We asked Jill Robertson of The Create Place to tell us about this great collective –
Fomerly known as Back to Basics, we operate a non-profit workshop space in Bethnal Green, London. We host craft workshops, offer open studio sessions and run pop-up shops to showcase our work. Our manifesto is to forge and inspire new artistic communities, both locally and nationally.
Any profits generated from our project fund arts activities to involve and enrich the local community, while the space itself provides a platform for new designers to sell their work. By taking minimal commission and allowing collective members to run the shop, each designer has a key role to play in shaping the project.
Why form a collective?
We all work best when we can bounce ideas off each other and even within the fiercely competitive world of craft where copyright issues at the forefront of all indie designers’ minds, there has been no better time to put on a united front.
Our manifesto.
Our aim is to elevate handmade crafts above the setting of chintzy fairs and restore a little individuality to high street shopping. The shop at The Create Place will be the destination for London, a space which has been curated to stock only hand made products from some of the best up and coming artisans at affordable prices. By offering a unique platform for artists to sell and promote their brands we hope to create a sprawling network of creatives which spans far beyond the physical workshop space.
More information about all aspects of our project can be found on The Create Place blog . For regular updates join our facebook group or follow us on twitter @thecreateplace
If you are a member of a craft collective, get in touch, we’d love to have you guest post on our blog! – hilary@folksy.co.uk
