Creative Times

Manchester Craft Mafia teams up with the Whitworth Art Gallery for Christmas Markets

Published 03.12.08

Contemporary craft collective Manchester Craft Mafia is holding its Christmas Market at the Whitworth Art Gallery on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th December, bringing Christmas gifts to Manchester like no-one else.

The markets are open 10am - 4pm Saturday 13th December, and 12noon - 4pm Sunday 14th December. Visitors will find a range of contemporary craft with a twist, and something to suit all budgets. A variety of handmade goods are on offer including purses, bags, clothing, jewellery, soft toys, paper sculptures and objects, kitchen wares, fascinators and headwear, prints and textile art, handmade books, and seasonal cards and decorations.

Over 40 different makers will appear at the market over the two days including the three founding members of the Manchester Craft Mafia; Tinkering Textiles, Guerrilla Embroidery and Ophelia Button, as well as newer members from across the region. Other well known local makers will also take part such as paper and textile artist Jennifer Collier, and artist-bookmaker Lucy May Schofield. More sellers are travelling from as far a field as Norfolk and Edinburgh.

Manchester Craft Mafia is a group of craft businesses dedicated to supporting and sharing a creative, maverick spirit of crafting. The group aim to introduce, encourage and promote craft as a career and as a hobby; bringing like minded people together to create and enjoy craft individually and socially; and spread a new fired up crafting buzz throughout the city and beyond.

Manchester Craft Mafia founder Sally Fort is excited about the events and explains, "These markets are the highlight of our year. Our members are delighted to get together with other makers from across the UK to meet local people and offer them some amazing and unique gifts. There's something special about buying handmade presents and being able to talk to the person who made them. To do it in such beautiful surroundings as The Whitworth Art Gallery is a really special treat."

This new partnership between Manchester Craft Mafia and the Whitworth Art Gallery arose from the shared interest in preserving and promoting a wider interest in craft. The market will feature sellers whose contemporary style work has been inspired by textiles or paper, as a celebration of the gallery's own textile and paper collections.

Andrea Hawkins, Head of Public Programmes at The Whitworth Art Gallery adds, “It’s perfect for us to be able to work with contemporary crafts people from across the UK whose work fits so well with our own collections. We’re looking forward to seeing some new faces in our galleries, hopefully people who haven’t been here before will come to these markets and have a great day with their friends or family, buying their festive gifts and seeing our collections and temporary exhibitions.”

Admission to the gallery and markets is free, and the event is suitable for all ages.

The markets also mark the final weekend of the major textile exhibition; Cloth and Culture NOW: contemporary international textile art. Families can make a day of it by enjoying family trails, an art cart, dressing up and story sacks, and visiting the gallery's cafe offering seasonal and regionally sourced food.

www.manchestercraftmafia.com www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk