For further information, email: andy@artisanmadeuk.com or visit the website: www.artisanmadeuk.com Artist Liz Samways, says: It was conceived at the start by artists and makers as a means to show their work, rather than as a profit-making business. After being let down and losing money to a large trade fair organiser over Covid, many artists came together to act to reclaim some of the money we’d lost. As part of this, we came to value the solidarity of artists and the power of working together. We knew Andy from his events, Art in the Pen and Crafts in the Pen, and the credibility he’d built up over the years organising great events. The germ of an idea came from a couple of us that perhaps we could organise our own event, without expensive shell schemes, acres of unnecessary disposable white carpet and hidden extra costs. Artists would be able to support each other with advice, formally and informally. We approached Andy and to our delight he was keen on the idea. The show is undeniably more rustic than most trade shows, but the advantage of the venue is having loads more space for far less cost, which means that new exhibitors are able to enter the market and buyers get to see more new work. We hope the venue and advice available makes the entry into the world of trade shows less intimidating for newcomers. Artist Lucy Wray, says: I felt our industry deserved to be facilitated by an organiser who understood the sector and wasn’t madly profit driven. While bemoaning our plight that we had no trade avenue which didn’t entail trying to compete with multi million pounds businesses who have massive marketing budgets and mass produce stock, we dreamed about having a dedicated show for UK Handmade, with an organiser who understood the market. During 2020 Andy Lynan stood out as one of the organisers who actually cared about our welfare. So, we asked and convinced him to take this challenge on. We wanted a simple cost-effective way to display our wares so buyers could come and see our work in person. Buyers need to see what they are buying, they need to feel the quality and get to know the artists behind the product. Small independent makers generally supply small independent shops and galleries. We aren’t fulfilling massive orders to chain stores. The whole point of small independent shops is that they sell something different. We supply something different. As a small business the financial risk of spending thousands of pounds on a stand is too great especially when a lot of the buyers there aren’t looking to make small orders. The 2023 show was great. It was a breath of fresh air after what had been a trade tumbleweed since 2020. Getting to meet up with new and old buyers was fabulous and having the room to show all my range was great. After a successful 2023 show we’ve convinced a lot more exhibitors and buyers to attend so its looking good. 29 ARTISANMADEUK
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