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Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, online, 25–31 July 2020, free entry - Visit now
Showcasing the best in contemporary craft and design from makers across the country, the award-winning Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair has long been an annual highlight for fully-fledged aficionados and those with simply an eye for unique, beautiful objects, alike. This year’s show was initially canceled due to …you know what, but emergency funding from Arts Council England has swooped in to allow the not-for-profit organisation behind GNCCF to reinvent the 2020 edition, which will now be open to the public online from 25th to 31st July.
The digitsed event will offer the chance to buy direct from 160 independent creatives specialising in jewellery, textiles, ceramics, glass, print, furniture making and other areas, and to browse new pieces specially created for GNCCFonline. Plus, the fair’s usual programme of studio tours and demonstrations will take place on Instagram and Facebook throughout the week.
While we’re not expecting this to be a perfect substitute for wandering Upper Camfield Market Hall (or Victoria Baths, where the 2020 edition of the fair was originally planned to take place), chatting to exhibitors, and admiring their work in-person, it remains the perfect opportunity to enjoy a handpicked, carefully curated selection of high-end craftsmanship all in one place, and take advantage of special offers whilst supporting small businesses.
According to the Craft Council, our appetite for craft in Britain has risen exponentially over the past decade and shows no sign of slowing down as a result of the pandemic. Some good news for talented creatives amidst the economic impact of coronavirus upon the wider arts sector.