It’s very sad to see our event organiser partners postponing trade events in the difficult circumstances of COVID-19, but everyone’s safety and health must come first. So we fully support our longstanding friends and partners at British Craft Trade Fair (BCTF) in their difficult decision to cancel their annual trade show this week. It will next take place 11-13 April 2021, at Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate.
Of course the Design-Nation team and exhibiting designer-makers are very disappointed to miss this special connection to specialist giftware and craft gallery retail, and all the lovely buyers we usually see. The BCTF team have over 35 years experience in the field and always present a great selection of makers. We’re not easily put off though and are delighted to be able to share online all of our planned content from this event: our five talented exhibitors from across the UK and their beautiful handmade work. We’re launching a daily feature on our social media channels, profiling each of these talented designer-makers, and asking them, “Why should retailers stock British handmade giftware?”
We’ll miss lovely Harrogate this April, but we will take you right to our virtual trade stand, to delight in the beauty and detail of each maker’s work: mosaic jewellery and decorative ware by Angela Ibbs, elegant silver jewellery from Atlantic Design Studio, porcelain and enamelled collectibles by Ann Povey, Emma-Jane Rule’s distinctive fold-formed copper vessels, and slipcast ceramics by Inner Finn.
Follow the link to see our gallery of work by these talented makers, which kicks off with Angela Ibbs. We also include three Design-Nation makers who would have stand-alone features at BCTF: Janie Knitted Textiles, new member Jenny Chan and Olive Pearson.
Updated 30 April 2020.
