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Comment by Rebecca Skeels on March 15, 2015 at 9:31am

The Acts of Making festival opened in Gateshead. There'll be lots of events happening at The Shipley Art Gallery and around Gateshead until the 21 March including a skate jam, i-Log workshops and the chance to be a part of a global archive photography project.

We would like you to be part of the festival. Show us what you've seen and share your photos and comments about the festival via #Acts of Making
http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/listings/acts-of-making-shipley-art...

Comment by Rebecca Skeels on March 14, 2015 at 2:11pm

Tick Tock!
Deadline to apply for the GNCCF
is Monday 16th March.

Interesting Fact

75% of makers apply in the last 48 hrs before a deadline.
If you've not already applied, down your tools and get to it!

APPLY NOW
For the leading craft & design event in the North!

Great Northern
Contemporary
Craft Fair
8-11th October 2015
Old Granada Studios Manchester

Closing date midnight March 16th.
Apply online. www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk
"Brilliantly organised, thoroughly enjoyed the event, fab venue, great sales and fantastic social media exposure for my business" 2014 exhibitor


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In 2015 we're building on the solid foundation developed over the past 7 years adding new and inspiring experiences including Atelier - pop up studios, interactive installations, maker and curator talks and films on making.

Stands from £375.

Exhibitor package:

National & regional press campaign with emphasis on makers and their work.
Extensive maker profile promotion via social media.
Printed & digital promotional materials to send to your networks.
GNCCF website listing with image and maker info.
full colour image, description and contact details in show catalogue given to all visitors.
Extensive maker profile promotion via social media.
Complimentary passes to the show for your guests.
Exhibitor awards.
White plywood 2x1.5m stand.
2 spotlights.
Fascia board with your name.
Exhibitor storage area.
Discount exhibitor car parking.
Exhibitor discount in on site cafe-bar.
24 hour security.
Easy access parking for set up and breakdown including helpers.
Shared applications from two makers welcome. For further details, application guidelines and to apply on line please visit www.greatnorthernevents.co.uk

The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair is organised by Great Northern Events, a not for profit organisation, which champions contemporary craft in the North through promoting designer-makers and engaging new audiences of buyers and collectors.

Comment by Rebecca Skeels on March 14, 2015 at 2:05pm

Cornwall Design Fair
Invitation to Apply

Applications are now available for designers showcasing furniture, interior products, lighting, ceramics, glass, jewellery, textiles and fashion accessories. The show is open to designers from across the West Country and the UK.
Deadline: 31 March 2015
http://hiddenart.co.uk/2015/02/23/cornwall-design-fair-2015-apply/

Comment by Rebecca Skeels on March 14, 2015 at 1:58pm

http://emails.iconeye.com/c/15dKRzUVy5bbPrLnauEDJKX

Comment by Rebecca Skeels on March 12, 2015 at 1:40pm

Colour Group (GB) at Omnibus in Clapham (nr Clapham Common Stn) of interest:
http://www.colour.org.uk/meetingMarch15.php

Comment by Rebecca Skeels on March 12, 2015 at 12:46pm

Why creating a collection is so important, and how to do it successfully (with step-by-step exercise)

Written By Patricia 2 Comments

Many designer makers just create products that they like, launching them on their website or Etsy shop when they are finished.

They often keep adding more and more products as they go, creating an ever growing collection of products. Even, or sometimes especially (!), if they don’t sell much they keep adding more and more … creating an enormous monster of a collection.
To be honest … that’s a very ineffective way of working.

Creating a small, but well-thought-out collection of 5 – 8 products that work well together is one of the most important actions you can do if you want to be successful as a designer maker.

Why is creating a collection so important?

It will help you and your business in many different aspects of your creative business:
1. Think before you start

Of course … it is very tempting to create something immediately when an idea pops up in your head!

But if you research what your dream clients really want and need, when they are most likely to buy and how much they want to pay then you can save yourself a lot of time, money and stress creating unwanted products.

If you plan ahead you will quickly see when the best times are in the year to do your research and development, when to create new products, and when to launch them. Instead of being overwhelmed and juggle making, marketing and calling suppliers at any one time, you can group your activities together more efficiently and effectively in specific periods of the year.

If you take the time to research your dream clients, their needs and wants, then you can develop creative solutions with more interesting product ideas that your clients will be interested in. Instead of producing just another printed cushion with a fox or owl (ouch!), you start creating products or services that fit your clients’ life and lifestyle …

Lighting that is beautiful and luxurious, creating a lovely atmosphere.

Functional but soft leather hand-stitched bags specifically designed for architects or lawyers with loads of handy pockets.

Wonderfully soft and generous scarves in colourful silks.

Instead of having to think about ‘what comes next’, you will know what your clients are looking for. And once they have bought from you, your clients often will come back again and again. That’s what you need to build a successful creative business.

If you need to outsource production then it works much better if you get a larger order together in one go, then ordering many times a year. Most manufacturers won’t accept small orders anyway.

You can work with the flow of the market and sell more and much easier. Launching new collections during key buying periods (such as September for Christmas) will add more buzz and excitement (not least for yourself!) and can attract much more (buyer’s and press) attention than adding new items throughout the year.
2. Create a clear story & confident brand

A small but focused collection revolving around a singular concept or theme will express your style and story in a much more confident and attractive way.

Pruning all your ideas into a focused group of products will express your talents better and attract buyers. Having loads of products out there will often confuse potential buyers, and will cost you a lot of time, money and energy.

.......
http://www.thedesigntrust.co.uk/why-how-to-create-a-collec…/

Comment by Rebecca Skeels on March 10, 2015 at 4:40pm

Working in jewellery design
JOYCE THORNTON 18 APRIL 2012

Diana Porter runs a successful jewellery business from her shop and workroom in Bristol. She describes how she got started in jewellery design and challenges of running a jewellery business.

Items from Diana's collection are stocked in over 40 shops and galleries throughout the UK. Items from Diana's collection are stocked in over 40 shops and galleries throughout the UK.
Diana discovered jewellery design later in life. Her passion emerged in an adult education class, leading her to study full time for a BA (Hons) at UCE in Birmingham.

"Doing a part-time jewellery course completely focused me. I loved the way that metal moved."
She scooped the UK Jewellery Designer of the Year title just six years after graduating. She now employs a workforce of 14, and items from her collection are stocked in over 40 shops and galleries throughout the UK.

Diana’s accolades include the seal of approval from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, and she is included in their prestigious ‘Who’s Who in Gold and Silver’ list.

Prior to setting up her business, Diana had a varied career – as a teacher, actor and arts administrator running theatre groups. But she always wanted to develop her personal creativity, in particular making three-dimensional things.

Studying jewellery design
Diana says, “Doing a part-time jewellery course as an introduction to the discipline completely focused me. I loved the way that metal moved and I became absorbed by making little sculptural things.

"I just wanted to do it all the time, so I chose to study Jewellery Design. My design awareness and ability developed dramatically while I was at university. It was three years to take stock and create.

"As students we were presented with numerous design projects - and so I was pushed to develop my skills. The facilities available are vast and allow you to really experiment with different methods and techniques of jewellery making.

"My design awareness and ability developed dramatically at university. It was three years to take stock and create."
"I also learned a great deal about the history of art and design, which I loved. I would encourage anyone involved in design, to study at as high a level as possible.”

Diana advises that, “there a number of excellent courses on offer now, each with a different style of teaching.

"Do your research thoroughly to find ........

.....see link to read rest.

5 tips for building a career in jewellery
1. Learn as much as you can
"Maybe an HND or equivalent to learn making techniques, followed by a degree in design, and then maybe even an MA.

2. Stand out from the competition
"The trick is to develop your design skills so you are producing unique work that you are passionate about. This communicates itself to the people who might want to buy it.

3. Perfect your making skills
"If you make one-off 'art' pieces, then you will need to charge high prices to rich people. You will probably want to teach your craft in order to make a living.

4. Make your work affordable
"There are various ways of reproducing your work, as I do, to achieve a limited production collection, which is then more affordable. Some of my fellow designers get their collections made abroad, but this is not something I am interested in doing.

5. Get some experience of the business
"Setting up a business in this current climate will not be easy. I would certainly recommend work experience in all aspects of the trade. This can only be a huge advantage to pursuing a career as a jewellery designer-maker

Commissioned photography by Briony Campbell | Website by Creative & Cultural Skills and Bellamy Studio
© 2014 Creative & Cultural Skills. All rights reserved.
http://ccskills.org.uk/careers/advice/article/working-in-jewellery-...

Comment by Rebecca Skeels on March 10, 2015 at 4:24pm

INGOT PRIZE 2015
NEW ANNUAL ART PRIZE
CALL FOR ENTRIES
About the Prize
London Bronze Casting are a young and innovative foundry, working closely with Artists & Designers to make work in Bronze & Aluminium, from mould making through to patination, using the Lost Wax casting process.
This is a new annual prize from London Bronze Casting to support innovation and experimentation in the field of bronze casting, which will highlight and support both contemporary development and technical expertise within the medium
amongst the UK's 2015 graduating art students.
Closely aware of the financial pressures on students of the arts, the prize allows one outstanding winner to realise their work in an otherwise costly medium at the vital stage between graduation and working independently.
The Ingot Prize winner will have their piece fabricated at the London Bronze Casting Foundry, in collaboration with the working team. This has an equivalent market value of £2,000. The Prize winner will have their artwork displayed in a
central London gallery location in the Autumn/Winter of 2015.
The Prize Winner will be selected by a judging panel of experienced arts professionals, with name annoucements to follow shortly.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Ingot Prize you must be due to graduate in 2015 from a BA/MA/PhD/Mphil arts course at a UK institution.
Criteria
The panel will be particularly interested in proposals that:
- Address and respond to the context of bronze and the casting process - Present an ambitious and innovative approach to the technical processes involved in the artworks' creation
Timetable
The Ingot Prize offers a generous submission period to accommodate the demands on students' time in view of Degree Show commitments.
Submissions open: Monday 2nd March, 2015 Submissions close: Midnight, Friday May 29th, 2015 Results announced: Late June 2015 Fabrication period: July-October 2015 Exhibition: exact TBC - October onwards 2015
How to apply There is no application fee. Download the application form from www.londonbronzecasting.com/ingot-prize

Comment by Rebecca Skeels on March 8, 2015 at 2:04pm

New Book... remember the exhibition!
From the Coolest Corner: Nordic Jewellery by Liesbeth den Besten, Jorunn Veiteberg, Love Jönsson, Päivi Ruutiainen
'From the Coolest Corner - Nordic Jewellery' presents ground-breaking and fresh jewellery from Northern Europe, a comprehensive selection of current works by artists from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic States.
http://www.coolestcorner.no/publication.html

Comment by Rebecca Skeels on March 8, 2015 at 2:01pm

Art Playground are creating an innovative, accessible art installation: the Art Maze.
We want to commission local Gloucestershire artists, especially young, emerging artists who would be interested in creating something for the maze.
This is a fantastic opportunity to exhibit your work in a professional, public space.

Where do you fit in?
We are now in the final stages of designing the maze and are offering 4 commissions of £500 each (all inclusive fee) to form part of the maze
The frame and walls of the maze will be just over 2m high and in multiples of 1m widths. We're looking for artworks that could cover a flat 1m x 2m wall panel minimum or could include the ceiling, walls and floor of a section of the maze or be installed in a dead end (dead ends will have 2m sq floor space).
Artists working in paint, collage etc. can use the wooden panels provided to create the walls maze (2m high and in multiples of 1m wide). For mixed media artists and for installation and sculpture artists you can choose to use the wooden panels or to create the walls out of different materials using the metal frame provided.
The theme of the maze isThis is Creative Cheltenham- showcasing Cheltenham's alternative creativity through its artists, history and celebrating Cheltenham's different communities.

How to apply
To let us know you’re interested please send:
- a short paragraph about the kind of thing you would like to create
- an example of some of your previous work – either a website link or you can send us photos.
- a CV, so we have contact details and a better idea of your work

Please email all submissions & any enquiries to:
[e] niki@artplayground.org.uk
by 13.03.15
[w] artplayground.org.uk

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