Creative duo Emily Dymond and Rosie Drake-Knight are hard at work preparing to welcome shoppers from around the South West to the third Native Makers, a special free Christmas market taking place on Saturday 28 November from 10am until 4pm at Devonport Guildhall, Plymouth.
Native Makers will have a crafty kids area, interactive video booth, foodie makers, live music and over 30 independent designers.
Starting out as a way of helping emerging creative practitioners from the South West to showcase their work, the crafts market has grown into a great creative platform and community that has garnered support and applications from Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
Emily and Rosie – who founded the project – decided to start up a market for emerging makers to sell their work after discovering limited appropriate selling platforms for new graduates and young creatives.
Rosie Drake-Knight is a textile designer-maker who teaches on the Extended Diploma Graphics, Illustration and Game Arts course at Plymouth College of Art.
Speaking of her work, which is inspired by organic patterns and textures, Rosie said: “From hailstones to railings or paving stones or simply whatever shapes come out of the end of my paintbrush I draw it, paint it or print it to begin my design process. I find colour palettes very inspirational.
“Native Makers is putting Plymouth on the creative map, and rightly so! The city has so much to offer designer/makers, we just need to see more high quality creative projects popping up, to attract the creative community,”
Emily Dymond is a freelance Illustrator and BA (Hons) Illustration graduate from Plymouth College of Art. She illustrates for homewares, packaging, events, stationery and sign writing, alongside producing her own range of greetings cards, prints and products
Describing the run up to Native Makers 3, Emily said: “The quality of workmanship, as ever, is incredible. Native Makers 3 is full to the brim with creative talent. The selection process was tricky this time around due to the volume of exceptionally talented applicants. We believe we have selected a diverse range of makers, all with something unique to offer our festive market.
“We have had positive feedback from our audiences, someone said at our last event that they normally have to go to Bristol or London to find an event like Native Makers. I’d like to think we have a bit of something for everyone we have bakers and florists, illustrators, furniture, textiles, jewellery.”
Students from Plymouth College of Art’s BA (Hons) Contemporary Crafts and BA (Hons) Illustration programmes will be exhibiting and selling their work at Native Makers 3, with a range of jewellery, ceramics, glass, prints, zines and more up for grabs.
Rosie explained: “We want to work with and support as many local creatives doing amazing things, as much as we can. We think it’s really important for us to show local students and graduates that you can make it work down here, and you don’t necessarily have to move to Bristol or London to be successful.”
“The creative scene in Plymouth is evolving rapidly, so many good and interesting things are starting to happen! I also like that in the SW, you can get stuck in and feel like you’re making a difference. You’re not just a small fish in a big pond!” said Emily.
Entry to Native Makers is free. Devonport Guildhall, Saturday 28 November, 10am-4pm
(from a press release)
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