Craftworks, a new trade show in East London, has announced its themes, features and talks line-up. 

The event, held 15–17 May for London Craft Week, has been brought to life by Cox London, with Jay Blades MBE set to take the lead as presenter. The UK’s premier craft organisations and businesses – including QEST, Design-Nation and SCP – will come together to celebrate British craftsmanship in all its diversity, with a platform also given to dynamic new makers. 

Visitors to Craftworks will explore a range of themes throughout the event. Many of the show’s exhibitors, for instance, will present demonstrations of zero-waste craft, delving into the circularity and sustainability of craft practices. Textile artist Caroline Hyde-Brown will be exhibiting works made from bio-materials, hand-woven and embroidered pieces made from foraged materials like lichen, hemp, flax and grasses. Elsewhere, Bristol-based metalworker Willow Bloomfield is exhibiting a new series of vessels made from 100% recycled copper, largely sourced from old hot water tanks. Craftworks will also play host to a ‘Zero Waste Crafting’ panel event as part of the talks line-up, discussing the importance of global responsibility and circularity in making practices. 

Another theme set to be explored by exhibitors is access to craft, with the event platforming talent that has traditionally been sidelined. Craftworks is partnering with The Black Artisans and will play host to an exhibition of their latest photo project of twelve Black Artisans across the UK, which seeks to make Black makers more visible and to inspire people to explore these areas as a potential career path. Mosaic Artist Dionne Ible, who is part of The Black Artisans, will be exhibiting her mosaic works as Qemamu Mosaics, inspired by her Caribbean/African heritage, while Bex Simon will present work which explores her bipolar and mental health. The Craftworks talks programme line-up will include a panel presented by founder of The Black Artisans project, Jo Sealy, as well as a talk chaired by Jay Blades titled ‘How Craft Made Me’, featuring a panel of exhibitors from the show who have navigated difficult times in their lives through craft. 

Other elements of the event’s programming include Craft Really Works, a collection of projects focused on the positive impact of craft on societal wellbeing, as well as an educational session intended to inspire young people through talks and panels on building a career through art. A range of additional talks will take place throughout the event, with insight shared from the co-founders of Cox London, Soans and Timorous Beasties, amongst others.