The 2022 Short Spring Programme

10 March 2022

Craft NI are excited to announce a series of online sessions taking place throughout March and April. These free sessions will cover a wide range of topics designed with a maker-focused approach and are full of real-life examples and advice from makers working in the sector.

• Exhibiting at Craft Fairs and Trade Shows, Thursday 24th March at 10am;

With hosts Rory Shearer, Gail Kelly and Karen-Daye Hutchinson, don’t miss out on this exciting session which will hear from three makers with experience of homewares and ceramics fairs in Britain as well as the Irish-focused Showcase, which takes place every year in the RDS in Dublin. This session aims to provide valuable, honest advice on how to research what shows and fairs are right for you and your work and how to submit your best application . We’ll discuss how to manage your budgets, choosing and pricing your own work, creating an eye-catching display and how you can attract potential customers.

To find out more about this session and hosts, see here. Make sure to register your space if you wish to attend. 

• Apply for the Integrate Accountability Programme, deadline for applications Monday 28th March. 

This pilot accountability group programme, Integrate  is for makers who want to take a more focused approach to marketing their work in 2022. Everybody’s circumstances are different, so Integrate is offering a small group of makers a focused space to work with creative-coach and visual artist, Sharon Adams over the next few months to make sustainable changes to how they promote their work. This is a fully-funded pilot for a small group of makers who will be selected by application.

– A max of eight participants will be accepted.

– Please note, we expect that applicants will have started trading between 4-8 years ago.

To find out more about this pilot programme and creative-coach Sharon Adams, see here.

• Photographing Ceramics with Yeshen Venema, Thursday 31st March at 2pm. 

Craft NI is delighted to welcome back Yeshen Venema, an established product photographer specialising in the design and craft sector, with this focused session on photographing ceramics. With more potters and ceramists selling online, high quality images that will do your work justice are more important than ever. Yeshen will explain how to master your camera and take quality shots from your own studio. Using case studies, practical tips and demos, this session delves further into the principals of photographing ceramics to display your work to its highest standard. 

To find out more about this session and Yeshen’s work, see here. Make sure to register your space if you wish to attend. 

• Your Resilient Craft Business with Sophie Rochester, Tuesday 5th April at 10am. 

We’re excited to welcome back Sophie Rochester this Spring who will deliver two workshops for makers in Northern Ireland: Your Resilient Craft Business and the Cheat’s Guide to Selling Online. These sessions will expand on her new book, Making a Living (2021),  tackling key craft business development themes from market research and valuing and pricing, to branding and marketing.

Your Resilient Craft Business will focus on understanding your motivations – essential to telling your story and building your brand, setting realistic goals for your practice and business. Your own wellbeing is essential to the success of building a truly resilient craft enterprise and this session will spend time on this too.

To find out more about this session and Sophie’s work, see here. Make sure to register your space if you wish to attend. 

• The Cheat’s Guide to Selling Online with Sophie Rochester, Wednesday 6th April at 10am.

As a maker, you’re expected to be a designer, producer, marketer and accountant for your own business with a plethora of advice on selling and digital marketing. This session will focus on prioritising your time to the best effect, understanding your audiences, and establishing how to best reach your customers through constantly-evolving social media platforms.

To find out more about this session and Sophie’s work, see here. Make sure to register your space if you wish to attend. 

If you have any questions about these sessions, please contact us at info@craftni.org.