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Radford Art Teacher, Ms Dimity Kidston, was initially sceptical when she received an unexpected email from Netflix. The streaming giant had approached her to create a tapestry that would appear on the homepage of their ‘Winter Warmers’ shows during August. With just six weeks to complete the project, Ms Kidston dedicated herself to the task, waking up at 5 am each day to spend two hours on the creative work before heading to school. The remarkable tapestry was eventually sent to Taiwan to be photographed for its debut.

In addition to this exciting endeavour, Ms Kidston is currently a finalist in the ACT Historic Houses Art Prize, with her artwork showcased at Lanyon Homestead until 15 October. Furthermore, she has an upcoming exhibition at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, scheduled from 20 September to 29 October.

You can view more of Ms Kidston’s work on her Instagram page @dimitykidston

When and how did Netflix track you down?

I think Netflix had been looking at my Instagram profile, and then approximately six weeks before the artwork was due, I received an email from them.

What did you think when you heard from them?

The IT department will be pleased to know I proceeded with caution. My family all said, “That’s a scam, watch out.” The email was followed by an online interview with a team from Singapore, and I know they also interviewed other artists at that stage.

What was the brief?

Netflix wanted a woven tapestry that depicted Australians getting together during winter. It was to be a happy gathering in a backyard, surrounding a fire. It was quite a tough brief given the nature of tapestry weaving. They provided a colour palette and the Netflix team checked in with me several times to see how the project was going.

Tell us about the final tapestry.

The final image has three people toasting marshmallows around a fire, with one wearing a flannel shirt and beanie.

How challenging was the tapestry to create within the timeframe you were given?

It was a particularly busy time for me at school, so I was a little worried about keeping up with my school commitments, but I couldn’t say no to Netflix! I got up at 5 am to do two hours of tapestry before school and then again in the evening. If anything, I kept on top of all my commitments better than normal as I had to stick to a strict schedule.

Where will the tapestry appear on Netflix?

You can see it in the categories section under ‘Winter Warmers’.

What does this opportunity mean for you as an artist and/or Australian artists more broadly?

It’s exciting to know that Netflix is supporting Australian artists and it’s a good opportunity to have my work seen by a wider audience.