Selvedge World Fair 2021: Call for Exhibitors
Image: Shamji Vishram Vankar Valji dyeing cloth. Shamji is a master hand weaver who allowed fair visitors enjoy his studio space throughout the event via slow TV and was also voted as the Favourite Artisan for 2020.
Preparations are under way for Selvedge World Fair 2021, a celebration of cloth, culture and creativity. We are looking for artisans to take part over the course of 5 days 31 August - 4 September 2021. The event will represent textile traditions from at least fifty countries and will include workshops, talks and panel discussions. It is free to apply, and if you are selected, free to take part in.
Image: Fair Isle knitted jumper by heritage craft artisan Mati Ventrillon, one of the 2020 event exhibitors. Fair Isle is the UK’s most remote inhabited island.
Applications are open now and we want to hear from you if you are a maker of handmade textiles. The event will represent textile traditions from at least fifty countries and will offer opportunities for visitor engagement. The 2021 event will take place online as well as partly in person. Nurturing and supporting designer makers and heritage crafts is crucial to the Selvedge ethos – one such craft is the complex and time-consuming technique of blueprinting, represented at this year's event by Blaudruck Wagner (artisans Maria & Karl. Watch a short documentary to find out more about this unique craft.
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?
Take a look at the some of the talented artisans who took part in 2020.
For more information about applying for 2021 please click here.