One Year On - Part 1 2017 with Naomi Jacques
Before the show.
I remember applying for New Designers One Year On, and thinking should I apply for the opportunity to exhibit? If you don't try you'll never know! So I did. I took the chance, I applied and I was accepted to exhibit.
Being a glass artist and knowing that the previous years glass had been on the decline in the One Year On shows, it was a long shot. So my advice to you if your a year on in a creative business, APPLY, you never know what could happen unless you try, even if you think you wont get a look in. Do it anyway you might be pleasantly surprised.
PR is something I was not very confident in and I am still learning. The team behind and supporting New Designers work so hard getting your images and news to the right readers. Be organised with your news and images ahead of the event. You'll need strong images that speak for the work you make. I was pleased to see my images be selected by Aesthetica Magazine, Design Curial - good images get used. Invest in your photography as soon as possible.
It was a pleasure to work with Rheanna Ingram, One Year On curator, her experience, knowledge and her approach was friendly, to the point and extremely helpful.
Patricia Van, from the Design Trust, a wonderful women with a vast amount of knowledge. All the OYO's were invited to join two webinars with Patricia, these were fabulous. Everything a new business needs to know and more. Invaluable resource for sure.
Also I would like to mention Beth from Upper Streets Events. She kept us all in the know via regular emails. I appreciated all her help and information from the start right till the end.
During the show.
I am pleased to say this year I was one of three contemporary glass artist, Mari Fisher, Alice Heaton and myself. All with different specialisms.
Mari explores the fluidity of hot glass via kiln forming techniques making colourful sculptural forms using gravity and heat.
Alice works in the hot shop creating beautiful forms and radiant colours that appear to have been painted on inspired by many colours.
As for me I use kiln forming processes to make delicate sculptural works that have been inspired by broken becoming beautiful. We three are still very much in contact and hope to work together in the future and plan exhibitions to showcase all our differences.
After the show.
Reflecting back on my time at OYO the one thing I would have done differently would have been to bring a friend or colleague whom you can tag team with - by that I mean share the stand time with, so you can have regular breaks, eat and drink well and so on. The first few days of the actual show are long and hard going - if you think exhibiting with your university was tough, then doing OYO alone will take it out of you big time! Take help and support from your family and friends. This is a big show, people are visiting all day long, get your stand covered at all times. Yes, your neighbours can be there to help, but they need breaks too.
I kid you not it has taken a week (plus) to recover from the physical and mental exhaustion of OYO.
My time post show has been spent following leads and contacting everyone who I spoke to on my stand at OYO. This is by far the most important thing to do, and I believe we as creatives find most challenging.
I have made so many new connections with professionals, fellow makers/designers and I have made friends.
For now I am looking into Artist In Residence schemes, AA2A and Inspire programs. I am working with new materials with the possibility of being sampled by one company (found at ND OYO).
As well as running community workshops locally for all ages and abilities. I enjoy teaching kiln forming processes. I find it so rewarding when a person lights up with delight to see what they themselves have made. Glass is a medium that can be taught to all ages and abilities when delivered safely.
Thank you to everyone who made my time at New Designers OYO 2017 so special and rememberable. Thanks to Rheanna, Patricia and the Upper Streets team for making this whole experience a successful one. A special Thank You also to my family and friends for all your support before, during and after this amazing show. I could not have done it with out you all.