JamFactory Glass Studio 2024, photo: Connor Patterson

Brian Parkes introduces the world of makers in this venerable Adelaide craft and design centre.

Last year JamFactory celebrated its 50th anniversary.

In 1973, when Elton John’s Crocodile Rock, Marvin Gay’s Let’s Get It On and Carly Simon’s Your So Vain were among the top 10 hits of the year, the South Australian Government, under the leadership of Don Dunstan, established the South Australian Craft Authority, which soon took its name from the former Mumzone jam factory building on Payneham Road where it first opened its doors in 1974. The current purpose-built, state-owned facility in the Adelaide CBD was opened 1992 and JamFactory is now widely recognised as Australia’s leading craft and design organisation.

Our mission is to inspire audiences, build careers, and extend contemporary craft and design into new markets.

JamFactory is a highly entrepreneurial, not-for-profit organisation with a unique and dynamic business model. We offer training to emerging artists and designers working in glass, ceramics, furniture and jewellery. We develop, present and tour exhibitions focussed on craft and design accompanied by major publications and education resources. We lease studio space and hire out specialist facilities. We design and produce bespoke items, from jewellery and awards to interior fit-outs and public art. We deliver workshops, short courses and public programs. We manufacture and supply a range of lighting, furniture and homewares, and we represent more than 280 Australian designers and makers through our retail stores.

However, JamFactory is much more than a building or a series of programs. It is a community. A community connected through a shared understanding of the social, cultural and economic value of good design and fine craft making.

Since its establishment, JamFactory has nurtured local talent and attracted outstanding artists and designers from around Australia and across the globe. Some have come to work as staff, some to rent studio space or use facilities and many others to undertake our widely acclaimed Associate training program – more than 500 individuals over the past 50 years!

A great many of these talented creatives have subsequently chosen to stay in South Australia to build careers, establish businesses, raise families and contribute to the culture and economy of our State and its vibrant capital city, Adelaide.

Don Dunstan outlined the reasons for his government establishing JamFactory in a speech at an exhibition opening in November 1974:

“Firstly, we had craftspeople in the state whose achievements were so distinctive that we believed they needed support.

Secondly, the government wanted a situation in which such achievements affected the design criteria of the State’s mass production industries.

Thirdly, we wanted to encourage the development or the continuation of rare or interesting skills.”

JamFactory has grown substantially over five decades and today employs more than 100 people in a variety of full-time, part-time and casual roles. It contributes to the income of hundreds of artists, designers and makers through salaries, sales, fees and royalties.

State and federal government funding represents around 30% of the organisation’s annual income with entrepreneurial revenue growing substantially to well over $3 million annually. JamFactory also gratefully receives more than $250,000 per annum in corporate and philanthropic support.

JamFactory Retail Store 2024; photo: Connor Patterson

When I landed in the role over 14 years ago, I saw an opportunity to build on JamFactory’s rich history and dynamic networks to introduce some significant changes and new initiatives to coincide with the organisation’s 40th anniversary and last year provided an opportunity to reflect on the impact of many of those over the past decade:

Our satellite facility at the Seppeltsfield Winery in the Barossa Valley opened in 2013. It incorporates a shop, a gallery and studio space for several skilled makers. It has significantly broadened our cultural tourism offering and supported substantial growth in the businesses of the makers in residence. We recently renewed the lease for another 10 years and will be welcoming three new maker-tenants later this year.

Our national touring exhibitions program launched in 2013 and has now seen 140 presentations of 15 separate exhibitions at more than 50 venues across regional and metropolitan Australia to an audience of more than 500,000 visitors.

We published the first issue of MARMALADE magazine in 2013. It was initially published as a stand-alone annual magazine, with 1,500 copies printed and sent to members and key industry contacts. Today, in addition to four quarterly online editions, an annual printed version is inserted into 15,000 copies of CityMag with additional copies available for visitors to our venues throughout the year.

Arguably the most successful initiative launched in 2013 was the annual JamFactory ICON exhibition. This series of exhibitions celebrates the achievements of South Australia’s leading visual artists working with craft-based media. Each major solo exhibition of predominantly new work is packaged for a national tour and accompanied by a significant monograph publication and public programs. The artists featured to date have been Stephen Bowers, Nick Mount, Giles Bettison, Gerry Wedd, Catherine Truman, Clare Belfrage, Angela Valamanesh, Tom Moore, Kunmanara Carroll, Jessica Loughlin and Julie Blyfield (whose exhibition opened in July this year).

JamFactory’s Board and staff are optimistic about the years ahead and we recently launched our 2024-28 Strategic Plan (a summary of which can be found on our website). Through this Plan, we have prioritised engagement with First Nations artists and audiences, expansion of our programs and ambitious entrepreneurial revenue growth to ensure ongoing financial stability and to generate increased employment, income and economic opportunities in the craft and design sector.

Brian Parkes introduces artist’s talk by Alison Smiles as part of JamFactory’s weekly Wednesday lunchtime talks presented in partnership with the University of South Australia.

We do have quite a few events throughout the year that enable people to come together, such as exhibition openings and there’s a monthly drinks night at a nearby bar to celebrate the birthdays of that month. All Associates and a good number of staff attend our weekly lunchtime talks and within the various departments, there are regular gatherings (and plenty of people seem to bake cakes for special occasions). We don’t have regular staff/building community meetings as there are too many people and people’s days/hours are all so different but I do send a weekly email to all staff, Associates, tenants, tutors, etc and share as much useful info as candidly as possible: celebrating wins, thanking various high achievers, reporting on financial performance, etc.

More important than all this I think has been a steady and consistent approach to recruiting over a long period of time with the aim of employing people whose values strongly align with the organisations. This includes selecting Associates as well (maximum of 12 per year). The alumni from the Associate Program generally maintain a very special bond with the organisation—more than 150 in my time alone—and this seems to have a particularly positive impact on JamFactory’s culture and community.

About Brian Parkes

Brian Parkes has been CEO at JamFactory in Adelaide since April 2010. He has overseen significant development of the organisation’s exhibition and training programs and substantial growth in its audience, income diversity and operational budget. He is passionate about good design and fine craftsmanship and has worked in senior curatorial and commercial management roles in the visual art, craft and design sector in Australia for over 30 years.

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Adelaide | G36