Select Showcase opens in Cheltenham in the historic Cheltenham Town Hall running for 3 days: 23rd – 25th October.
Presented by SITselect the Showcase will be a 3 day festival,  bringing individual maker stands plus a stimulating mix of talks, workshops, demonstrations. There is also a  one day conference.
There are 78 makers’ stands, 4 Colleges of Art and Design showing graduate’s work, an area featuring World Textile stands and exhibitions of contemporary craft work. There is the chance to learn something new, buy something extraordinary, or just admire the outstanding creativity of our designers and crafts people.
A major part of the Showcase is a series of talks with speakers immersed in the world of weaving.
Rethreaded series of talks
Friday 23rd  offers a series of stimulating talks around weaving journeys.
In Conversation Penny Wheeler & Maryrose Watson
Chair: Theo Wright
Penny Wheeler is a hand-loom weaver and artist who explores the complexities of the craft whilst also subverting the conventions of the discipline.
Maryrose and Penny will be in conversation with Theo Wright discussing how they work, the freedom and limitations of working within a grid and how colour informs their practice.
Jilly Edwards in conversation with Ismini Samanidou
Two tapestry greats delve into their different methods of working.
Jilly is a tapestry weaver and Ismini a weaver both hand weaving and jacquard. They have a shared language and a common understanding through threads.
Chaired by Felicity Aylieff
Hot House artist, Theo Wright in conversation with weaver Ismini Samanidou
Theo Wright will discuss his latest work where he explores weaving and mathematics with Ismini Samanidou. They will compare their approaches including how digital and handmade processes can work together.
Saturday 24 October
One Day Conference
Crafting the Future: Technology and the Handmade
Saturday 24th October
10.30am- 5.00 pm Drawing Room
Tickets: £80.00 Concessions £ 35.00. Ticket price includes light lunch and refreshments.
Note that concessions are limited so apply soon to avoid disappointment. Concessions are for full time students and Friends of SITselect.
Crafting the Future: Technology and the Handmade continues our conference theme, bringing together renowned international artists, designers and makers from around the UK for what promises to be an inspiring and thought provoking day.
Among the 12 inspiring speakers are Nadia Anne Ricketts and Sophie Zajicek with Olywaseyi Sosanya.
Crafting the Future: Technology and the Handmade
Session One
Mark Henderson (founder of The New Craftsman) Mark has worked in luxury goods for most of his professional life. Mark is also patron of the Heritage Craft Association.
Peter Layton (London Glassblowing) Peter Layton is one of the world’s most widely respected glass artists and he has done more to promote glassmaking as an art form than anyone else in Europe. He has influenced, encouraged and nurtured several of this country’s leading glassmakers and has inspired many more internationally
Chris Eckersley works as a freelance designer and current clients include Liberty, Heal’s, John Lewis, and Lloyd Loom of Spalding. Interests and obsessions include drawing, colour, and good proportion
Mary Greensted has worked as a curator, building up the internationally recognised Arts and Crafts Movement collection in Cheltenham and organising touring exhibitions. She is currently chairman of the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen.
Ptolemy Mann textile artist, designer and colourist. She also works as an architectural colour consultant, journalist and lecturer. Her unique approach to hand dyeing and weaving in a dynamic modern context brings her craft into the 21st century.
Chair: Dr. Maureen Bampton has over 25 years experience working in the contemporary crafts as Director of Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool
Solo speakers include:
Session Two
Hand on the Code: Old Tools are New Tools Speaker: Laszlo Beckett
Laszlo Beckett combines the aesthetics of fine furniture making with contemporary digital design.
Working in solid hardwoods, his designs embrace traditional skills with their emphasis on strength, beauty and lasting purpose whilst exploring the new landscape of digital craft.
Walking by Moonlight: Speaker: Michael Eden
Michael Eden began his career as a potter and now uses digital manufacturing techniques and materials to create unique pieces that blur the boundaries between craft and design.
Woven Dimensions
In Conversation: Sophie Zaijeck with Nadia Anne Ricketts
Nadia-Anne Ricketts, founder and creative vision behind art-led textile label Beat Woven is on a mission to bring a new experience to music, visually, into our lives through product and beautifully executed design, enhancing emotional connections with our living spaces
Sophie Zajicek’s work is an investigation into woven structures and yarn combinations with the aim of producing innovative fabrics to be integrated within technical textiles for sportswear, vehicle design and architectural textiles.
Olywaseyi Sosanya works with Sophie Zajicek and will join the conversation
Makers Dozen: with Joe Hartley and Elle Simms
Joseph Hartley. Joseph designs and makes objects in his workshop located in Manchester. The materials he uses are simple. Often wood, clay and cloth. He uses low-tech tools to work them, like a lathe, a potters wheel and sewing machines.
Elle Simms: Maker/ educator. Elle is material led, conceptual practitioner and a jeweller of sorts. Teaching Three Dimensional Design and Outreach Support Tutor at Manchester School of Art. Her practice and work are unequivocally connected and inform one another, feeding each other almost.
Full details and tickets www.sitselect.org showcase pages
Images and text: SIT Select/artists own
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