Percussive Pots by Jon Williams played by Steven and Eddy at Rugby Art Gallery

Here’s a great film of how visitors to the exhibition have been using Jon William’s work. have you been to see the show? Did you have a go? Feel free to link to any videos of your visit in comments.

We got in touch with Steven and Eddy and here are their comments about the piece:

Steven said: I was impressed by Jon’s work even before I realised that I could even interact with the objects, I generally felt mischievous! It’s rare that you get a chance to touch art especially striking it to create sounds; I found his work very refreshing and fun! I was very taken by the whole exhibition there was a large variety of very talented artists, my favourite exhibition in Rugby Art Gallery this year!

And Eddy said: Glad you enjoyed the video. I found the art pieces very interesting, as I used to study music production at Northampton University. A lot of my projects consisted of using non traditional musical instruments to produce music. It always nice to see exhibits in Rugby, as there is interest within the town for arts. I have a sound scape piece I produced using only sounds within Cawston woods which may appeal to you and Jon. The link to the track is www.soundcloud.com/ed-woodwood/si-vous-allez-dans-les-bois

Thanks to Steven and Eddy!

Made In The Middle Symposium event 

School of Art & Design, University of Wolverhampton

Friday 3rd May 2013 

9.30am - 4.30pm with exhibtion viewing 5.00 - 7.00pm. (Transport available.)

Click here to book your place now. Deadline for booking is Monday 29th April.

Here’s an outline of what will be taking place on the day:

• 10.00 - 10.10am Introduction by Emma Daker (Exhibitions and Project Development Manager, Craftspace)

• 10.10am - 10.50am - Craft in an expanded field : Thinking across platforms, disciplines and ecologies - What is meant by craft as an expanded field? What is the potential to the craft sector and what examples are there of practitioners working across platforms and genres? New media and applied arts, a presentation by Tanya Harrod.

• 10.50am - 11.20am - New Approaches  - Exploring developments across the craft and media sectors in a discussion between Heidi Hinder (Artist Maker and recipient of a Watershed Craft and Technology Residency) & Victoria Tillotson, (producer, Pervasive Media Studio), in conversation with Tanya Harrod about Heidi’s project, ‘Money No Object’ in which she explores concepts of value and the role of material currency in the digital age.’ Followed by Q & A.

• 11.35am - 12.05pm - Ongoing Conversations - The importance of talking through practice and understanding the value of tacit and material knowledge will be addressed in conversation between David Littler and Helen Carnac discussing how their work as makers has shifted considerably into new avenues, disciplines and their moves into performance as a vehicle for their work. They will consider how this has developed, changed and challenged their approach to making. As members of Intelligent Trouble along with other collectives independently, they will debate their different and shared experiences of working in this way. 

• 12.05pm - 12.35pm - Group Benefits - Maker collectives are on the rise. How and why are they initiated and what are the benefits? Discussing the potential of collaboration, Gareth Neal (furniture maker and member of Bodging Milano), will highlight craft presented in a performative manner, in addition to the potential of working with commercial industries through the group’s activities alongside his own practice. 

• 12.35 - 1.05pm - A Question of Value - Luxury craft is a potential developing market for makers, both at home and abroad, reflected by schemes such as Walpole’s Crafted Mentoring Programme. Ndidi Ekubia (silversmith) will present her experience of the programme and the benefit of mentoring from Grant Macdonald (Grant Macdonald Silversmiths), in addition to the resulting maker network.    

• Breakout Sessions: 2.15pm - 3.15pm

• 1. Taking a Different Approach - This session will explore potential entrepreneurship within portfolio careers. Jennifer Collier, will present on the development of her gallery, workshop, and studio space Unit Twelve. This will be followed by discussion on potential other avenues of work within portfolio careers from both the morning presentations Jennifer’s work.

• 2. Developing Potential - Building on the Made in the Middle action research project Apprenticeships in the Making, this session will continue the current apprenticeship debate and provide information on the new Creative Employment Programme. Stuart Shotton (Learning and Engagement Manager, Craftspace) will present the Apprenticeships in the Making film and Iris Bertz (Creative Alliance) will present the potential of the Creative Employment Programme for makers to grow their business before opening the discussion.

• 3. Pathways to Portfolio Careers - A session aimed at students and new graduates to consider alternative routes to break into the sector and/or marketplace. Madeleine Furness will introduce the Craft Council’s Hothouse scheme, followed by presentations by recent alumni of the programme, ceramicist Anna Collette Hunt and textile artist Helen Foot, outlining their experiences before opening the discussion.

   

• 3.30pm - 4.20pm - Panel Discussion chaired by Tanya Harrod followed by her conclusion.

• 5.00pm - 7.00pm - Viewing of Made in the Middle at Bilston Craft Gallery with refreshments provided

#mitmpath

(Click the title for booking page)

If you loved Made In The Middle when you visited the exhibition or if you’d like to know more, the catalogue is now available to buy online for £5.00 + P&P.

Made In The Middle Symposium Event to be held on Friday 3rd of May at University of Wolverhampton. More details to follow.

The recent report ‘Craft in an Age of Change’¹ demonstrates the significance of higher education to the contemporary craft sector,

 “More than half of makers (61%) have a relevant degree and the number for whom it is a first career seems to be growing, suggesting that craft practice is becoming ‘professionalised’, and that an academic training in the subject…has become the primary pathway into the profession.” P.35, February 2012

This major UK survey which consulted over 2000 makers and craft professionals, was published in February 2012, the same month that Craftspace’s current touring exhibition Made in the Middle launched at mac birmingham. The report supports the main theme of the regional open exhibition; exploring pathways to making in light of the economic downturn and subsequent closures to applied art courses.

“More specialist craft courses have closed…than have opened.” P. 9, February 2012

 As a triennial exhibition, Made in the Middle enables Craftspace to explore and comment on current issues within the sector. Consequently Craftspace and the exhibition partners mac birmingham and The National Centre for Craft and Design; aimed to utilise this exhibition to explore various routes to professional practice through the careers of those featured in the exhibition.

For the purpose of the exhibition we explored three pathways to making, the traditional path, apprenticeships and as a second career. We also examined opportunities available, once more established, through the following themes Diversification of Making, Diversification from Practice and New Pathways.  

The Traditional Path

The most common route to a making career is from statutory education to an applied art course. As stated, there are concerns within the craft sector that this presents diminishing opportunities for people to break into making.

Yet applied arts courses are a proven, valuable basis for a making career, enabling practitioners to expand into a variety of roles and sectors, and to acquire important and inspirational theory as well as making skills. Once established there is the potential to progress into other areas of work.

Exhibitor, Gill Wilson studied Constructed Textiles at Winchester School of Art. Following a scholarship to study papermaking in Japan Gill set up her studio making wall pieces for the interior market. Gill has also taught in further and higher education. After working at East Midlands Arts as Crafts Officer, Gill was the Gallery Manager at the Harley Gallery, and is now managing an independent gallery in Derbyshire, in addition to her practice.

Apprenticeships to Making

Undeniably, apprenticeships exist within the craft sector, but they are, for the most part placements for graduates of applied art courses, rather than school-leavers. However there is growing interest in exploring apprenticeships as an alternative to university.

Whatever their route to practice, it’s essential that, once established, there are opportunities for makers to develop their thinking and skills further. Organisations within the sector are consciously creating continued professional development programmes, including incubation schemes for emerging makers or mentoring for more established practitioners, all of which seem to be having an impact.

Anna Lorenz completed a telecom engineering apprenticeship in Germany, followed by five years in the field before seeking a change of career. She launched into this with an apprenticeship to a Master Goldsmith before moving to the UK to undertake a jewellery and silversmithing degree at the School of Jewellery in Birmingham. Recently Anna sought mentoring to further her studio practice and participated in the FF2 Mentorship programme, run by Designer Maker West Midlands. This enabled Anna to rethink her approach to making, opening her practice to opportunities outside her discipline.

Making as a Second Career

A significant proportion of professional makers have come to craft practice as a second career, having worked in other industries for a substantial amount of time. A number of Made in the Middle exhibitors demonstrate alternative routes, but have often pursued higher education as a means to rationalise their ideas and skills.

Jan Garside began a fine art and sociology degree in America, but a work placement in the UK led her to become a nurse and midwife. Continuing to feel the need to create Jan attended evening classes which led to an access to higher education course. This was pivotal in her decision to undertake a textile degree. These courses provided the advanced techniques and professional approach Jan desired, and introduced her to weaving which forms the basis of her current studio practice.

It’s widely accepted that makers need to supplement their income rather than survive on their practice alone. How can makers remain viable whilst keeping their motivation and creativity vibrant? Portfolio career is an expression increasingly used which reflects the majority of making careers. Teaching, community work or commissions are all recognisable sources of income. Except today craft is a growing sector, an expanded field of practice, broader than traditional avenues. Through the course of the exhibition development we came across some interesting examples, perhaps accidental pathways.

Diversification of Practice

When operating as a sole trader it is difficult to make time to draw out new inspiration with the conflicting demands of managing a small business.

Nonetheless it is important for makers to push their practice. There is a need to identify time and seize opportunities which can enable the development of new ideas and exploration of different processes and techniques.

Esther Lord is a silversmith with a reputation for refined silver vessel forms with intricate surface pattern. Esther’s work was spotted by representatives of Nokia at Collect. They were looking to work with makers to challenge their own designer’s ways of thinking and to develop material led design. Esther was one of three makers they worked with. Following the recent Nokia project, Esther has been developing a new range of work which explores the potential of surface design using gilding metal, a departure from her usual material of silver.

Diversification from Making

Within portfolio careers, various experiences and projects inform makers’ practices or can inspire them to venture into new areas. Although still making in their chosen discipline, some exhibitors are also exploring new avenues to utilise their design and making skills alongside their own practice. Others are seeking ways to develop their own careers whilst supporting others.

As an experienced maker and workshop provider, Jennifer Collier was increasingly asked by customers and clients for somewhere they could see a coherent collection of her work. Consequently she set up Unit Twelve as a base for her operations and a space to develop different workshop ideas. Jennifer wanted to be able to offer a more rounded workshop experience; providing a greater insight into her working practice, as participants can see her studio, inspiration and work in progress. Unit Twelve also hosts a programme of themed craft exhibitions alongside the workshops. Consequently, Jennifer supports other makers to get their work seen and sold. Unit Twelve also hosts five artists’ studios.

New Pathways

As with all other industries, craft is developing and moving with the times. Since the last Made in the Middle exhibition there has been a marked increase by makers nationally in the use of digital technologies.

Contemporary craft also develops and changes through makers’ quests to perfect their skills and develop their knowledge. Makers are continually developing new pathways for themselves, pushing the boundaries of their making though experimenting with new processes.

Vanessa Cutler is concerned with pushing the parameters of water-jet cutting technology. In recent years she has been investigating the potential for its creative application with glass. This has led to the development of new work that utilises this innovative technology in an imaginative and unique way. Through questioning the boundaries of the process, Vanessa has developed knowledge of water-jet technology which is sought in a consultancy capacity by engineers.

There are a number of pathways, alongside higher education for entry into the contemporary craft sector, although the majority of exhibitors that took those routes ultimately wanted to validate their experience with an accredited applied art course.

Considering the careers of the exhibitors also demonstrated the value of programmes run by development organisations to continued professional development and the importance for makers to be well networked and the value of the ability to recognise an interesting opportunity.

Contemporary craft makers have a lot to offer both their sector and beyond, but they need to be more aware of their transferrable skills, or perhaps need help identifying them. There needs to be a conscious realisation that makers approach things differently which can lead to interesting pathways as consultants and a result of their material and technical knowledge.

1. ‘Craft in an Age of Change’ commissioned by Crafts Council, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales and Craft Northern Ireland, published February 2012

The exhibition is about to open at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum on Saturday.

Rugby Art Gallery and Museum
Little Elborow Street
Rugby CV21 3BZ
www.rugby.gov.uk
12th January – 9th March 2013
Tue-Fri 10am-5pm
Sat 10am-4pm
Sun and Mon - Closed
Bank Holidays 12pm-4pm

Anna Collette Hunt’s brooches and earrings are £9.60 +P&P.

They are made from ceramic and you can buy them from Craftspace or from the exhibtion which is currently at Hereford Museum and Art Gallery. Look out for Anna’s swarming beetles if you visit.

For every touring exhibition, Craftspace create an action research project in order to explore and inform the exhibitions key themes and ideas. In the past this has taken the form of a small community of African Caribbean Elders from Wolverhampton taking up residence in a National Trust Arts and Crafts property, to discover the slow evolution of pattern by working with a contemporary maker to design and print their own wallpaper for our 2009 tour, Taking Time – craft and the slow revolution.

In previous instalments of the Made in the Middle series we attempted to demystify the commissioning process by following a number of people from different backgrounds as they learned more about craft, through experiencing hands-on practical sessions and visiting makers in their workshops. The “At Home” series of projects investigated the reasons why people choose certain objects and their many responses to owning and living with hand-made objects produced especially for them.

As our focus for this current Made in the Middle tour is exploring career pathways into the sector we decided we wanted our action research project to explore the potential for an alternative possible pathway into the sector for young people, through an apprenticeship model. “Apprenticeships in the Making” followed eight young people as they experienced the skills of three exhibiting makers during special taster sessions, before four participant were carefully matched with two of the makers to proceed onto week long residencies. A film was produced which accompanies the exhibition which charts their progress.

 “Apprenticeships in the Making” has been warmly received by the many gallery visitors, with many people being “moved” by the young participant’s stories and expressing an interest in wanting to know what happened next in their life journeys, after the cameras stopped rolling. Almost a year later, we caught up with Vicky to discover what impact the project had on her and if the experience influenced her subsequent life choices.

To find out more about the Craftspace Collective and our extended work with young people you can visit our blog. 

If you would like to support our projects and the people we work with, we welcome any donation large or small. To give your valuable donation please go to our website where you can donate by PayPal.

Blog post by Stuart Shotton, Learning & Engagement Manager