DCCI – Feltmakers Ireland

Feltmaking at The RDS Showcase 2023

Published on Feb 4, 2023Mar 14, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

Even though Feltmakers Ireland was not invited to demonstrate at Showcase this year, there was felt to be seen courtesy of two of our members.

Caóilfíonn Murphy-O’Hanlon showing wool paintings of landscapes and items with prints of her work.

http://www.cushlaofgullion.com

and Juliane Gorman of http://www.felthappiness.com was there showing her fabulous hats.

And just for your information, here are the news from Showcase in the DCCI GANS newsletter:

I hope this newsletter finds you well. January was a busy month with Showcase – Ireland’s International Creative Expo® returning to the RDS, Dublin on Sunday 22^ndto Tuesday 24^th of January. Showcase offered 385 exhibitors an opportunity to exhibit their collections to approx 4000 visitors from 27 countries.

We were delighted to see the much anticipated Showcase Awards taking place on the opening day of the fair. We were excited to see that the winner of the overall best product award was metal artist, Tom King from An Gobha, whose iron cross was created in celebration of St. Brigid.

The St. Brigid’s Cross was created as a work of metal art based around the traditional cross, with depth and with colour, to mark Ireland’s new national holiday celebrating the country’s first female patron St. Brigid.

Other crafts people at Showcase celebrating St. Brigid’s were Patricia O’Flaherty, Naomh Padraig Handcrafts, from Roscommon, you can see her beautiful St. Brigid’s rush work crosses on www.naomhpadraighandcrafts.com. Jennifer Rothwell Designs also had a beautiful collection of fashion items inspired by St. Brigid www.jenniferrothwell.com

As the first Irish public holiday named after a woman, St. Brigid’s Day gives us an opportunity to celebrate the role that women have played in Irish history, culture, creativity and society.

The Design & Crafts Council Ireland Academy (DCCIA) was launched as part of the Talk Stage programme at Showcase. DCCIA is an international specialised academy for education and training to the craft sector and will offer a series of apprenticeships. DCCIA welcomes everyone from design and craft beginners to established professionals. The launch was delivered by MaryJo Hoyne, Head of Craft & Education at DCCI and Maria Couchman, Senior Craft & Education Manager at DCCI. www.dcci.ie/academy

Showcase 2023 saw a continuation of the popular Talks Stage that hosted a variety of industry talks and expert panel discussions, you can view some of the events that took place over the three days of Showcase here.

The Dancehall (Fashion & Design) – was a new and exciting fusion of Showcase fashion and design with music and dance. To view the performance of The Dancehall event from the opening day of Showcase 2023 click here.

Opportunities from DCCI – October (short notice)

Published on Oct 10, 2022Mar 21, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

Made Local

Made Local 2022 will launch on the 11^th October with a national campaign and pop-up exhibition in Dublin.

To join the campaign, which already has over 1,700 makers and retailers involved, click here. If you’ve already joined, check your listing on the MadeLocal.ie directory. To request any changes, click here.

Loewe Foundation

Submissions are now open for the LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2023. The international prize recognises those whose artistic vision will set a new standard for the future of craft. The prize is €50,000 and the winning work will feature in an exhibition in New York in 2023. Apply by 25th October 2022.

https://www.dcci.ie/craftspeople/how-we-can-help/opportunities/submissions-to-the-loewe-foundation-craft-prize-2023-are-now-open

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International Design Scholarship

‘Designers in Residence’ is an international scholarship program for young design artists in the fields of jewellery, fashion, accessory, industrial and graphic and other areas of design. Three designers are invited to work on their projects from April to June 2023 at the EMMA Creative Center in Pforzheim, Germany. Apply by 15^th November 2022.

More info: https://veranstaltungen.emma-pf.de/en/events/designers-in-residence-2023/

Application dead line for Showcase 2023 (short notice)

Published on Sep 24, 2022Mar 21, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

This is a opportunity for all members of the DCCI who wish to book an individual stand at Showcase 2023.

(It is possible that Feltmakers Ireland gets invited to participate as a Guild as we did last year. At the moment we do not know if that is going ahead, if and when we know for sure, we will go out to the members and look for volunteers.)

From the Crafts Council:

Dear DCCI Member,

We are delighted to announce the return of Showcase – Ireland’s Creative Expo® to the RDS, Dublin from the 22–24 January 2023. Showcase is presented by Design & Crafts Council Ireland with support from Enterprise Ireland and Local Enterprise Offices nationwide.

Once again, we will have the area at the front of the Main Hall, exclusively for ‘Design & Crafts Council Ireland’ members.

The details are as follows:

This area is open to all DCCI registered clients
There is no selection process, and you are welcome to send us in your application.
A special subsidy is included in the prices for DCCI clients to make taking part easier, financially.

How to secure your space

Please fill out this online FORM which has a strict deadline of 4pm on Friday 30^th September 2022.
Showcase will acknowledge receipt of your email on submission of your form and we will get back to you by mid-October to let you know if you have been successful.

Kind regards,

The Showcase Team

New Made Local campaign

Published on Sep 14, 2022Mar 13, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

DCCI is delighted to announce that the Made Local campaign will be running for the third year in a row, and we want you to get involved.

Over the last two years the Made Local campaign called on consumers to become more aware of the breadth of Irish-crafted, high-quality products available and to look for these when shopping instore or online.

It is a call to action that has been met with huge positivity among makers, retailers and consumers alike. The consumer landscape continues to change and we want to make sure that Made Local remains front of mind and relevant.

With that in mind, DCCI has reimagined the Made Local campaign. It will encourage consumers to be mindful when they buy and to spend on Irish items where possible.

We want this new campaign to remind consumers that well-crafted Irish products have unique, enduring quality and are the things you will fall in love with.

Be part of Made Local 2022

We are inviting you to join in and take an active part in this Made Local community. Joining Made Local 2022 is FREE and simple – click here to apply.

Benefits of being part of Made Local 2022:

You will receive point of sale material (if you wish) and digital assets to promote your business
You can take part in the social media burst to coincide with the high profile advertising and PR campaigns

Upcoming Opportunities from DCCI

Published on Jul 2, 2022Mar 13, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

View all opportunities here

From DCCI: August Craft Month 2022

Published on Jun 14, 2022Mar 13, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

Take part in August Craft Month 2022

We are delighted to announce the call out to August Craft Month 2022 – across the island of Ireland!

Deadline for applications: Monday 4th July

What is August Craft Month?
August Craft Month is a unique celebration of craft with events taking place across the island of Ireland, providing exciting opportunities for the public to experience, participate in, buy and learn about craft.
It is supported and promoted by Design & Crafts Council Ireland, Craft NI and Cork Craft & Design.

Why should I be part of it?
• It will be fun! Celebrate, collaborate, motivate.
• Make it national – long established, Craft NI and Cork Craft & Design’s local August Craft Months have proven hugely popular – making it national will increase the momentum and celebration of craft across the month of August.
• National PR campaign from start of July that will promote August Craft Month through highlighting events and makers – get your event in early!
• Social media campaign across August Craft Month and partner channels – visibility to over 45k followers
• Digital advertising campaign
• Influencer campaign
• Augustcraftmonth.org website listing of your event – image and copy
• It’s easy! – your everyday craft activity may be eligible for listing
Simply register your event on the August Craft Month website by filling out the application form. Events are invited from individual makers, guilds, associations, networks, galleries and venues which will enable audiences to come together to celebrate and enjoy craft experiences whether in-person, online, or both. Send your application by Monday 4th July. You can still register your events for inclusion on the website after this date, however registering early will ensure more time to promote your event.

Join us to add to the range of events bringing craft on the island of Ireland to a wider audience this August!

For more information and to register visit: augustcraftmonth.org

If you have any queries about August Craft Month or about registering an event, please do not hesitate to get in contact at: info@augustcraftmonth.org

*You may receive emails about August Craft Month from more than one source (DCCI/Craft NI/Cork Craft & Design). Please note that you only need to register your event once – all events will be listed on AugustCraftMonth.org. As the application deadline is coming shortly, we are keen to get the word out to as wide an audience as possible.

** Please note as August Craft Month is an all-island celebration, if you are a maker or organisation based in Northern Ireland please visit craftni.org/august-craft-month-2022-event-application to register your event.

Future makers 2022

Published on May 3, 2022Mar 21, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

From DCCI:

We are delighted to say that applications for Future Makers 2022 opened last week. With a total prize-fund of €25,000 and 26 awards and supports available, Future Makers is one of Europe’s largest prize-funded awards programmes.

As we look ahead to the 2022 programme, we are reminded of the opportunities that Future Makers presents.

Not only do the winners receive substantial funds and promotional opportunities, but they also qualify for the annual RDS Craft Awards competition, which awards five makers with €10,000 each.

We were delighted that the following Future Makers 2021 winners received an RDS Craft Award recently:

Katharina Treml – Ceramics (Overall Winner in the Student Category)
Amy Kerr – Textiles & Surface Design (Sustainable Design Award winner)
Síofra Caherty – Fashion & Accessory Design
Fintan Mulholland – Knitwear
Laura Matikaite – Ceramics

This really brings home how impactful the Future Makers programme is and how it helps to elevate the careers of so many. It’s also critical that we as a community support programmes such as this, so that we continue to have a healthy pipeline of makers in Ireland.

To that end, we would kindly ask you to help us spread the word, that applications are now open, by liking and sharing our social media posts, or by sharing the details of the programme with your network.

If you are a student or emerging maker why not apply to this prestigious programme? You can enter for free at futuremakers.ie. and the closing date for applications is Friday 29th July 2022.

To find out more visit www.futuremakers.ie or contact me at amanda@dcci.ie

Best wishes,

Amanda

Feltmakers Ireland Wool research project

Published on Apr 10, 2022Mar 14, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

As you know, Feltmakers Ireland started a wool research project in Spring last year, with funding from the Crafts Council. It was meant to wrapped up by now with a launch and the publication of a book.

The project got delayed by the loss of our studio and various lockdowns last year, but we see this as an opportunity to widen the scope of the project. We only got started looking for wool mid to end of the summer last year, and although we were very successful in sourcing many breeds, some farmers told us we should be asking around shearing time.

For these reasons we have rolled over the project, and are actively looking for more wool breeds to test.

We are also in the position to accept new testers to the project. If you want to participate you will need to be able to devote a couple of hours a week for about a month, maybe two to do flat wet felting, 3D wet felting and/or needle felting. This is a great opportunity to familiarise yourself with different wool types from sheep bred in Ireland. We will supply wool and a test sheet to be filled out. Enquiries to be sent to hello@feltmakersireland.com.

These are the breeds we have been testing so far:

Belclaire

BFL

BFL ram X Scott Mt ewes

Bleu du Maine

Cheviot

Cladoir

Clun Forest

Dorset

Galway

Hampshire Downes

Hebridean

Herdwick

Jacob

Kerry Hill

Romney

Ryeland

Scotch Blackface

Shetland

Shropshire

Suffolk

Texel

Valais Blacknose

Wensleydale

Zwartbles

And new breeds coming soon (we hope):

Roscommon Lamb, Soay, Portland, Vendeen, badgerfaced texel, Ile de France

Dutch Spotted Lamb

Castlemilk Moorit (only 2 flocks in Ireland)

Charolais Ram X Llyn ewe = lambswool shorn early

If you know of any source for wool from other breeds reared in ireland, please get in touch.

Happy felting,

Roscommon Art Centre Tapestry and Fibre Art Festival

Published on Apr 9, 2022Mar 14, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

The Tapestry and Fibre Art Festival Roscommon festival weekend kicks off on Thursday 28th April with the launch of an exhibition by the members of Contemporary Tapestry Artists Ireland CTA.

On 29th April Interconnections 4 in Roscommon Arts Centre will launch, and a series of workshops will take place on Saturday 30th April.

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS

Friday April 29th:
Launch of Interconnections 4. An exhibition of handwoven fine art tapestries

Saturday 30th April – Workshops
Workshop 1 – Title: Weaving with Up-cycled materials.
Workshop 2 – Title: Weaving Blue. Finishing techniques, Blocking

Sunday May 1st
Symposium Title: Exploring Fine art textiles €5.00 (Discussion, Tour & Presentation)

Booking essential through the art centre box office

https://www.dcci.ie/craftspeople/how-we-can-help/opportunities/roscommon-art-centre-tapestry-and-fibre-art-festival

INTERCONNECTIONS 4

This exhibition is the fourth in an ongoing biennial collaboration between contemporary tapestry artists from Scotland and Ireland. The first and second Interconnections exhibitions were shown in Roscommon and Boyle in 2016 and 2018, the 2020 exhibition was online due to Covid restrictions.

In 2022 INTERCONNECTIONS 4 will open in Roscommon Arts Centre 29th April – 14th May and will tour to The Granary Gallery, Weston Park, Shropshire for June, July and August. 2022

The exhibition will consist of a number of one-off hand-woven tapestries of all sizes from miniature to massive, on a large range of themes. The tapestries have been made over the past four years by the 8 participating professional tapestry artists, 4 from Ireland and 4 from Scotland. Visitors to the exhibition can expect to be blown away by the beauty, colour and sheer technical virtuosity of the work.

Contemporary tapestries are made by hand on simple looms, in the same way as the historic tapestries we see when we visit castles and country houses. The technique is a very ancient one and almost impossible to mechanise. The subject matter and style is contemporary with pieces dealing with the issues of the day as well as abstract and more representational themes.

The exhibition has been co-curated by Frances Crowe (Ireland) and Joan Baxter (Scotland) both well respected tapestry artists in their own countries. They first met in 2012 and when a chance to exhibit together in Ireland presented itself in 2016 it rapidly grew into a larger and more important project for the artists of both countries. The opportunity to exhibit together regularly allows the participating artists to forge creative links, to collaborate on a number of other projects, to form friendships and learn from each other.

Exhibiting Artists:

Ireland: Frances Crowe, Mary Cuthbert, Terry Dunne, Angela Forte
Scotland: Joan Baxter, John Brennan, Clare Coyle, Elizabeth Radcliffe

Interconnections is funded by Roscommon County Council Creative Ireland Programme 2022 and Roscommon Local Enterprise Office, supported by Roscommon Arts Centre and King House.

A couple of opportunities (very short time left to apply) Bloom 2022 Craft Village & Timpeallacht.

Published on Apr 8, 2022Mar 21, 2023 by Feltmakers Ireland

Hi Felters,

This is very short notice, but we only received this information today. We are sharing it anyway in case you can take advantage despite the short notice.

Bloom 2022 – Applications Now Open for the Irish Craft Village

Applications are now open for Bloom 2022 which takes place in the Pheonix Park, Dublin, from 2nd to 6th June, 2022. The event represents opportunities for craft makers to promote and sell their products to over 100,000 people over 5 days.

Applications close 11th April.

https://www.dcci.ie/craftspeople/how-we-can-help/opportunities/bloom-2022-applications-now-open-for-the-irish-craft-village

Applications are invited from artists and practitioners based in Ireland working with locally sourced natural materials to participate in forthcoming exhibition Timpeallacht.

Deadline is 15th April 2022.

https://www.dcci.ie/craftspeople/how-we-can-help/opportunities/open-call-for-forthcoming-exhibition-timpeallacht

Good Luck!