29 May Expert advice from the Craft Fellowships scheme
The Craft Fellowships scheme took place from April to December 2018 supported by Craftspace with Midland’s Arts Centre (MAC). Over nine months, five graduates from Midlands craft courses undertook a programme of professional development and skills-building to prepare for their own practice. Each fellow was also commissioned to create new work which will resulted in an exhibition at MAC in November 2018. Find out more about the scheme here.
The Craft Fellows are Stuart Crabbe, Danielle Laurent, Laura Marriott, Amy McCranor and Amarah Simms. Danielle and Laura were part of In:Site festival in 2017 and 2016 respectively, see what they produced during their In:Site day by clicking their names.
The fellows created blog posts sharing their experiences and expert advice from arts professionals on starting a career as a professional craftsperson.
These blog posts will be useful for any previous and prospective In:Site makers who want guidance on what next steps to take in their career from professionals who share a wealth of expertise in business and craft. The content ranges from fundraising and project planning skills to building relationships with galleries and experimenting with different materials.
Click on the links to read the fellow’s blog posts and get some top tips from the experts at each session:
- Thinking Big & Making it Real with Patricia van der Akker – The Design Trust
- Introducing regional and national organisations with Craftspace, Design Nation, UK Young Artists, New Art West Midlands, Unit Twelve, STEAMhouse, Modern Clay, Centrala
- Make Your Creativity pay – Undertaking a creative career with Pete Mosley – The Art of the Work
- Building relationships with public galleries with Jessica Litherland – MAC (also Private view 62 Group exhibition: Ctrl/Shift and chance to see Cornelia Parker’s One Day This Glass Will Break
- Building relationships with private/commercial galleries with Yvonna Demczynska – Flow Gallery
- Pricing, costs and business plan: How do I finance my creative business? with Gill Thewlis – Creative Industry Finance/Apertéa, Victoria Claire Dawes – studio potter and Caroline Jackson – Talent Development Manager – Crafts Council
- Presenting with Confidence with Steph Vidal-Hall
- An introduction to Intellectual Property & Copyright with Adam Turley – IP Solicitor at McDaniel & Co representing Anti Copying in Design (ACID)
- Preparing to Sell: marketing online and in print, approaching the press with Katie Honnor – Made by Hand online
- Alchemy of Cloth: 62 Group – Textile Masterclass with Hannah Lamb
- Product photography training with Yeshen Venema
- Ctrl/Shift: 62 Group – Textile Masterclass with Richard McVetis and Vanessa Rolf
- Fundraising & application writing workshop with Matt Roberts – Matt Roberts Arts
- Design Challenge at Dual Works Design Studio with Zoe Robertson & Steve Snell
- Wire work day – Jewellery Masterclass with Rita Patel
- Pain Free Project Planning with Ruth Singer
