What is Blethering Crafts?
Blethering Crafts is a website/blog dedicated to interviewing crafts people and makers from around the world. The interviews range from high profile well known artisans to newbies. Future plans include interviews with people who work in crafts as managers, administrators and promoters as well as the mainstay interviews with actual makers.
The aim is to open the door onto the wonderful world of crafts and makers, promoting, sharing and showcase the lives and work of artisans and those working behind the scenes.
How do you select Makers for the site?
I research crafts councils around the world, galleries, crafts magazines, newspapers etc. I regularly check out the internet, including places like online galleries, online shops such as Etsy, Folksy and online networks such as UK Handmade etc.
Sometimes people refer me to makers/artisans and some makers/artisans approach me.
The selection criteria that I use to select artists, is that the work has to be handmade, craft based and the maker working as a semi/full time professional. I try to reflect a wide range of styles, experience and techniques, so that as many people as possible can find something of interest.
What is the process for the interview?
Firstly I contact the artist/maker and ask them if they would like to give an interview, if they agree then I send through a set of questions. They then answer the questions and send it back to me with a set of up to 10-15 images of their work, studio and self. I then compile the interview with the images, editing and formatting ready for upload to the site.
Once uploaded, I then promote the site and the new interview.
Who is the Editor/Creator Tash Goswami?
I get asked this question a lot! Well in a nutshell I am a maker too. Born in London, raised in Bristol and now living in Fife, Scotland with my wee dog Mutley! I am of Italian and Indian heritage with a bit of Greek and Spanish thrown in along the way! I guess it makes me truly multi cultural!
I am a trained ceramicist, getting my honours degree at the University of the West of England. After graduating I set up my own studio in Bristol and produced work for exhibitions, private clients and craft fairs. However for the past 15 years I have been working on the other side as an arts development manager for youth and community departments in the Third and Education sector.
In 2009 I took redundancy with a view to going self employed and returning to making full time for a living.
I also work as a freelance arts consultant for charities and Third Sector organisations. This includes writing and developing funding bids, organisational development and project development & management. Alongside this I have edited and illustrated a number of publications (both paper based and online) for different organisations such as the BBC, local and national charities.
I set up Blethering Crafts because I have a great love of crafts and often wondered about the lives of makers. I wanted a place where I could be inspired by makers from all over the world. It’s still a very young venture and each day I continue to develop it.
How is the site promoted?
The site is promoted to a wide network of artists, students and promoters as well as supporters and purchasers of craft. People are encouraged to also post it onto their network links and contacts.
How does the site make money?
The site is not for profit. There is no money made at all. This is a purely altruistic venture and through it I gain an invaluable insight in the world of makers, which I share with as wide an audience and network as possible.
Together, we (the people interviewed and I) create a world where craft is shared, celebrated and valued – I suppose it is my way of contributing to the continuance of craft in an ever increasingly manufactured world.
