Remember to Apply!

Image: members of the Multicolores rug hooking cooperative from Guatemala, exhibitors at Selvedge World Fair 2020. 

A reminder that applications are open for the Selvedge World Fair 2021 and we want to hear from you if you are a maker of handmade textiles. The 2021 event, celebrating cloth, culture and creativity, will take place over five days: 31 August - 4 September. The event will represent textile traditions from at least fifty countries and will include virtual workshops, talks and panel discussions. It is free to apply, and if you are selected, free to take part in.

Image: Hilary Burns flower trug.

The 2021 selections will be made by six independent panels grouped according to continent. There will be an additional category of cross-cultural collaborations, for work produced as a result of a collaboration between two or more individuals from different geographic regions. The selection panels will be looking for the following: Does the work connect to the cultural heritage of the maker's home country or countries? Does it represent the diversity of handmade textile production around the world? Is the work environmentally and economically sustainable?

For inspiration, take a look at the Artisan Page for Hilary Burns, a basket maker from England who took part in 2020. Hilary uses mainly natural materials including hedgerow materials, hazel, oak and ash which are all harvested locally. Working with a source of sustainable and renewable materials connects her to the seasonal cycle. She studies traditional basket weaving techniques and uses them to suit the available material and function and she continues to be inspired by European techniques associated with willow and wood.

Shop Hilary Burns Products from Selvedge World Fair 2020.