Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 2022 at Victoria Baths in Manchester

Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, 13–16 October 2022, from £6 - Book now

The energy involved in working with one’s hands, the attention to detail, and the ingenuity that all go into designing handmade objects are all reasons why we love craft. Next month, you can enjoy it straight from the source, at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair (GNCFF) at Manchester’s gorgeous Victoria Baths.

The award-winning fair will gather over 200 of the UK’s leading designer-makers and delight audiences with the uniqueness and quality of their handcrafted items. All exhibitors have been carefully chosen by the GNCCF panel of craft experts, and include jewellers, ceramicists, furniture-makers, textile and glass artists, metalsmiths and printmakers.

A clear highlight in the North’s cultural calendar for exhibitors, buyers, experts and those who are simply craft-curious, the GNCCF is also the perfect chance to talk to the artists, ask questions and learn more about their processes and inspiration. The Grade II listed building of Victoria Baths is the fair’s new permanent home and creates the perfect romantic setting for the craft on display with opulent tiles and colourful stained glass.

As well as rows of stalls  filled with beautiful objects, there will also be other attractions set amongst the green tiles of the old bathhouse. The Textile and Fashion staff and students from Bolton University will hold textile and print workshops in the Turkish Baths, while Green Grads will showcase graduates’ various eco ideas on how to help our planet. There will be even more environmentally-conscious suggestions from designer Angy Young whose workshops will tackle upcycling and its techniques, alongside Convert – an exhibition of repurposed fashion, set in the Baths Superintendent’s old flat. If you’re looking for a quick break and a cup of tea, the on-site café will provide delicious refreshments.

The GNCCF organisers work to ensure that craft can help people in very tangible ways, through a partnership with The Oasis Centre in Gorton in East Manchester. The community drop-in centre runs outreach craft workshops to help asylum seekers, refugees and people affected by homelessness, health problems and long-term unemployment. This year the Oasis community has created an artwork that will first be presented at the GNCCF before going back to their community centre so don’t miss it!

You can purchase tickets for the fair on the website now. If you buy them in September you will be entered into a prize draw to win one of four prizes of £50 to spend at the fair.