News & Events

The Board of Governors is pleased to announce it has set up a Sturt Review website so everyone can access the latest news and can submit questions and feedback.

For ease of engagement this will be the portal for all communication in regard to the Sturt Review going forward. Updates will be posted in the News section and there is a contact form that allows people to ask questions and make comments. This contact form goes directly to the Sturt Review Committee secretariat.

The Sturt Review Committee Chair, Jennifer Bott AO has posted an update. We invite you to visit www.sturtreview.com 

Many thanks to all who have contacted us about the review and we hope this will allow for successful communication and engagement with all.

Visit Sturt Review website

5 March 2024 

Dear Sturt Community Members

Winifred West Schools’ Board of Governors is pleased to announce the full membership of the Sturt Review Committee (SRC) and details of its intended work program. 

The Sturt Review Committee is tasked with designing an improved operating model for Sturt and creating an action plan to guide Sturt towards greater financial stability and operational success. To do this, the SRC will identify challenges and opportunities and will develop strategic initiatives that will ensure Sturt is financially and operationally sustainable in the future. 

We are proud to introduce the pre-eminent members of the Sturt Review Committee. 

A. Membership (please see further details of each member’s experience below) 

• Chair - Jennifer Bott AO 
• Brian Parkes, CEO and Artistic Director of the Jam Factory, Adelaide 
• Liz Williamson, President of the Australian branch of the World Craft Council Board 
• Sally Gordon, WWS Company Member for 50 years, Friend of Sturt 
• Peter Roach, Financial, compliance and governance expert in both the commercial and Not-for-Profit sector 

The SRC will also appoint an independent secretariat who will assist in coordinating the review and will provide administrative assistance. 

B. Stages of work 

The Sturt Review will be conducted in three stages. 

Stage 1 involves community consultation and evidence-gathering. During this stage, the SRC will engage with stakeholders to obtain views and suggestions on a way forward. It is expected the SRC will talk with staff (Sturt, Frensham, Frensham Junior School and the Executive), students, artists, customers, suppliers and community members, for insights and suggestions for Sturt’s future structure and operating model. 

Stage 2 involves developing and testing a range of possible operating models that address the issues, challenges and opportunities identified in Stage 1. In developing future options for Sturt, the SRC will identify the pros, cons and opportunities for each option and outline their financial implications. The SRC will aim to provide an interim report to the Board of Governors with provisional recommendations by the end of June 2024. 

Stage 3 will see the delivery of a refined set of recommendations to the WWS Board of Governors, supported by a clear, costed and practical implementation plan. This stage will propose a clear pathway for a new model of operation for Sturt. 

C. Final report

At the end of the review process, the WWS Board of Governors will carefully consider the Final Report, and communicate with the community regarding next steps. 

We value your feedback and input, so if you have comments please contact the SRC at srcfeedback@sturt.nsw.edu.au. 

Yours sincerely 

Edward Studdy 
Chair - Board of Governors 
Winifred West Schools Ltd 

 21 February 2024 

Dear Sturt Community Members

Winifred West Schools’ Board of Governors is committed to the longevity and future success of Sturt. Our aim is for Sturt to continue to be part of the Mittagong and Southern Highlands community, and to remain as an outstanding centre of excellence known nationally and internationally. It has grown in the past 80 years, and we need to give Sturt its best chance to grow and flourish for another 80 years. 

So it is with great pleasure that the Board of Governors announces the appointment of Jennifer Bott AO as the Chair of the Sturt Review Committee. 

Ms Bott has had extensive experience in leadership roles in the arts, education and philanthropy. She is currently a Director of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) and of the Southern Highlands Community Foundation. She was recently Chair of the Bundanon Trust, Chair and CEO of the Australian Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) as well as a Trustee of the Australian Museum, Acting Director of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia and, from 1999 to 2006, the CEO of the Australia Council for the Arts. 

“Sturt Gallery and Studios have been enormously influential in the development of contemporary craft in Australia. It is a highly respected organisation locally, nationally and internationally. It is therefore an honour to be asked to play a role in the future of Sturt. I look forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders to shape recommendations for the Board of Winifred West Schools to secure that future,” Ms Bott said. 

We believe that Ms Bott, as the Chair of the Sturt Review Committee, will ensure the review is undertaken with professionalism and integrity. 

This review is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-define an operating model for Sturt that can respond to the changing nature of arts and crafts education, dialogue, practice and presentation which will ensure a sustainable and successful future. 

The review aims to find ways to better support and promote the work of Australian contemporary craftspeople, artists, designers and makers across a range of disciplines including ceramics, fine furniture, glass, jewellery, leather, textiles and wood. The review’s goal is to also allow Sturt to continue serving the needs of Frensham Schools, and the Southern Highlands Community, whilst further strengthening Sturt's place in the contemporary crafts sector. 

Sturt was established in 1941 by Miss West who held an open-minded approach to its future, 

“Sturt might become a training school for teachers of art and crafts. It might become an industrial concern. It might become a colony of artists, craftsmen, potters and printers. It might become a library and club centre for children and young people of the district. It might turn back and join up with the non-examination side of Frensham – or of course, it may just go phut! For a time at least it must be small and free to experiment”. 

Pg 68, Fifty years at Frensham, Esther Tuckey. 

The Board of Governors is working with Ms Bott to finalise the other committee members and we hope to make a further announcement in the coming days with full details of the Sturt Review Committee’s membership. 

We understand the recent decision to undertake this review has been a cause for concern for many members of our community. We want to assure you that the Sturt Review Committee will engage with a range of stakeholders to obtain insights and suggestions on a way forward. It is expected the Committee will talk with staff (Sturt, Frensham, Frensham Junior School & the Executive), students, artists, customers, suppliers and community members, for insights and suggestions for Sturt’s future structure and operating model. 

There will be more details on how to engage with the Sturt Review Committee once its work has begun. 

Yours sincerely 

Edward Studdy 
Chair - Board of Governors 
Winifred West Schools Ltd 

5 February 2024

Dear Sturt Community Members

I am writing to advise you of some changes to the Sturt adult course offering in 2024.

This week the Board of Governors decided to initiate a detailed review of the operations of Sturt. This review is an important and exciting step towards ensuring Sturt’s sustainability and viability.

Sturt, which was established over 80 years ago, is a treasured institution within the Frensham Schools community and an important part of the legacy left by Winifred West. Sturt has an exceptional reputation both nationally and internationally, and plays a valuable role for Frensham Schools students, arts and craft practitioners, and the Southern Highlands community.

Given its importance, the Board of Governors is committed to supporting Sturt to ensure it is part of the Frensham Schools’ offering well into the future. Sturt’s current operating model has seen it face some operational and financial challenges. In the context of these challenges, it is neither responsible nor feasible for Sturt’s present operating model to continue.

During the review period, teaching and extra-curricular activities for Frensham Schools students involving Sturt will continue as normal. The Certificate IV in Furniture Design and Manufacturing will also continue for 2024 and the renting of workshop spaces will continue where appropriate. However, during this period the rest of Sturt will operate as follows:

• Café operations will pause from this Friday, 2 February 2024.
• Shop operations will pause from 1 March 2024.
• Term 1 adult classes for Ceramics, Weaving, Jewellery and Woodcraft will continue for those already enrolled, but adult classes will be paused from Term 2 2024.
• Gallery exhibitions booked through to 30 June will continue, but gallery operations will be paused from July pending the outcome of the review.
• The Winter School and Anagama Firing Workshop will pause for 2024.

We understand this will be disappointing news for many of you and apologise for any inconvenience caused. The outcome of the review will be communicated to all stakeholders once it is complete. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact us at feedback@frensham.nsw.edu.au.

Yours sincerely,

Geoff Marsh
Head of Frensham
Head of Frensham Schools