Snapshot


Converging Tides is delivered across four quarterly streams:

Architecture (Jan–Mar)

Wearable Art (Apr–Jun)

Sculpture (Jul–Sep)

Product Design (Oct–Dec)

Each quarter includes one Research & Development Commission, three public talks/presentations and four small-group workshops (8–12 participants), including a minimum of one reduced-price supported-access workshop per quarter (four minimum across 2027). A quarterly archive is published here to evidence process, learning and outcomes.