Pop into the gallery to meet the makers of the Makers & Tools project. Each maker will be in residence for one day, working in the gallery and on hand to chat about any aspect of the project or their work. Don’t miss the gallery talks – a perfect chance to gain insight into the careers of contemporary craft makers and to learn more about their experiences of the project.

TODAY meet Christablel Balfour

Makers will be in the gallery from 11am - 6pm

Gallery Talk at 2pm

Pop into the gallery to meet the makers of the Makers & Tools project. Each maker will be in residence for one day, working in the gallery and on hand to chat about any aspect of the project or their work. Don’t miss the gallery talks – a perfect chance to gain insight into the careers of contemporary craft makers and to learn more about their experiences of the project.

TODAY meet Tim Evershed

Makers will be in the gallery from 11am - 6pm

Gallery Talk at 2pm

Pop into the gallery to meet the makers of the Makers & Tools project. Each maker will be in residence for one day, working in the gallery and on hand to chat about any aspect of the project or their work. Don’t miss the gallery talks – a perfect chance to gain insight into the careers of contemporary craft makers and to learn more about their experiences of the project.

TODAY meet Rachel Jones-Jones

Makers will be in the gallery from 11am - 6pm

Gallery Talk at 2pm

An informal networking event hosted with kind support by Independent Oxford, The Creative Duck Henley and Oxford Makers Group.

Finding good creative support can be tough when you are a self-employed contemporary craft maker, designer or artist, whether you need some creative input on your work, business advice or just a friendly face to share what it’s like running your own business and navigating your creative practice. Let us do some of the hard work for you! For this informal networking event we’ve invited some of the lovely people from Oxfordshire and surrounding areas whose mission in life is to support creatives like you. Join us to find out more about what services they offer and how they can help.

This is a FREE event but please book your place with The Old Fire Station

Join project coordinator Melody Vaughan as she gives insight into the creation of the project and the challenges of working with unknown outcomes.

What is it like curating a contemporary craft exhibition when there aren’t any objects until 2 weeks before the show? How do you manage a project where the outcomes are unknown? What are the challenges for contemporary craft curators? What opportunities are out there for exhibiting craft?

Hear more about the development of the Makers & Tools project and her passion for supporting makers in the early stages of their careers.

Tickets are FREE - book with The Old Fire Station

Join project coordinator Melody Vaughan as she gives insight into the creation of the project and the challenges of working with unknown outcomes.

What is it like curating a contemporary craft exhibition when there aren’t any objects until 2 weeks before the show? How do you manage a project where the outcomes are unknown? What are the challenges for contemporary craft curators? What opportunities are out there for exhibiting craft?

Hear more about the development of the Makers & Tools project and her passion for supporting makers in the early stages of their careers.

Tickets are FREE - book with The Old Fire Station

Pop into the gallery to meet the makers of the Makers & Tools project. Each maker will be in residence for one day, working in the gallery and on hand to chat about any aspect of the project or their work. Don’t miss the gallery talks – a perfect chance to gain insight into the careers of contemporary craft makers and to learn more about their experiences of the project.

TODAY meet Angie Packer

Makers will be in the gallery from 11am - 6pm

Gallery Talk at 2pm

Work alongside print designer Katy Welsh to explore composition and the art of colour play.

Taking inspiration from the Makers & Tools exhibition and the environment in the Old Fire Station, create your own abstract compositions and translate these into collage using hand-cut shapes. You will be working with brightly coloured stickyback vinyl, usually used for sign making and shop windows – Katy has discovered it is a great material for collage too!

During the workshop, which is suitable for all skill levels, you will create an individual collaged artwork that you can take away with you, and the opportunity to work on a larger collaborative piece which will be displayed in the gallery.

Tickets £10 limited places so book early with The Old Fire Station

About Katy

Katy designs patterns for companies across the world and has seen her work applied to products from gift wrap, mugs and cards to cushions and clothing.  She embraces anything handmade and collage has been a big part of her process from the beginning. Some of her biggest inspirations include Matisse, Picasso and the Bloomsbury group; she likes to have fun with design and is excited to share her knowledge with you.

Pop into the gallery to meet the makers of the Makers & Tools project. Each maker will be in residence for one day, working in the gallery and on hand to chat about any aspect of the project or their work. Don’t miss the gallery talks – a perfect chance to gain insight into the careers of contemporary craft makers and to learn more about their experiences of the project.

TODAY meet Katy Welsh

Makers will be in the gallery from 11am - 6pm

Gallery Talk at 11.30 am

Pop into the gallery to meet the makers of the Makers & Tools project. Each maker will be in residence for one day, working in the gallery and on hand to chat about any aspect of the project or their work. Don’t miss the gallery talks – a perfect chance to gain insight into the careers of contemporary craft makers and to learn more about their experiences of the project.

TODAY meet Harriet Elkerton

Makers will be in the gallery from 11am - 6pm

Gallery Talk at 2pm

A symposium for anyone considering a career in contemporary craft.

Are you contemplating a career in contemporary craft? Maybe you are an Art & Design student weighing your options, or a recent graduate/emerging maker embarking on your first steps. Perhaps you are someone secretly thinking about a career re-boot or change of direction. Whatever stage you are at, this symposium is for you.

Join us for an afternoon celebrating the diversity of approaches within craft careers and the importance of crafting a career that is unique, sustainable and works for the creative life you want to lead.

Guest speakers include the Makers & Tools project makers, ceramicist Elaine Bolt, weaver Imogen Di Sapia and interdisciplinary artist Rachael Colley.

Tickets £7.50 (Free to those in education) book through The Old Fire Station

Join project coordinator Melody Vaughan as she gives insight into the creation of the project and the challenges of working with unknown outcomes.

What is it like curating a contemporary craft exhibition when there aren’t any objects until 2 weeks before the show? How do you manage a project where the outcomes are unknown? What are the challenges for contemporary craft curators? What opportunities are out there for exhibiting craft?

Hear more about the development of the Makers & Tools project and her passion for supporting makers in the early stages of their careers.

Tickets are FREE - book with The Old Fire Station

Join us as we celebrate the opening of the Makers & Tools project exhibition.

Join New Brewery Arts CEO Beth Alden in conversation with artist Linda Brothwell as they discuss Linda’s work championing British craft skills and tools including the ‘Tool Appreciation Society’ exhibition and her ‘Handmade in Hull’ documentary on BBC4. A unique opportunity to gain insights into the creative practice of an artist at the forefront of debate in contemporary craft.

Tickets £25 please book through New Brewery Arts

This event is part of the Makers & Tools project – connecting makers in the SW and SE regions. It has been kindly sponsored by Clayhill Arts in Somerset.

About the artist

Linda Brothwell (b.1981) is a visual artist renowned for initiating a repair movement in the arts. She is currently pioneering a new understanding of the significance of British crafts skills and tools illustrating the importance of their value to economic, social and cultural development. Her work has been included in several solo and group exhibitions, including the British Pavilion at Cheongju Biennial, S.Korea (2017), “l’usage des formes” Palais de Tokyo (2015) and “The Tool Appreciation Society” (2017) a solo exhibition with an accompanying award winning BBC4 Documentary “Handmade in Hull”. She currently lives and works in Bristol.

Join the makers in a free drop-in workshop at New Brewery Arts, Cirencester to create your own imaginary tool using foraged and junk materials.

Tools help us do things – there are lots of tools out there already, but what about the tools that don’t exist yet? Help us invent a new collection of imaginative tools. Is there a very specific problem you need to solve? Can you make a tool to help? What problems might we face in the future? What tools will we need then? What tools might people doing crazy jobs need? Can you make a tool for them? Let’s get crafty solving those tool dilemmas!

 Suitable for everyone (young children will need adult assistance)

Do you find it hard to talk about your work in public? Many contemporary craft makers and creatives don’t enjoy public speaking and yet you’re often asked to communicate in person at shows or exhibitions, as part of projects or conferences, or as guest speakers for student or public audiences.  These situations are great opportunities to connect to your audience about the amazing work you do, so let’s deal with the anxiety and raise your confidence!

 In this workshop we will:

·       Identify your anxieties about public speaking and how to overcome them

·       Find your natural, authentic voice so you can talk with confidence

·       Discover what makes public speaking successful

·       Learn tips & exercises to use when preparing for and doing any public speaking

£40 - please book your place with New Brewery Arts.

*This workshop is a safe and friendly space. You will not be asked to do any public speaking.

This workshop is led by creative consultant Melody Vaughan. She runs a creative consultancy that focuses on communication skills, particularly writing, offering support to makers in finding their voice, communicating about their practice and writing effective and exciting text for websites, applications and social media.  Her approach is a friendly, conversational collaboration centred on dialogue and underpinned by a passion for communicating about making.  From her previous career as a Museum Education Officer Melody has years of experience delivering talks to all ages and backgrounds.

This event is part of the Makers & Tools project – connecting makers in the SW and SE regions.

Are you a maker looking to connect with other makers and craft sector professionals in your area? Join us for a fun alternative to the usual networking events and meet everyone in the room!

FREE but booking required as numbers are limited

This event is part of the Makers & Tools project – connecting makers in the SW and SE regions.