In what had been a damp squib of a summer up to that point, Handmade Oxford opened to glorious sunshine. Over 150 outstanding designer-makers descended on Waterperry Gardens in Oxfordshire and so did thousands of visitors. It was a wonderful weekend and my first as Consultant Director of Handmade in Britain.
I’ve worked as an independent curator for Handmade in Britain since 2016, so I had some inkling of what goes on behind the scenes, but even I was surprised by how hard Piyush Suri and his team work. They are extraordinary. For makers, so much toil goes into doing shows, so much time, effort and expense, and here was the small Handmade in Britain team, honouring this monumental endeavour by committing everything they had to making the event a success. For me it was a baptism by fire! Huge blisters, leaden legs and a very raspy voice were a fitting reminder – for many days after the show closed – of just how many steps I had walked and how many conversations I had engaged in over the three days.
I commend the whole Handmade in Britain team (my new colleagues), the volunteers, build staff, marshals and of course the amazing designer-makers for the Herculean effort that, combined, made Handmade Oxford such a success.
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