Event: Slow Food Bali x Threads of Life x Javara

What: Colors of Life: Exploring Indonesia's Natural Dyes

Where: Umajati Retreat

Client: Slow Food Bali, Threads of Life

Press: Color Me Natural (Bali Advertiser)

Slow Food Bali — with Javara and Threads of Life held an event to highlight the world of natural and plant dyes in Indonesia, ending with a wonderful meal designed around naturally dyed heritage foods of the archipelago. 

A half-day journey through Indonesia's indigenous knowledge of the natural world led by two incredible organizations working to preserve this knowledge across the archipelago.

Threads of Life has documented over 300 dye plant species across the country and has created a dye garden within Umajati Retreat itself. Threads of life works with over 1,000 weavers and natural dyers across 11 islands in Indonesia. 

Javara produces artisanal food products by respecting the food identity, highlighting their place of origin, unique characteristics & their producers. Their products represent Indonesia's food biodiversity, indigenous wisdom and rich culinary traditions.

“Natural food dyes aren’t used industrially because they’re usually not stable with exposure to light, heat or acids,” Heli told a rapt audience in the Bebali Foundation’s natural dye studio near Ubud. “The colours are more subtle than chemical dyes. Colours are derived from the roots, bark, fruit, flowers, stems and leaves of ordinary garden plants. Most have no taste but a few, like the pandan leaf, lend a delicate flavor to the food. The technique of infusing rice with plant dyes has been used for generations.” 

—Greenspeak by Ibu Kat

Event: Threads of Life x Biku

What: Tea and Textile Tales

Where: Biku

Client: Threads of Life

Press: Ubud Now and Then

A perfect collaboration between famous Seminyak institution and tea house, and an Ubud establishment. The event included a one day pop-up exhibition & store and afternoon lecture on Indonesian textiles accompanied by an incredible high tea.

Once the high tea had been delivered (the menu included salak poached in cinnamon and star anise, Vietnamese spring rolls, curried egg sandwiches, Middle Eastern orange cake, pineapple and mint agar-agar and more, all on tiered silver trays), William embarked on his talk. Draping various textiles along his rather substantial wingspan, he took us on a journey that spanned 2000 years of textile production. He explained key cultural and social influences on the motifs and uses of the textiles along the way, displaying wares from Toraja, Timor, Central Flores, East Java, Jogjakarta, Sumba, and Bali. - Catriona Mitchell, Ubud Now and Then

A pop-up store event combined with a afternoon teatime lecture on textiles in Indonesia presented by Threads of Life. 

Designing a Soundtrack for Events

We were commissioned to design a fundraising event—part of a collaboration between a wildlife conservation organization and one of their main private sector partners. Held in an all-bamboo structure, we knew we had to find a sound that would work with the space and keep people engaged without taking over the whole event. We also wanted people to end up dancing by the end of the night. Mission accomplished!

krishna and friends bringing their reggae/folk music to the audience

Music has always been a huge part of any event we are part of designing and we love to work with young, local musicians. Krisna and Friends played two amazing sets of their reggae and folk inspired music; their mix of covers and original songs really kept the audience's attention. Attendees ended up listening to an impromptu jam session from musicians in the audience and finally dancing until well past the time they were supposed to go home.