From Stage Scenery to Your Home.
When theatres fell dark across Australia in March 2020 the effects were felt through the entire live entertainment industry. Productions were cancelled with no understanding of when they were to reopen. NJW Designs quickly prepared for their show stopping number to entertain the lost audiences with a functional range of products for the home.
NJW Designs, established by Nathan J Weyers, is a one-stop solution for design, fabrication, transport and integration of theatre sets across Australia. Being a small business with big ambition it is based in Ballarat, Central Victoria, and employs local talent from the community and attracts highly skilled professionals from across Australia. In the past 12 months NJW Designs collaborated on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Lion King the Musical, Disney’s Frozen, Salome for the Victorian Opera and Anna Karenina for the Australian Ballet. Future prospects were exciting but then the lights were turned off and audiences stayed home.
“When faced with the reality of 48 scheduled jobs cancelling overnight, that would have employed staff for up to 12 months, we had to think outside the box. Using our machines, staff and skills we quickly got back to work and within a week we had changed our core business from scenery to furniture,” says Nathan Weyers.
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Known in the industry for their initiative, NJW Designs introduced ‘Formed by Function’ - a unique product range for the home. Designed and made in Ballarat and delivered to your front door in a week, all products are flat-packed, and are assembled with no tools in under 2 minutes. For the work-from-home audience there are sit/stand desks, laptop and monitor stands and shelving. When it’s time to play the range includes hobby tables, indoor mini golf, childhood games and wine racks to keep everyone amused. The range continues to grow weekly with developments in outdoor furniture and beds, along with other exciting ideas born from their audiences’ feedback and suggestions.
With the creation of a brand new web store, products sold quickly, enabling NJW Designs to welcome back 9 of its previously released staff, and in fact now increasing production to 6 days a week. In addition the business is supporting a now-troubled industry that had rewarded them in the past, with $10 of each sale going to Entertainment Assist, Ballarat Art Foundation and the Actors Benevolent Fund.
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked creativity in adapting to a changing climate of audiences. Beyond the virus audiences will always need somewhere to work from home and children will always be doing homework. The products of NJW Designs are formed to function in our everyday lives.
