The Three Voices: Weaving, story and connection coming to the Sunshine Coast
South Africa’s Khomani San Bushman elders Lydia Kruiper and her husband Izak with Australian First Nations elder Rosemary Nabulwadd during Rosemary’s visit to the Kalahari. Image courtesy of Rene Bahloo.
By Tani du Toit
Sunshine Coast residents are being offered a unique opportunity at the start of the new year to experience The Three Voices - a creative and cultural collaboration held in deep respect, community and cross-cultural exchange. For those unable to attend the Woodford Folk Festival, Ilkley-based fibre artist René Bahloo will host two intimate local workshops that bring the spirit of the project directly to the Coast on January 4 and 10-11.
A long-time Sunshine Coast local, René is known for her gentle leadership and her longstanding relationships with First Nations communities, particularly through her regular travels to Arnhem Land. Her practice, Weavery, blends holistic skill-building with emotional wellbeing, environmental awareness and community connection. For René, weaving is not simply craft - it is a meditative, relational act that brings people back into their bodies and into conversation with each other.
“My work has always been about bringing people together through story, fibre and presence. The Sunshine Coast holds a special place in my heart, and I’m honoured to share these teachings with my own community,” René said.
The Three Voices brings together three women whose cultural knowledge, lived experience and creative practices form the foundation of the project:
South African-born René Bahloo, who has called Australia and the Sunshine Coast home for more than 30 years, is an accomplished fibre artist, holistic psychotherapist and facilitator, respected Kalahari Khomani San elder, Lydia Kruiper represents one of humanity’s oldest living lineages whose stories and cultural practices carry the ancient rhythms of the Kalahari, and Rosemary Nabulwadd, a well-regarded Aboriginal elder whose voice, experience and cultural teachings ground the project in Country and connection.
To honour this collaboration locally, René is offering a one-day weaving workshop at Ilkley and an immersive weekend retreat at Kupidabin Wilderness near Mount Samford. Rene said attendance would be limited to ensure genuine connection and unhurried learning. Participants can expect slow, mindful weaving, gentle conversation and a space designed for grounding, creativity and deep presence.
“We’re creating a truly special opportunity - a chance to sit in nature together, share heart-to-heart time, weave meaning into our days, and explore breathtaking landscapes. It’s medicine for the soul,” René said.
Expressions of interest are now open for both January events, with places expected to fill quickly. For anyone seeking a culturally respectful, creatively enriching and gently transformative start to 2026, The Three Voices offers a rare opportunity guided by three remarkable women. Indigenous and financial hardship payments also apply so please enquire directly from Rene Bahloo at weaverywork@gmail.com or message her via Instagram @weavehealconnected for further details.
