What does ‘New’ mean in our name?

One thing that has always struck me is the word ‘New’ in our name. I often jokingly ask “how long can we new for?” Right now it seems like the most meaningful word, it suggests we are always ‘New’, always fresh and looking toward the future. Planning for the ‘new-normal’ is something, if our name fits, we should do constantly.

After six weeks of lockdown I’m feeling ready to look to the future and to think through what re-opening will look like at New Brewery Arts. But rather than asking myself the question “How can we carry on doing what we’ve been doing as everything around us changes?” I’m asking, “What does our community need from us now?” There’s simply no way to just go back to how things were. We’ve all changed, we’ve all learned new things and taken on new ways of thinking about what’s important. When I think about what our community needs I realise that the key to this question is that it’s impossible for me to answer this alone.

“One way to approach the question is to think about what you have missed the most while we’ve been closed, what is the first thing you’d like to do when our doors open?”

I’m throwing the question out to you. What do you think New Brewery Arts will look like when we reopen, what would you like to see us doing more of, or less of? What will the new be? One way to approach the question is to think about what you have missed the most while we’ve been closed? What is the first thing you’d like to do when our doors open?

Our purpose is to “connect people with the hand-made, to promote the joy and fulfilment of making and celebrates the role of craft and creativity in all our lives.” Before COVID-19 we did this through studios, retail, exhibitions and classes – are still the best ways to achieve our charitable purpose and to celebrate craft with you?

Certain things will be bound by the ‘new-normal’ of social distancing – but what should this ‘new’ look like? Should our class groups smaller than before? Would you rather learn at home with our tutors online? How do you want to shop? Would you like more online shopping? How are you finding the 2-meter distance at supermarkets? How can you browse while maintaining this distance?

I’d like to hear as many ideas and points of view as possible, they can be as micro or macro, small or radical as you want, no idea is too trivial or too ‘off the wall’. New Brewery Arts will be changed by COVID, as will all aspects of society – what this will look like must be shaped by us all. Do get in touch with your thoughts – my email is beth@newbreweryarts.org.uk, or you can also leave your comments below on this blog page, or via our social media @newbreweryarts.

We are New Brewery Arts, now we have to work together to decide how we live up to our name.

Wiser choices made with greater care

We are connected to the world both by the people we spend time with (now strangely distanced), and by the objects we have chosen to bring into our lives. I recently came across a piece of writing that chimed made me stop and think about the relationship we have with the objects we love and that we source at New Brewery Arts.

‘Our lives are full of things. Disposable distractions, stuff you buy but do not cherish, own yet never love. Thrown away in weeks rather than passed on for generations. Perhaps things will be different now. Wiser choices made with greater care. After all, if the fewer things you own always excite you, would you really miss the many that never could?’

I’d like to suggest something. While we are on lock-down, with few opportunities for social interaction with people, we could focus instead on the objects with us in our homes, the things that bring comfort and joy, the artefacts we cherish and love. So, take a look around you right now, ask yourself what are the things in your home that you love? Where are they from, who made them and just what is the connection between you and it? What’s the story behind them?

my perfect coffee mug

For me there are many such objects that I feel connected to; my coffee mug – from Muchelney Pottery – without it my first coffee of the day is simply off balance, there is the welsh wool sofa blanket that my husband and I chose together as newlyweds two decades ago - it’s like a hug, yesterday I used a little pottery dish thrown by my daughter when she was seven – its lumpy and chipped but I love it because she made it. These objects are special, they connect me to the world, to the people I love and to moments in my life. And right now, on lock-down, these connections are amplified, my world has shrunk down to my home and it’s more important to me than ever that the things I own excite me and mean something to me.

I hope you too are safely at home, surrounded by the things that you love, objects that mean something special to you. I hope that you use them and enjoy using them. These weeks of lock-down are an opportunity for us to get closer to these special objects, to appreciate them once again, to remember why we cherish them and how we love them. And when lock-down lifts, I hope that we have learnt to value the ‘things’ in our lives, and as we start to bring things into our homes again we remember this time and we make ‘wiser choices made with greater care’.

beth@newbreweryarts.org.uk

Not merely empty buildings

Image via Instagram @barrefly

Creativity is widely known to make us feel better, there’s a feeling of joy and fulfilment when you’re making things. I know there is a wealth of creative activity taking place in homes across the world right now, and I'm sure those feelings of wellbeing are helping everyone involved feel a little bit better and stronger.

There’s another side to craft though that I’m really missing, and it’s the social interaction that craft brings. I’ve been in to New Brewery Arts regularly since lockdown to check on the buildings, and it has been hard for me to see everything empty, without all the people who fill our spaces and studios every day. I know many of our regular students see their class as a moment in their social diary as much as a learning experience. From our offices we can hear laughter and chatter coming from the studios. I often say that while we are an organisation that celebrates the importance of craft and creativity, what we are really here for is the people and our community.

I had thought that without the amazing people who come to New Brewery Arts all we would be left with is three empty buildings. But the corona virus shut-down has shown me that even with the buildings empty there’s something else, there is still a community. Each week I have been spending time (via video calls) with the craftspeople from our studios, and with the team of trustees who, now more than ever, support the organisation, I've been chatting to staff on the phone and emailing craftspeople and other organisations about future plans. I've been emailing our community to thank them for their donations of support, and for their kind words that are helping us to get through these difficult times. We might have ‘gone dark’ for a few months, but it’s merely the buildings that we have had to close, not the unique spirit of New Brewery Arts.

And its with that community in mind, with the positive comments from people who want to come back to New Brewery Arts for their social and creative 'fix' that we're making plans for the days when we can all come together again. We're making plans for special events, exhibitions and a whole programme of new and favourite classes to come back to. We’re even developing new ways that New Brewery Arts can help our wider community recover and recuperate when lockdown ends – we don’t know what people may want or need, but we’ll be here to make sure craft and creativity is available to everybody so we can all feel the joy that craft brings.

Beth Alden, CEO
beth@newbreweryarts.org.uk

I think creativity is contagious

Earlier this week I had an online chat with the craftspeople from our studios – I think Zoom is wonderful. Each week we try and make the time to chat and catch up with one-another. What I have noticed is how unstoppable they are, they are continuing to be busy making and doing.

Over Easter LoCo have managed to find time to re-start the furnaces and blow glass in their studio, determined to make work with a conscience, they are taking part in an online exhibition @ArtForCure with 50% of all sales supporting breast cancer charities. You can see what LoCo are working on via their instagram @locostudioglass.

Tracey Elphick is also working hard, today she was at her studio packing up paintings for delivery. Tracey is participating in the #artistssupportpledge scheme via instagram @TraceyElphick. Set up by artist Matthew Burrows, it’s a simple concept of artists supporting one another throughout the coronavirus crisis. Artists are invited to post pictures of their works for sale for £200 or less on instagram, every time an artist makes £1000 in sales they then pledge to plough back £200 on purchasing the work of another artist – all using the hashtag #artistssupportpledge. It’s a great scheme supporting artists in an affordable way.

Daniella is hoping to clear out a shed today – somewhere at the back of the shed is a kiln, and once uncovered she hopes she can start making from home. (fingers crossed the kiln still works). Steve has continued working onsite in his basement studio, with orders to fulfil he’s got his fingers crossed that suppliers are still open so he can keep working. Emily is working from home on commissions and orders.

There’s also lots of ‘non-work’ making going on with the New Brewery Arts studio makers. Dorothy is hoping to support the NHS by sewing scrubs. While Hayley recovers from a severe washing up injury (9 stitches in her thumb) she’s managing to do some behind the scenes work on her website, and Suzanne is itching to paint her house. Then there’s all the family making that’s going on, from Lego to cake baking, drawing, jigsaws, crafting treasure hunts and making jewellery.

Our makers here at New Brewery Arts are amazing and inspiring. I love being surrounded by crafts people, even in these adverse situations they find a way to keep being creative. I think creativity is contagious.

Beth@newbreweryarts.org.uk