Long before the Perth Technical School offered training in ‘mechanical drawing’ to a small group of students on the banks of the Swan River in 1900, First Nations people were sharing knowledge, culture, and creative practices that shaped the artistic and cultural landscape of Western Australia.
Steeped in the traditions of many cultures, North Metropolitan TAFE is proud to have served as a creative hub for thousands of Western Australian artists, designers, and media producers and is celebrating 125 years of contribution to the social, cultural and economic development of Western Australia.
More than 2,000 creative industries students converge on the college's city campus in Perth's cultural precinct each day to learn their craft under the guidance of vocational experts in state-of-the-art facilities that mirror current industry practice. Our graduates have made outstanding contributions in fields such as arts, graphics, jewellery, fashion, photography, electronic media, film, animation, music, interior and industrial design.
TAFE 125: Creativity in the City is a yearlong series of events involving alumni, staff (past and present), industry leaders and community members that celebrates the history of North Metropolitan TAFE and looks to the future of creative industries in Western Australia.
Current and upcoming events
TAFE to FAME Exhibition
1 April to 30 April
Council House, 27 St Georges Terrace Perth
Part of the Boorloo Heritage Festival, TAFE to FAME honours the success stories of artists and teachers who honed their skills through the TAFE system, showcasing their diverse contributions to the arts and their impact on the creative community.
It celebrates the transformative power of TAFE and also includes works from contemporary graduates.
PASTE & PLACE: Celebrating Northbridge’s Diversity
1 April to 30 April
Nick's Lane, Northbridge
Part of the Boorloo Heritage Festival, PASTE & PLACE: Celebrating Northbridge’s Diversity invites you to follow the poster trail designed by NMTAFE Graphic Design Students and explore the rich cultures of Northbridge.
A collaboration with the Chung Wah Association, Two Centuries of Chinese Heritage at UWA and the National Archives of Australia
Image: PASTE & PLACE Kaya, wanju Welcome poster. Sav Subedi for NMTAFE
Metal and Memory
1 April to 30 April
Trinity Arcade Cabinets, off Hay St Mall
A display from NMTAFE Jewellery Design Students, and part of the Boorloo Heritage Festival, Metal and Memory explores Perth's architectural and structural details from historic buildings and translating them into unique contemporary jewellery pieces.
Legacy Lab
1 April to 30 April
Perth Town Hall Foyer
Discover interactive 3D models, by NMTAFE Interior Design Students, that digitally preserve and showcase some of Perth's historic Art Deco buildings.
This project, that is part of the Boorloo Heritage Festival, is presented in collaboration with the Art Deco and Modernist Society of WA as part of the Art Deco in Perth exhibition.
Image: ADELPHI HOTEL. PERTH 3 JULY 1936. Courtesy of State Library of Western Australia: 095061PD
Night Times
7 April to 30 April
90 King Street, Perth
Gobbles, Beethovens, Hannibals, Pinocchio's, The Red Parrot, Connections… travel back to an era of double denim, big hair, shoulder pads and shiny lycra with the NMTAFE Fashion students as they look to Northbridge nightclub fashions from the decades past as inspiration for new creations.
Perth Nightclub Fashion is part of the Boorloo Heritage Festival.
Works From the Collection
26 May to 26 June
Gallery Central, Perth campus
Works From the Collection highlights the rich tradition of established and emerging practitioners and recent graduates that are part of the NMTAFE Art collection.
The artists are associated with the long history of NMTAFE, that includes the Claremont School of Art, Perth Technical College, St Brigid’s and the Central Institute of Technology.
First Nations New Works
7 July to 7 August
Gallery Central, Perth campus
First Nations New Works explores the legacy of WA colonial history. Ron Bradfield Jnr., Bruce Bradfield and Brett Nannup address aspects of this legacy that have impacted on their personal stories and those of their mothers through prints, sculpture and installations.
We are of this place, and we have been shaped by our circumstances.
Footings
27 September to 31 October
Gallery Central, Perth campus
Footings is a group exhibition featuring mixed media pieces from past and present NMTAFE lecturing staff that showcases a long-term collaborative approach to developing and exhibiting works.
The artists explore ideas responding to psychological, sensory, phenomenological and cultural senses of place and social relationships.
2025 Graduate Exhibitions
17 November to 5 December
Gallery Central, Perth campus
The Creative Industries Graduate Exhibitions highlight the fantastic work our talented students have produced throughout the year across the different creative areas including Photography; Animation, Game Art & VFX; Building Design and Drafting; Fashion and Textile Design; Graphic Design; Interior Design; Jewellery Apprentices; Refine Ceramics; and Visual Arts.
Image: Garments by Alessia Edmondson - Fashion Graduate 2021
Past events
SHINE: A Group Exhibition
19 March to 3 April
Gallery Central, Perth campus
SHINE brings together a diverse range of creative expressions from our recent graduates in Interior Design, Fashion and Textiles, Visual Art, Building Design, and Graphic Design.
The exhibition provides a unique glimpse into contemporary artistic practices, highlighting the innovative approaches of emerging artists across various disciplines.
LEVEL 3
26 March
Building 1, Perth campus
The North Metropolitan TAFE Fashion Department presents LEVEL 3, a bespoke runway experience showcasing a diverse selection of garments by recent NMTAFE fashion alumni and current students.
Part of Perth Design Week(opens in a new tab) LEVEL 3 will be held on a hidden roof terrace tucked behind the State Library and WA Museum Boola Bardip.