SPARKS fly when Jennifer Belsar is around and instructing women how to weld in her workshop the Hammerhead Gallery, Korumburra.

The Weld Like a Girl classes have been so popular that waitlists are long and people come from Melbourne and further afield to attend.

The workshops were designed after there was a huge demand from the women who took part in the Korumburra Women’s Shed program.

“There were people just wanting to do intensive welding workshops, they wanted to learn how to weld, they wanted to learn how to create sculpture, create works of art.

“They were either wanting a little bit more than I was teaching at the shed or they were working women and couldn’t come during the week, so they wanted something on the weekend.”

“I thought let’s give it a really cool name since it’s a traditionally male dominated industry, let’s call it Weld Like a Girl,” Jen said.

Women can go for a weekend and learn in a fun and safe environment, how to create sculpture out of steel and recycled steel.

Originally from Boolarra, Jen spent a few years in Melbourne before moving back to Korumburra and setting herself up in a spot centrally to where her family and friends live.

Jen’s long been an artist and has worked with many mediums but hadn’t worked with steel (until a few years ago), since she was at school. 

“My favourite subjects were woodwork, metal work, working in the art room creating art and paintings or playing sport.

“I was never one of those kids who was sitting studious at a desk. I just always wanted to be doing something.”

Her journey from student to teacher began in 2009, when she met, Laurie Collins in Jindivick.

Laurie is a welder and sculptor, and the two crossed paths while she was working for the Salvation Army. 

“I was lucky enough to be working in a bushfire role after the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires and Jindivick was part of my area that I was responsible for.

“I came across Laurie there on his farm and saw the sculptures and all the steel and was totally enamoured and thought, oh my god I want to learn how to do this.

“Laurie said to me, ‘I’ll teach you, just come up and I’ll teach you how to weld.’

“It wasn’t until a couple of years later that I had the time and the opportunity to go back up and do it with him.

“I took one day off a week and used to drive up and weld with Laurie, and I did that for a couple of years.”

At the time Jen was living in Kew and a community shed was staring up in Alphington.

“I thought maybe I could go over there and use the community shed instead of having to drive all the way up to Jindivick, every time I want to weld.

“I was still happy to go up there one day a week and learn with Laurie, but I thought maybe I could spend a day a week in this community shed and use their equipment.”

When Jen approached them, the Community Shed saw an opportunity with the knowledge and skills she’d gained and asked if she would like to teach a Women’s Shed Program.

“I kind of panicked and went, well I don’t know how to teach welding and metal work and woodwork and all that sort of stuff.

“So, I went back to Laurie’s and said, Laurie they’ve asked me to start a Women’s Shed, and he said, ‘That’s all right, I’ll show you what to do’.”

Laurie was a retired high school teacher and he’d taught for years and was able to offer Jen sound advice and good instruction on the art of teaching.

“I call Laurie my fairy god father because he kind of started me on this journey.”

While at the Alphington Community Centre, Jen helped to establish a highly successful Women in the Shed Program.

Four programs a week were held, and they won the Fiona Richardson Gender Equity Award 2021 for The Women in the Shed program. 

Together with Milpara Community House, Jen held classes two days a week, sharing the Korumburra Mens Shed, and using it on the days the men weren’t there.

These classes were highly successful for several reasons and ended up with a full waiting list.

The Weld Like a Girl Workshops are held every month at Hammerhead Gallery, Korumburra and Jen also teaches welding at Richmond Community Learning Centre.

For more details or to book online visit Hammerhead Gallery on Facebook or hammerhead_gallery on Instagram.