Making connections, getting inspired, hatching plans

Shaping the Future: making a vision for craft in the North West
Conference
10 March at the University of Bolton
12.30-7pm

Tickets £15       Book here


Make connections, build your practice, talk about your challenges, and hear talks by people who make, move and shake in the craft world. You'll have a chance to shape future plans, as well as meet and network with some of the UK and Ireland's best makers and craft organisations.

Open to makers, curators, galleries, managers - anyone who works with contemporary craft in the NW. Make connections, be energised & hatch plans to put NW craft on the map.

Speakers are Louise Allen, head of programmes and innovation for Craft and Design Council Ireland; Geoff Mann, Scottish glass artist, innovator and educator and Liam Hopkins of Lazerian, an internationally renowned creative studio based in Manchester.

Organised by the NW Craft Network in partnership with the University of Bolton

More about the day here
Book tickets here

Top NW Museums bring stunning craft to Ornament at GNCCF

Propagation Project: Super Jumbo Nigella, Wave, Junk Mori (see below for more details)  

Some of our North West Museums are keen collectors of contemporary craft, and 2014 sees a unique event at Manchester's Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair that tells us something more about the top quality craft that can be found around the region.

Curated by Kelda Savage, ORNAMENT is a selling exhibition of contemporary craft by some of the UK's most eminent makers. It will run alongside the main fair and add something extra special to the mix of craft and design on display.  The show will tell the stories of some the UK's our best artists and makers, and of the North West Museums who have collected their work.


Not only that, there will be the chance to buy additional pieces by these artists - a fantastic opportunity to invest in a unique and remarkable handcrafted object to enrich not only your own life but future generations!

So go along and see mesmerising work by Alice Kettle (collected by the Whitworth); Bob Crooks (MMU Special Collections); Caroline Broadhead (Jo Bloxham); Kate Malone (Blackwell, the Arts and Crafts House); Junko Mori (Touchstones Rochdale), Michael Brennand-Wood (Bluecoat Display Centre) and Walter Keeler (Gallery Oldham)

Great Northern Events is a member of the North West Craft Network

More image details - Propagation Project: Super Jumbo Nigella, Wave.  This is the largest piece of Junko’s work produced to date.  Photo courtesy of Junko Mori and Adrian Sassoon

Introducing the North West Craft Network

Touchstones Rochdale, a NW Craft Network member. Photo Vincent James

In 2012, a group of people met to discuss the state of play with contemporary craft in the North West.

Ranging from top galleries and museums to individual makers, arts agencies and advocates, the group set out to see what could be done to strengthen high quality contemporary craft in the region.

Out of this was born the North West Craft Network, a gathering of curators, galleries, museums, Arts organisations, collectors and makers based in the North West of England, UK.

Aside from their involvement in directing and managing museums, galleries and creative businesses, these people can be identified by their huge passion for craft, their desire to see it thrive in the North West, and a willingness to put their considerable energies to work to build a collective identity and health ecology for the sector as a whole in the North West region.

New Glass, Jan-May 2013 at Blackwell House, Cumbria

Once up and running, the group set out to understand the lay of the land with Craft in the sector, and have identified four key areas to explore. Check these out here. In April, we were successful in gaining funding to take some significant first steps.

For more about the North West Craft Network, who is involved and how you can stay connected with what we do, click here.

A boost for contemporary craft in the North West!

• Developing the market for collectors
• Maker development
• Perception and advocacy of the craft sector
• Curatorial development

Four things the North West Craft Network set out to tackle in a recent funding bid that aims to boost the contemporary craft sector in the North West.

We're delighted to tell you that we were successful! Now we have some work to do....

The award, which comes from Arts Council England's Grants for the Arts scheme, will enable the Network to look at four key goals: market development, including developing the collectors market; maker development in the region - improving access to funding, studios, equipment and support; perception and advocacy of the craft sector within the region and curatorial development including critical writing.

The funding will enable us make significant inroads into addressing these issues. We will be organising three events that support maker and curator development as well as employing a part time coordinator to administer these events, help build the Network and support the next stages of the network's activities.

For more about the North West Craft Network, click here.