Why attend a crafting workshop?
Workshop participants at The Craft House. Image credit: The Craft House©
I am so excited today to be joined on the blog by April Chamberlain from The Craft House, Bingley. April is a champion of crafting workshops and a huge supporter of creative small businesses. When I decided to write a blog on this topic April was the first person that sprang to mind, so I’m delighted she’s agreed to take part. I’m passionate about helping people spend more time crafting and one of the great ways we can do that is by attending workshops.
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I’ve been teaching my own workshops now for 5 years and attending workshops for far longer. I actually first met April when I attended a modern calligraphy workshop at The Craft House when it was in Saltaire.
I love attending crafting workshops. I find them such a great way to try out a new craft or technique. I usually go to these by myself and crafters are so friendly, I have a great time.
“Booking a workshop commits that time to yourself, having a tutor on hand to show you what to do is invaluable and you’ll often meet other likeminded crafters as well”
I asked April three questions I thought would be most useful to beginner’s. Here are her responses.
What are the benefits of attending a crafting workshop?
A workshop in progress at The Craft House. Image credit: The Craft House©
Taking part in a crafting workshop is a fully-absorbing and relaxing experience, taking you away from screens and stresses and focusing all your attention on creating something wonderful with your hands. Attending a crafting session enables you to meet and interact with new people and is an easy way to socialise, as everyone is involved in the same activity and conversation flows easily as you sit side by side, absorbed in the same task. Making something and focusing on process and working slowly and methodically helps to relax your body and mind and create joy and connections with others as you take part in a shared experience.
Are workshops suitable for beginners?
Workshop participants showing off what they’ve made at The Craft House. Image credit: The Craft House©
Yes they are - the majority of the many classes we run each year are pitched at a skill level which will make them accessible to first-timers as well as people who have tried out a particular craft before but want to return to it. Where our classes require certain pre-existing skills (such as operating a sewing machine), this is always stated clearly in the online workshop description.
What would you say to someone who is nervous to book a workshop?
Take a deep breath and book it - you won’t regret it! If you’re a shy person, this is such a lovely way to socialise, as you sit side by side with other people who have come to try out the craft and our experienced tutors make everyone welcome and provide lots of one to one support. Over the 8+ years we have been running workshops, we have seen plenty of people attending classes looking a bit nervous (or declaring themselves “rubbish at art” or “not very creative”) emerging at the end of a workshop looking happy and relaxed and a little bit amazed at what they have managed to create.
My favourite workshop response ever was from a pair of old friends who had attended one of Kate Park’s wonderful fused glass lantern workshops with us. As they came back to The Craft House to collect their finished pieces, one lady burst into tears and then said “I can’t believe I made this … I’m just so proud of myself!”, to which her friend responded “Get a grip Julie!”.
“I can’t believe I made this...I’m just so proud of myself!”
About April and The Craft House
April Chamberlain. Image credit: The Craft House©
My name is April Chamberlain and, after 19 years as a lawyer, I opened The Craft House in Saltaire as a completely new venture. Originally the shop sold art and gifts produced by local makers and then I started to run workshops, as I felt that experientialism was going to really grow in the UK and that increasingly people would seek out memorable shared experiences rather than physical gifts.
I’d always loved art and textiles from being a schoolgirl, having done GCSE and A Level Art and at one point considered becoming a fashion a designer. I ended up doing a History degree and focused in my final year on the Italian Renaissance and art patronage, which consolidated my love of visiting galleries and museums and travelling in Italy.
Starting The Craft House in 2016 was a chance to experience a creative career, whilst being able to use the managerial and other business skills I’d picked up as a lawyer. I visualised having a job where I could turn up to work in jeans and Converse trainers, rather than a suit and heels and that’s what I ended up with! In 2020 I moved the business to larger premises at 109-111 Main Street, Bingley and the workshops have gone from strength to strength since then. We now run over a hundred and fifty classes and courses a year and work with a wide and incredible team of external artist and craft tutors who cover a range of skills and have been picked for not only being brilliant at what they do but, crucially, extremely good at explaining and supporting, so that others can enjoy learning from them and have a memorable experience when they attend a workshop with us. Our classes are for adults and we welcome beginners to most of the programme (where a class requires existing skills or experience, we will always set this out clearly in our class advertisements).
The Craft House team, Bingley. Image credit: The Craft House©
You can find us at:
The Craft House
109-111 Main Street
Bingley
BD16 2HT
Tel. 01274 945835
Email: april@yorkshirecrafthouse.com
Web: www.yorkshirecrafthouse.com
Instagram: @yorkshirecrafthouse
Facebook: The Craft House
You can book workshops with us on our website (just click the “Workshops” link), through our Eventbrite page or by telephoning us or calling into the cafe to book in person.