Shropshire Artisan Showcase

Stepping Into Retail

I’m really pleased to be one of the makers selected for the Shropshire Artisan Showcase 2026.

The programme, led by the Shropshire Growth Hub in partnership with Darwin Shopping Centre and Buy-From Creative Agency, brings together a small group of Shropshire based designers, makers and producers. Together, we have been taking part in a supported journey into retail, which will lead to a week long pop-up this May.

What drew me to apply was the opportunity to build more of a local creative network. So much of my work over the years has taken me further afield, and it felt important to be involved in something closer to home for a change. Something on the doorstep.

It also felt like the right moment to seek out a bit more structured support again. Like many, the last few years meant working more minimally than I would have liked, fitting things around disruptions and around small children. This felt like a way of stepping back in more fully, with guidance alongside me.

Much of my work begins quietly, with yarn, with colour and with time at the loom. It is a slow process, built up through small decisions. A retail setting brings a different kind of pace. Work has to speak more immediately. It needs to catch the eye, invite touch and hold attention, often in passing. I am curious to see how my pieces sit within that environment and what draws people in.

I will be bringing a selection of woven textiles, including pieces from my Avian collection, alongside other works that reflect the broader rhythm of my practice.

One of the most valuable aspects of this opportunity is being part of a small cohort, all navigating similar questions. How to grow, how to present work and how to sustain a creative practice. There is something reassuring in that shared experience. Different disciplines and different materials, but a common thread of making and wanting to take that next step.

The Shropshire Artisan Showcase is designed as more than a one off event. It is about building confidence, skills and resilience, things that carry forward long after the pop-up ends.

For me, this feels like a gentle but important shift. A way of reconnecting with my work, with a local creative community and with the idea of growing something sustainable again.

The showcase will take place from 11 to 16 May 2026 at Darwin Shopping Centre in Shrewsbury.

If you are planning a visit, it is also worth taking a look at a lovely giveaway currently being run by Buy-From Creative Agency to celebrate the showcase. It is a chance to discover, and possibly win, work from some of the makers involved:

👉 https://www.instagram.com/p/DXpIiL5iPtO/?img_index=1

The winner will receive a full artisan prize bundle and will be invited to collect it during the showcase at the Darwin Centre. The competition closes at 11:59pm on Thursday 7th May.

And if you find yourself nearby in May, do come and visit. I would love to see you there.

H x