An alchemy for hopes springs eternal

Resilience, courage, and strength. Like lyrics in the chorus of a song, Victorians have become familiar with these words over the past eighteen months as they have been used to create a sense of collective identity through the ballad of our four lockdowns due to covid-19 outbreaks. Whether it is a withered acceptance of putting our lives on hold to keep our community safe or the exhausting changes to our routines, it is fair to say that there is some truth in the notion that resilience, courage, and strength have developed some common characteristics shared amongst Victorians. But what does this actually mean? Beyond the spin from politicians and our media, how do resilience, courage, and strength manifest in the shared Victorian consciousness? 

Trying to find definitive and unanimous answers to these questions is like trying to solve a riddle. No answer seems to fit perfectly at first. Shahn Stewart is used to solving puzzles like these. Shahn is a proud Yorta Yorta woman and after ten years of working in the floral industry, founded her own floristry business, Alchemy Orange, in 2019. What sets Alchemy Orange apart from other businesses in the floristry industry in Naarm is Shahn’s conception of Organic Architecture, the palindromic slogan for Alchemy Orange. “I wanted to take a more structural and architectural approach to my bouquets”, says Shahn, who according to the Alchemy Orange website, “challenges the preconceived notions of what constitutes as floral art by recontextualising mundane and unconventional materials, transforming them into Organic Architecture”. The idea of fusing the artistry of floristry with the ancient Roman principles of architecture came from Shahn’s firm belief that “the design of a piece of work should serve its purpose, is robust and hardy, and aesthetically pleasing, that it could be an architectural piece”. Durable, utilitarian, and beautiful. Shahn utilises lots of dried, native, and long lasting blooms in her bouquets and installations as “there is nothing worse than your bouquet retiring after two days”. It is clear that Alchemy Orange embodies the notion of strength through Shahn’s creativity, innovation, and sense of sustainability. 

Though Shahn had been meticulously planning her business for months before the Covid-19 pandemic, it was during the Stage Two Victorian restrictions in March 2020 that Shahn decided to invest all of her energy into Alchemy Orange. “As the whole pandemic became more serious, I didn’t feel comfortable traveling on public transport for over an hour each morning and afternoon, and being in contact with x amount of customers per day”, recalls Shahn - an experience that would be shared amongst most workers. This was when Shahn decided to resign from her position as a senior Wedding and Event Florist at Glasshaus Florist and was able to secure a space on Lygon St in Brunswick East. “After ten years in the industry, there is only so long you can spend working for someone else. It really did go from zero to one hundred real quick”. Starting a business at any time presents the owner with an array of challenges, but building your own business from scratch during a precarious pandemic economy can leave the owner balancing on a tightrope.

 “I had spent months planning on how to promote my event and wedding work, so with no events in sight and no end for a however many month lockdown, I had to find another way to bring in cash”, says Shahn, reflecting on the 2020 July Stage 3 and August Stage 4 restrictions. “Thankfully bouquet click and collect and delivery were still allowed, as I would have been up shit creek if florists weren’t allowed to trade”, she recalls. Shahn’s honesty in discussing the reality of running a new business during lockdown echoes the concerns of many small and local Victorian business owners. How do you persist with the stress of limitations on your cash flow, ability to trade, work-life balance, ability to protect your employees, and then, the complete upheaval of your industry? There are no simple or easy answers, other than that in the absence of a magical panacea for covid-19, you have to keep trying to survive.

In the face of adversity, Shahn kept persisting. “The biggest challenge was coming to terms with the financial aspects of starting up and maintaining a new business”, says Shahn, “I just want to do flowers, is that too much for a lady to ask?’. The motivation to push through the monotony and difficulty of the financial tasks? Alchemy Orange’s core value of bouquets  being affordable to everyone. “It felt wrong to me to start my prices too high, but after a year of trading, it’s obvious to me that the materials and time spent on my cheapest bouquet ($45) is incredibly undervalued,” explains Shahn. “I won’t remove this option though, as I know a lot of people from different ages and incomes should still enjoy a beautiful arrangement”, she says. Shahn’s commitment to equitable and accessible flowers is an impressive display of love and service to her local community. Perhaps what is more remarkable is that up until June of 2021 Shahn was the only employee at Alchemy Orange, meaning that she was in charge of market runs, foraging, making the orders, deliveries, business administration and social media-a huge undertaking for any business owner. Lockdown Four saw the addition of Jessica, personal assistant and floral baby protégé, and Eden, delivery driver and assistant on larger jobs, allowing Shahn to take the enormous workload off herself. Through Shahn’s persistence, drive, and indomitable work ethic, Alchemy Orange is a business built on resilience that has survived near insurmountable odds in its first year of trading.

Despite the formidable task of running a young business, Shahn acknowledges that she has been lucky enough to still trade in some capacity. “There are many professions out there who have really struggled as a result of the lockdowns -- hospo, events and beauty. I truly feel for other small business owners,” says Shahn, pinpointing a lack of adequate government support for perpetuating the struggle of these business owners. “The one off payment of $2000 last lockdown and $2500 this time around is helpful, yes, but I don’t think it’s anywhere near the amount of income businesses would take in prior to lockdown,” she explains. It is not only the florist retailers who are struggling during lockdown, the flower markets, suppliers and wholesalers are currently in an excess of stock. “Imagine the hundreds of thousands of foliages over the past two weeks alone if we weren’t allowed to trade”, points out Shahn. “Months of growing from seed to bulb to bloom would go to waste”, she says, “By supporting us, you’re also supporting them”.  As lockdowns in Victoria end, Shahn would encourage customers to patronize their local businesses, supporting  and demanding further support for the Arts and Entertainment industries, and buying from small and local florists, instead of larger more established florists. More creative ways of showing support can be done through promoting smaller floral businesses on social media and offering your verbal support. “Some kind feedback never goes astray,” says Shahn.

Community and justice are front and centre of Alchemy Orange’s ethos. “There is a big push for buying Australian grown blooms at the moment to help support local growers, instead of buying imported stock from Kenya or Ecuador where workers rights are much poorer than they are in Australia,” says Shahn. However, Shahn also believes awareness of these issues in the floral industry comes down to the morals of the business owner and how much they are willing to share with the community. “The #nofloralfoam is a trend on some florists’ Instagrams at the moment, as floral foam is incredibly bad for the environment and is something I’ve not used at Alchemy Orange,” says Shahn. In conjunction with her commitment to workers’ rights, supporting local and small businesses, and maintaining an environmentally friendly business, Shahn uses Alchemy Orange and its social media to promote justice, actions, and awareness of the systemic oppression of First Nations people in Australia. Alchemy Orange actively encourages customers to support Pay the Rent, a grassroots collective of Indigenous and Non Indigenous people who act as a distribution body to strengthen and empower First Nation people and their communities. Alchemy Orange also donates a percentage of profits earned on large bouquets to organisations that support and celebrate Indigenous causes and stories. Alchemy Orange’s social media is also a hub for sharing information about issues, collective action, events, and support for the local community. Shahn’s commitment to her community and her use of Alchemy Orange to champion these causes is the perfect picture of courage during times of such uncertainty and hardship.

Alchemy Orange’s story offers an important parable. It is not how others perceive our collective trauma that defines us. It is how we weave the threads of our experiences into the tapestry of our lives that form our identity. We are not resilient, courageous, or strong for just simply giving up our lives, we are these things because we continue to choose to keep on living whilst staring down the belly of the beast. We keep fighting. The truly exceptional amongst us continue to advocate and care for the rights of others, despite the hardship of their own trials and tribulations. Shahn is one of those truly exceptional people. “Something I love about the florist industry, specifically during Covid-19, is the way the community got behind their local florist and ordered a bouquet for a loved one”, she says, “Flowers are the medium of bringing joy to a loved one and brightening their day”. There may be no elixir for pre covid life, but by using our collective experience to show bravery and strength in our own way there is hope to heal. There is hope to form a stronger, more resilient and caring community. There is hope for the future.

TalesofaVictorianlockdown would like to encourage readers to Pay the Rent at https://paytherent.net.au/

Djirra Vic - https://djirra.org.au/

Dhadjowa Foundation-https://dhadjowa.com.au/

Photos courtesy of Shahn Stewart and Alysha Jenkins

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Shahn’s collaboration with Alysha of alyshajenkins.cermics

A green light at the end of the tunnel.

Winter in Melbourne has never been synonymous with a city in hibernation. Even when the rain is pouring down, the streetlights shine off the concrete, leading you into the next buzzing local haunt. Lately, these beacons have become guides for ghosts as Victoria suffers through its fourth lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Once again, winter getaways, afternoons at the footy, nights at cosy pub, or a movie night at your mate’s are cancelled, leaving Victorians grappling with fear that the winter of 2021 will shroud us in the same dark fog of anxiety, isolation, disappointment and bitterness of 2020. A long term lockdown. 

Despite the heartbreak of broken plans and uncertainty, there are several people, organisations, and businesses that will help Victoria make the most of what winter has to offer, lockdown or not. One such group is Marshall Waters and his son Charlie, your friendly, neighbourhood sustainable wine merchants, and their indomitable staff at Rewine. Rewine draws on a centuries old European practice, allowing customers to return to their Brunswick East or Queen Victoria Market stores with their old Rewine wine bottles and refill them with a new wine of their choice. Not only does this practice prevent thousands of wine bottles being buried in landfill each year, it also stops energy loss and waste from melting a glass bottle down, reforming it, and transporting the bottle to its new home. Though the notion of sustainable winemaking may be novel to some, according to Marshall, “Wine is a naturally sustainable product because vines grow for hundreds of years, with many vineyard owners heavily invested in maintaining the biodiversity of the landscape, avoiding the use of pesticides or aggressive fertilisers as they affect the land and ultimately the wine”. Thus, the ethos at Rewine is “good wine is naturally organic” and as Marshall points out, “We only work with winemakers who share the same vision”.

Wine has always been a creature comfort, but during times of lockdown it has become symbolic of bringing the joy from a night out into our homes. But more importantly than recreating a night out, Rewine inspires their consumers to think about the transferability of sustainable practices to their homes and workplaces, a journey that echoes Marshall’s own. After studying architecture (with a focus on environmental design) at RMIT, Marshall was able to blend the skills and knowledge from his degree with his years of experience in hospitality to allow a private passion to flourish into a full bodied movement. Marshall now gets to share his love of wine and environmental conscience with those who are passionate about sustainability. And more converts are always welcome! “The best feeling is converting a bottle shop wine drinker into a wine refiller because each time a person is converted, that person saves hundreds of bottles going in the bin and reducing their carbon footprint”, says Marshall.

Though the services of Rewine were in demand during Stage 4 restrictions, they sadly did not escape the economic consequences of the months-long Lockdown 2.0. The Queen Victoria Market site dropped by about 70% and, as of the 1st of June, has not recovered to more than 60% of its pre Covid-19 levels. Though there is hope for the Vic Market site with a new generation of customers starting to appear as a result of recent unit developments starting to fill. The Brunswick East store is a much happier tale becoming “a point of local interest for those out on their daily walks”. Marshall explains that by “expanding the range of products we had on offer to include treats that people could enjoy with wine, we were able to get the message out to more people”. Consequently, the business at the Brunswick East store has doubled. Marshall and Charlie are thankful for the business to have kept on going, and are even more grateful for the retention of their wonderful staff (shout out to the amazing Tom!). “We have been in the fortunate position to maintain all of our staff and continue to pay them at properly agreed upon rates. New staff have replaced others who have returned home or moved on to other professional endeavours”, says Marshall. In conjunction with their eco friendly message, Rewine cautions Victorian consumers about being aware of how major hospitality groups have treated their staff over the past year, especially when they have been profiting off the JobKeeper programmes.

Vital to the Victorian hospitality industry is the support of local and state governments in granting permits for outdoor dining areas. With a huge pivot to takeaway and catering over the past year, Marshall says there are many indoor dining establishments (particularly in the city) that did not survive the lockdowns. Melbourne is overflowing with unique bars, cafes and restaurants, many of them crucial parts of local communities. But to retain them, and the culture they’ve created, both state and local governments must look at ways that they can reduce the costs and time taken to apply for new permits and licenses to allow premises to expand to cater for outdoor dining and to open up new stores. Major projects now require two years to get past the planning and application projects. A frustration that extends to the local community who value a business that compensates its workers justly, treats them with dignity, and promotes sustainability.

But if you look above the red tape of bureaucracy, the future is indeed bright. Charlie states that “more and more customers are becoming more and more aware of pursuing a lower carbon footprint. We will keep on growing in areas that we see as sympathetic to this concept”. A commitment to a cleaner and more equitable future is a notion all Victorians can support. Rewine’s environmental message, the relationships with their customers and suppliers, and growing the reduction of the carbon footprint is what keeps Marshall, Charlie,  Tom and all of Rewine’s staff coming back into work during such a precarious time. Looking forward to a time where there is no longer a need for lockdowns, Rewine is excited. Charlie is hopeful that “more wine will be sold in refillable containers and in bulk containers, and that there will be more reasonably priced hospitality options for all of the public to enjoy”. 

Many Victorians are finding it difficult to look ahead to the next weekend, let alone daring to imagine the sweet taste of freedom. Like checking in on your friends and supporting your family in the best way you can, it is essential that we continue to care for and cultivate our local community. Those working in hospitality, especially in small, local enterprises, have strived to provide a sense of normality during devastatingly abnormal times. Often with significant risk to their own health and finances. It is impossible to predict the future, but two things are perfectly clear. We must give back and support the local businesses who have continued to support us during lockdown, especially if they are playing their part in changing our future for the better. The other is that one day, lockdowns will be a thing of the past. And knowing that places like Rewine are there waiting to welcome us back with open arms, a sense of hope, and a refillable bottle of wine is the green light at the end of our dark, Covid-19 tunnel.

Welcome

Welcome to @talesofavictorianlockdown. The aim is this project is to elevate the voices of the people who have suffered, survived, and thrived during the Victorian lockdowns. Whether it be to support a local business or share the story of an unheard voice, @talesofavictorianlockdown strives to explore the human experience of the Covid-19 pandemic. @talesofavictorianlockdown is on unceded Wurundjeri land. The Wurundjeri people are the traditional custodians of the land, and I pay my respects to Elders past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land