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The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair 2023 at Victoria Baths

Katie Evans, Exhibitions Editor

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The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair

Victoria Baths, Manchester
19-22 October 2023

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

From £7
Yuta Segawa
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The iconic Victoria Baths welcomes the return of The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair, an unmissable weekend of handmade design at one of the UK’s most prestigious craft shows.

A highlight of the North’s cultural calendar, the award-winning event boasts cutting-edge delights from printmakers, ceramicists, silversmiths, textile and glass artists, metal workers and furniture designers. 

Hand-picked by industry experts, over 200 exhibitors will gather next month to showcase their pieces at the gorgeous Victoria Baths. Just beyond Manchester’s city centre, the beautiful Grade II listed former Bath House with its Art Nouveau tiles and restored stained-glass windows is a stunning backdrop to platform innovative craftmanship from across the UK. 

GNCCF at Victoria Baths Stained Glass. Credit Joel Fildes.

Now in its sixteenth edition, this year’s highlights include work by Sue Pryke, a familiar face from TV’s Great Pottery Throwdown; pioneering sustainable projects by ‘Green Graduates’; a showcase of Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust artists; new work by the Birmingham Institute of Jewellery, Fashion & Textiles; as well as free maker demos and textile and print workshops. 

Visitors can book onto masterclasses to learn craft techniques by leading makers, or just enjoy exploring – whether that’s the historic pools, balconies and booths, or shopping handmade original pieces. 

Woven Memories

The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair has a long history of promoting high quality, cutting-edge contemporary craft and design. The not-for-profit organisation passionately showcases new markers alongside established creators.

Additionally, it works year-round with Manchester-based charity Oasis, a community drop-in centre that supports people affected by homelessness, unemployment and physical and mental health problems, as well as refugees and asylum seekers, seventy of whom have collaborated with ceramicist Catherine Ball to exhibit their own work at the fair. 

Advance tickets are now on sale via the website, and anybody who buys theirs before the end of September will be entered into a prize draw to win one of four £50 prizes to spend at the fair.

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