by Alicia Here at Manchester Craft & Design Centre we are passionate about supporting new graduates. Currently, we have two University of Bolton Textiles & Surface Design graduates- Carys Lavin and Tiffany Maksymow- exhibiting in space2. Their three-day showcase was initially supposed to end tomorrow but due to popularity we have decided to extend…
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by Agathe 27th – 29th October 2017 Buy Art Fair brings galleries and artists to Manchester from across the UK. Over 3,000 original artworks will be for sale and there will be a host of exclusive events and activities at the fair and across the city. Find out more on their website here. Manchester Craft…
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by Agathe Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair October 12th – 15th 2017 Recognised as one of the leading selling events for contemporary craft in the UK, the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this October in Upper Campfield Market, just off Deansgate, in Manchester city centre. It showcases a wide variety of contemporary…
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by Agathe At Manchester Craft & Design Centre we like to see what our Spotted graduate makers are doing after finishing their courses. Ceramicist Charlie Manthorp has been involved in a number of projects since we spotted him at the MMU degree show in June, including Minecrafting Ceramic Narratives, a summer school delivered by artist Gemma…
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by Christine ‘Cup’ at Unit Twelve Gallery 31/08/17 – 16/12/17 Work by Studio 10’s Ella McIntosh of THIS IS PEWTER is on display at Unit Twelve Gallery in Staffordshire as part of their ‘Cup’ exhibition. The exhibition is a celebration of the humble cup and showcases vessels in all different types of materials and styles, from ceramic,…
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by Agathe On the 19th of August, we took Nell across to three locations around the city. Follow her journey in pictures, showing and explaining the workings of the letterpress. One of Nell’s ambitions is to share her knowledge of printing with others through workshops and demonstrations, making letterpress printing more accessible by taking her Adana…
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by Agathe Evolution of the Soccer Ball 2014 Chungkong is a Netherlands-based graphic designer. His work strips subjects like cult movies, books and sports down to their bare bones and brings them to life in vibrant and playful ways. The first official FIFA World Cup Ball was created by Adidas in 1970 and was made…
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by Christine Jahday Ford and Joe Hillary – winners of our 2017 MMU Graduate Award – have been shortlisted for the first-ever UK Rado Star Prize with their ‘Breathe’ project. The Rado Star Prize is an established competition that has run in countries around the world, supporting young, unestablished designers and giving them a platform…
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by Agathe “GROPES ARE UNIQUE LEATHER HANDLEBAR GRIPS. THEY OFFER THE BIKE CUSTOMISATION ENTHUSIAST AN INDIVIDUAL AND EYE-CATCHING ALTERNATIVE TO THE USUAL HANDLEBAR COVERINGS.” Gropes were inspired by original leather-wrap grips, but re-created with a twist. Gropes are hand-made from high quality vegetable tanned cowhides from Italy with pre-punched holes and come with a pair…
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by Agathe tokyobike is a small, independent bicycle company founded in 2002 in the quiet Tokyo suburb of Yanaka. The name was derived from the design of the bikes. In the same way the mountain bike was designed for the mountains so tokyobike was designed for Tokyo. In our exhibition, we have decided to…
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by Christine Suzanne Devine’s contemporary leather bags and accessories are now available to purchase from our online shop. Suzanne designs and makes unique handmade products in studio 9 here at Manchester Craft & Design Centre. Using high quality materials such as lambs leather and cow hide, she creates contemporary, simple, functional shapes for accessories and bags….
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by Agathe
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Visiting New Designers, in London is always a very exciting time. This year we spotted so much amazing talent on display. Five makers stood out from the crowd as our ‘spotted’ selection for 2017. Qingyang Shen Silversmith and Jeweller — Sheffield Hallam University Hand raised silver ‘spiritual vessels’ “My work is a conversation between myself and the…
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Exhibitions, talks and tours, shopping, events and workshops. Our summer programme will keep you busy throughout the summer months! During July and August we will be offering a variety of workshops, from jewellery-making, to floristry and calligraphy. Saturday 15th July, 10am – 1pm or 2-5pm, £35 — Taster Sessions with Manchester School of Jewellery Try out texturing,…
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Marged Owain was one of the students from MMU we selected as part of SPOTTED 2017. Her work is based on Welsh culture and heritage, celebrating Welsh craftsmanship through combining blown glass, turned wood and thread. At Manchester Craft & Design Centre we like to see what graduate makers are doing after finishing their courses. Here is what Marged will be…
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Channel 4 and Raise the Roof productions are looking for makers of all crafts to appear on the third series of ‘Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas’ and compete for the coveted titles of ‘Best decorated Christmas Tree’, ‘Best Christmas Hamper’, ‘Best Christmas Wreath’, ‘Best Handmade Advent Calendar’, ‘Best Wrapping’, ‘Best handmade gift’ and ‘Best Christmas Stocking’. The filming involves…
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Lead-free Pewter is a versatile and ‘eco-friendly’ metal which looks like silver but is very low maintenance, can be used with food, and looks super stylish around your home. Ella McIntosh, award-winning designer and Manchester Craft & Design Centre’s resident pewtersmith invites you to join her for a day of creativity. Pewter is malleable metal…
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“We are completely overwhelmed with joy and excitement on receiving the 12th Annual Exhibition Award! As craftsmen, the Design Centre has been a huge inspiration to our work and development throughout the years and we are over the moon with the chance to contribute our own exhibit early 2018.” ‘Breathe’ is a collaborative project between a glass…
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Lululemon is a yoga-inspired, technical athletic apparel company for both women and men. For their pieces within the exhibition, they have chosen a tank top and a t-shirt from their Silverescent range. lululemon discovered that silver – a material not usually associated with exercise or clothing – inhibits the growth of odour causing bacteria that occurs…
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You may have seen the pink hoodie or caught glimpses, but what you will have noticed is that this is no typical street wear. A high level of research and development has gone into putting together that pink. Vollebak have created a whole experiment centred around rest and recuperation, which includes a soundtrack to…
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Visiting the Manchester Metropolitan University Degree Show is always one of our the highlights of the year, and this year did not disappoint. We were very impressed with the high standard of the work, and the innovative use of a wide variety of materials. The team here at MCDC have been spotting talent at…
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Simply named ‘Darts’, we turn our focus onto the works of designer-maker Joe Hartley and illustrator & printmaker Rob Bailey. They collaborated both their individual aesthetic and making techniques to form a completely alternative take on the classic dart – something we all have thrown in abandon at a local pub without noticing the finer…
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We’re taking a focused look into a key piece of our Athletically Pleasing exhibition by Closca Design. Winner of The Red Dot Design Award in 2015, the Closca Fuga Helmet is an innovation in cycling safety. A minimalist design alongside a highly developed function creates a product like no other. The inner structure is made…
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Congratulations are in order… We popped down to the University of Bolton Creative Degree Show, and we were very impressed with the work we saw and the infectious enthusiasm of their students. Every year we give out the Manchester Craft & Design Centre Award to students we have selected for their talent and potential…
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As we head into degree show season, the team here at MCDC are gearing up to visit the local shows around the Greater Manchester area. We’re on the hunt for emerging talent from some of the best arts courses in the UK. This week, we’re visiting: Manchester Metropolitan University – Manchester School of Art Degree…
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Round up of some of the job opportunities around the North West. Spirit of Manchester: Invitation for quotes to design award trophy Deadline: 31st May 2017 Type: Paid commission Budget: £350 Artform: any design shape or form incorporating the Spirit of Manchester logo Macc’s annual Spirit of Manchester programme highlights the excellent work of…
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There are many fairs and exhibitions happening around the UK throughout the year. Take a look at some that might take your fancy. The London Artisan The London Artisan is a curated marketplace in the heart of East London. A collaborative project between Designers/Makers and The Old Truman Brewery. The London Artisan offer’s a diverse, quality, shopping…
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Thursday 25th May, 6-8pm ‘THEY THROW LIKE A DREAM’ Join us for the launch of Athletically Pleasing on Thursday 25th May when we’ll be holding an open darts competition unlike any other. The darts – which are featured in the exhibition – are handmade; crafted beautifully with a beech barrel, brightly coloured paper flights and a brilliantly sharp…
[read more] Athletically Pleasing is a showcase of products exploring how craft, design and innovative technology are being used to enhance both athletic performance and aesthetic appeal in sport. Within this piece we uncover the complex research and development which has lead to the creation of these pieces, and how they show the advancements of the new elite of…
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Manchester After Hours takes place for one night only each year – an evening of unique collaborations and exceptional happenings in unusual spaces across Manchester. This year we’ve joined forces with Bad Uncle to present a showcase of art, music and performance by practitioners based around the North West, inspired by the work of Alan Menken, the Oscar…
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