Carpe Diem: Carpe Fabrica!
The world has finally started to awaken. A clear indication that our national hibernation is coming to an end was the reopening of Canopy Market in King’s Cross and Boulevard Market at Islington Square in the middle of April. At last! So lovely to see everyone. After (endless) months of absence, it was a joy to behold the stalls being built, the traders setting up, the murmur of visitors. I used to take all this for granted. Not anymore!
As the world shakes off lockdown, now is the time for the making community to hit the ground running. There are opportunities to be grasped, and the continuation of the changes wrought by repeated lockdowns to navigate. These changes aren’t going away, virtual shows and selling online will continue unabated. We must therefore prime ourselves to make the most of what is offered, online and offline, while ensuring we get the greatest value out of everything we do.
If lockdown has highlighted anything, it is the precarious path, as creatives, we tread ... The rewards of a self-directed life are manifold, but it does mean we’re at the mercy of fate if the world – whether prompted by a financial crisis or a pandemic – shifts on its axis. This last year has been hard, and the lessons learned need to be spun into positive action, annealing our cores and proofing us for the future. We can manifest our positivity by utilising all the opportunities now available.
With this is mind, it is my personal mission to grab the bull by the horns! I will further build my mentoring and talks, so I can reach, and thereby help, more people. I intend to keep developing the craft side of Canopy and Boulevard Markets to give our fantastic makers, artists and designers more opportunities to sell. (By the way, have you visited them yet? If not, come along, we’d love to welcome you.) My continuing collaboration with Handmade in Britain will also be key – I have a talk already booked for June to prepare makers for Handmade Oxford – and then of course Chelsea will follow. For both, it is my plan to curate outstanding makers. Finally, I get to work with the ever-inspiring Richard Seager Annual Arts Award and the New Ashgate Gallery. There is much to keep me busy and much to be grateful for.
Our industry has faced real perils in the last year, but as a community we won’t be defeated.
Seize the day: Seize the making!
