Craftspace

The Made in the Middle catalogue is now available to buy in our online shop and at the exhibition. Working with designer Sophie Dutton @sophiedutton and Impress Printers @impressprinter we have aimed to make the catalogue more sustainable. Impress Printers are an organisation with an ongoing sustainability programme and one of only a few Carbon Balanced Printers in the country. They actively support the important work of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) and the World Land Trust. The text material is recycled uncoated paper, and the transclear sheets are FSC, all printed with vegetable-based inks. The plastic used for the binding coils is 97% recycled. Impress calculates the carbon produced during the material production, printing, and finishing of the catalogue, and this will be offset at the end of the year. Head over to our website (link in our bio), or to our tour venue to secure yourself a copy! Inside are essays by Andrew Tanner, Deirdre Figueiredo MBE, co-curators Emma Daker and Hugo Worthy, Emma Crichton-Miller and Guest Curator Jazz Swali, as well as artist profiles on the 37 artists featured in the exhibition. #MadeITM #MadeInTheMiddle #ContemporaryCraft #TouringExhibition #ACEsupported @aceagrams #LetsCreate #MidlandsCraft #ExhibitionCatalogue

#CuriousAboutCraft? Here’s a round-up of what’s on… #ShelanuCraft will be selling at @mac_birmingham 's Arts Market on Sunday. They’ll be selling Shelanu’s collections plus some unique pieces and framed enamel works. Please do come along to browse extraordinary handcrafted treasures from our local creative community. It's free to attend and takes place from 10am - 5pm in MAC's Foyer. Sun 17 May | 10am - 5pm | FREE | MAC's Foyer ALSO: Applications are now open for the @ikongallery Ceramics Fair! ⁠ ⁠ Ikon Ceramics Fair takes place on Sunday 12 July (11am-4pm) and celebrates the art of ceramics from across the region. ⁠ ⁠ If you are a local independent ceramic artist, apply for a stall via the link in their bio. The cost is £30. ⁠ ⁠ Application deadline: Monday 1 June, 12pm. ⁠ ELSEWHERE: #ACEsupported @aceagrams #WhatsOn #ContemporaryCraft #MACArtsMarket

We’re celebrating 40 Objects for 40 years #40Objects40Years A big mug (of tea) - James and Tilla Waters @james_and_tilla_waters Birthday present for staff member This mug was a gift from all the member of staffs on a ‘special’ birthday. A tea lover who likes a BIG mug. It is made by artists who have exhibited in Made in the Middle exhibitions over the years, bringing back memories from a long career working in at Craftspace. It is lovely to drink from and something to really look forward to, especially first thing on a Monday morning. A beautifully made mug which is well used and treasured (one of the first things that was ‘saved’ after the flood in our office). Nominated by: Lisa F, Craftspace’s Marketing Manager. To celebrate Craftspace’s 40th Anniversary, we commissioned the artist Stewart Francis Easton @stewarteaston to create an artwork which would explore the story of Craftspace through 40 objects. Stewart created a series of four beautiful graphic quilts. You can see them on our website via the link in our bio. Images: 1. Massive Mug drawing by Stewart Francis Easton. 2. Full mug of tea. Mug by James and Tilla Waters. 3. All of the office mugs, plus illustrations by Smilla. 4. Mug next to the blue quilt by Stewart Francis Easton.

#CuriousAboutCraft? Here’s a round-up of what’s on… #ShelanuCraft will be selling at @mac_birmingham 's Arts Market next weekend. Please do come along to browse extraordinary handcrafted treasures from our local creative community. It's free to attend and takes place from 10am - 5pm in MAC's Foyer. Sun 17 May | 10am - 5pm | FREE | MAC's Foyer ALSO Look out for some of our recent project artists if you're at London Craft Week @londoncraftweek , 11-17 May. Made in the Middle exhibitor Clare Pentlow @cjpdesigns_ is part of the Future Icons @futureiconsselects exhibition which is part of London Craft Week. 15 - 21 May | Open 12 - 6pm daily | FREE | 83 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY Annie Higgins @annie_higs , who has been working with us exploring Queer Metals and Queer Ecology, is doing a demonstration at the V&A @vamuseum with @cbsilversmiths on the 12 May, in the morning. Annie also has work on show, developed during her residency at Bishopsland Educational Trust @bishopsland_educational_trust , at Cutlers' Hall on 12 May. Demonstration - Tues 12 May | 11am - 4pm | FREE | V&A South Kensington, SW7 2RL Exhibition - Tues 12 May | 3:30 - 7:30pm | FREE, booking essential | Cutlers' Hall, EC4M 7BR ELSEWHERE Some of us are hoping to visit THREAD group exhibition, on at the Sarah Myerscough Gallery @sarahmyerscoughgallery until 16 May. The exhibition is an international survey of woven work, highlighting how the ancient craft reflects creative communities and exchange. The exhibition essay has been written by Emma Crichton-Miller @emmacrichtonmiller , who also wrote the exhibition essay for Made in the Middle. Until 16 May | Open 11am - 5pm daily | FREE | The Schoolhouse, W1K 6TG #ACEsupported @aceagrams #WhatsOn #LondonCraftWeek #ContemporaryCraft

We’re celebrating 40 Objects for 40 years #40Objects40Years Tea4Change Teabag – Mahnaz Making for Change youth craftivism workshop This hand stitched ‘teabag’ was designed by Mahnaz. Mahnaz was one of the first participants in our Making for Change programme. Her impactful project celebrated the diversity of Birmingham bringing different communities together including the Mayor of Birmingham to stitch, chat and share a cup of tea. Talking and making together is an important part of Craftspace practice. It helps us explore complex issues and find the things we have in common. We are still working on this youth-led craftivism project 12 years on, and we are still in touch with Mahnaz. Nominated by: Deirdre Buckley, Learning and Engagement Manager Sarah Lopez, Youth Creative Apprentice who worked on this project. To celebrate Craftspace’s 40th Anniversary, we commissioned the artist Stewart Francis Easton to create an artwork which would explore the story of Craftspace through 40 objects. Stewart created a series of four beautiful graphic quilts. You can see them on our website via the link in our bio.

#CuriousAboutCraft? Here’s a round-up of what’s on… Made in the Middle may have finished touring but, if you missed it or you want to have another virtual look around you can now do that via the link in our bio or on our website! The online tour includes accessible information about the artists including audio descriptions and BSL. Take a virtual walk around the gallery and find out more about the wide range of work on show from artists living in the Midlands. ELSEWHERE: London Craft Week @londoncraftweek is coming up! From 11 until 17 May, there will be a city-wide celebration of exceptional craftsmanship. Head to their website to see their 2026 programme. If you're there on 11-12 May, why not visit Cockpit Studios @cockpitstudios to celebrate them being a cornerstone of UK craft for 40 years! Hosted at their historic Bloomsbury studios, visitors are invited to meet the vibrant community behind the labels, ranging from ceramicists and textile artists to contemporary sculptors and artisans preserving heritage techniques. ALSO This is the last weekend to see 2126: A Ceramic Odyssey, curated by Jihyun Kim @kimkim_ceramic , at County Hall Pottery @countyhallpottery in London. The exhibition explores how ceramic practice might evolve in the year 2126, in a world where human ingenuity, living organisms, and material intelligence are deeply intertwined. The exhibition presents works by contemporary ceramic artists whose practices already push beyond conventional material boundaries. Featuring works by @kimkim_ceramic , @tessa_eastman , @tonilosey , @caspiceramics , @eeiiaaiirr the exhibition brings together practices that already stretch what clay can be and do. Open until Tuesday to Sunday, 11am - 6pm. County Hall Pottery, Belvedere Road, SE1 7GP. Free entry. #ACEsupported @aceagrams #WhatsOn #LondonCraftWeek #ContemporaryCraft

We’re celebrating 40 Objects for 40 years #40Objects40Years Safe key (c.1850) E. Cotterill & Co. This ornate key is for our antique office safe. We love our characterful and beautifully made safe, except for when it needs moving, it is VERY heavy! It’s lovely to have an object, that we use every day, which has been made with such care and connects us the history of industrial making in Birmingham and the Jewellery Quarter. Edwin Cotterill and Co was established in Birmingham in 1840 and made locks, safes and chests. Nominated by: Emma Larkinson, Operations and Development Manager Lisa Falaschi, Marketing Manager

We’re thrilled to share this short film telling the story of Women and Asthma. Women and Asthma is a participatory engagement project that explores asthma through craft and stories to create bold, eye-catching experiences that deepen understanding and awareness. Our immersive experience, Stories of Breath, intertwines art, craft, science and storytelling to explore the invisible inequalities in the air that we breathe and how we breathe it. We’ve now launched the digital version of Stories of Breath, featuring the voices and stories of our participants. Find the link in our bio. #womenandasthma #AsthmaAwareness #StoriesOfBreath #CreativeHealth #Asthma #ArtAndHealth #PublicEngagement #Birmingham #Skem #Skelmersdale #TowerHamlets

#CuriousAboutCraft? Here’s a round-up of what’s going on… #ShelanuCraft will be at Supersonic Festival Marketplace in Zellig on Saturday. You'll be able to buy pieces from their Nurture, Interlocking Stories, Migrating Birds and Origami jewellery ranges. Saturday 25 April, 12-5. Zellig, Gibb Street, B9 4AG. Free entry. ALSO Deirdre F. will be co-facilitating a Women and Asthma: Stories of Breath session at the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement Engage Conference next Wednesday. In the session, you'll be able to explore the highlights and challenges of this project and experience aspects of the creative installation and activities. Engage Summit 2026. Eastside Rooms, Birmingham, B7 4BL. 29-30 April 2026, 9am-5pm. Tickets available via their website. #ACEsupported @aceagrams #WhatsOnBirmingham @womenandasthma @supersonic_fest

We’re celebrating 40 Objects for 40 years #40Objects40Years Plaster Hands by Shane Waltener @shanewaltener For Craftspace's 30th Anniversary, Shane Waltener designed a process where two people would sit, face to face, holding each other's hands. Plaster was poured into their hands, and they talked until the plaster set. These objects are the product of that process. They sat on the windowsill of our old office and I (Smilla), who only joined Craftspace in 2023, had no idea what they were, but was intrigued by their landscape and/or sea-shell-like nature. For me, they capture the idea that the process is just as important, and is a core part of, the end result. Without the story, these objects are beautiful; with it, I think they're magic. Nominated by: Smilla Kristensen, Administrative Assistant Andrea Collier, Trustee To celebrate Craftspace’s 40th Anniversary, we commissioned the artist Stewart Francis Easton to create an artwork which would explore the story of Craftspace through 40 objects. Stewart created a series of four beautiful graphic quilts. You can see them on our website via the link in our bio. Images: 1. Plaster Hands drawing by Stewart Easton. 2. Plaster Hand. 3. Shane Waltener at Craftspace's 30th Anniversary party. 4. Plaster Hand process. 5. Plaster Hand process. 6. Plaster Hand.

April is stress awareness month. Stress can be difficult to avoid but the mindful and meditative nature of many making processes can help provide moments of rest and reset to help regulate your nervous system. Lots of makers use their craft as a way to alleviate stress. For Stewart Easton, hand sewing is part of a meditative process while for other makers, like Chloe Rochefort, craft processes can be used in communities to support better mental wellbeing and a sense of belonging . For the Pocket Paradise project, Chloe worked with people to make a comforting, pocket-sized object to provide reassurance and a sense of calm. Looking for inspiration? Our Workshop in a Box kits can provide that much needed creative window, or visit our website to try out the free 'Craft in Common' activities. Let us know what making you do to combat stress. @stewarteaston @rochefort_chloe @sarahmay.johnson @alinahazadeh @karinaworld2 #StressAwarenessMonth Images: 1. Pocket Paradise by Chloe Rochefort. Mini objects for self care made as part of In:Site 2022. 2. Stewart Easton sewing the 40 Objects for 40 Years quilts. 3. Off-Loom Weaving Kit, developed by Craftspace in collaboration with Sarah-May Johnson. £33. Photo by Hayley Salter. 4. Courage Medals for Everyday Acts of Courage. Photo by Alinah Azadeh.

#CuriousAboutCraft? Here’s a round-up of what’s going on… Made in the Middle may have finished touring but, if you missed it or you want to have another virtual look around you can now do that on our website! The online tour includes accessible information about the artists including audio descriptions and BSL. Take a virtual walk around the gallery and find out more about the wide range of work on show from artists living in the Midlands. ALSO The Made in the Middle catalogue is available from our shop now. Read essays from Andrew Tanner, Emma Crichton-Miller and Jazz Swali and learn more about the makers and their work. ALSO QEST and Sanderson are delighted to announce that nominations for the 2026 Rising Star Craft Award open today! Now in its second edition, the award celebrates emerging craftspeople who demonstrate exceptional skill, dedication to their discipline, and a meaningful contribution to their community and the wider craft sector. — £25,000 prize to support the development of the winner’s craft! — Open to UK-based craftspeople with 2—7 years of professional practice — Deadline for Nominations: Friday 5 June 2026 #ACEsupported @aceagrams #WhatsOnBirmingham #MadeITM #ContemporaryCraft @qestcraft @sanderson1860 Images: 1. Hayley Salter at the Made in the Middle launch at the Midlands Arts Centre. Photo by Will Pace.