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Glass Act
Listed under: Interviews
Published: Thursday, April 08, 2010
With the International Festival of Glass set to take place later this year, interest in glass making is set to soar. Natasha George, co-director of the event, discusses the benefits of tapping into this market
“The International Festival of Glass takes place every two years in the ‘home of glass’, Stourbridge, offering workshops and taster sessions for people interested in experimenting with glassblowing and other similar techniques.
In 2008, we had to put on additional sessions because the demand was so great, and this year we will be making sure there are plenty of opportunities for people to get hands-on experience – offering everything from three and a half day masterclasses, to two-hour mini-sessions. Nowadays, consumers are increasingly seeing glass as a collectible art form and the pieces produced are not only incredibly varied, but can also suit every budget as well.
The recent resurgence in traditional pastimes has created enormous demand for craft courses and workshops – something which has been boosted by the effect of the recession and TV programmes, such as Kirstie’s Homemade Home, and Monty Don’s Mastercrafts.
Fascinating to watch, glass blowing can take as long to master as becoming a virtuoso musician, and the level of skill and artistry can be mesmerizing. It is also great fun to do and, with a little guidance, even novices can produce something of beauty in a relatively short space of time – even if it is a little wobbly!
Of course, there are also other glass making techniques that require a lot of skill, but take less time to master – such as glass painting or bead making.
I think the rise in people taking up glass making reflects a greater appreciation of crafts in general, and the satisfaction that can be gained from learning a new skill. The level of design has also improved in recent years, and there are now so many beautiful, contemporary designs available.
At the moment, two of the most popular glass techniques amongst craft hobbyists are bead making and copper foiling/stained glass, which are both fairly addictive and relatively cheap to produce – in terms of tools and equipment.
Glass making tends to appeal to anyone with a bit of artistic flair and determination. However, it is an incredibly fragile medium to work with and breaking a piece when near to completion can be heart-breaking and infuriating. But, when you get it right, the rewards are amazing.
Despite the recession, I think we'll see an increase in the demand for glass making courses over the next year, as people’s interest in traditional crafts continues. The downturn has definitely influenced this trend and consumers are generally buying less non-essential items, and preferring to make things that, perhaps a few years ago, they might have bought.”
For more information about the International Festival of Glass 2010, please visit http://www.ifg.org.uk, or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
In 2008, we had to put on additional sessions because the demand was so great, and this year we will be making sure there are plenty of opportunities for people to get hands-on experience – offering everything from three and a half day masterclasses, to two-hour mini-sessions. Nowadays, consumers are increasingly seeing glass as a collectible art form and the pieces produced are not only incredibly varied, but can also suit every budget as well.
The recent resurgence in traditional pastimes has created enormous demand for craft courses and workshops – something which has been boosted by the effect of the recession and TV programmes, such as Kirstie’s Homemade Home, and Monty Don’s Mastercrafts.
Fascinating to watch, glass blowing can take as long to master as becoming a virtuoso musician, and the level of skill and artistry can be mesmerizing. It is also great fun to do and, with a little guidance, even novices can produce something of beauty in a relatively short space of time – even if it is a little wobbly!
Of course, there are also other glass making techniques that require a lot of skill, but take less time to master – such as glass painting or bead making.
I think the rise in people taking up glass making reflects a greater appreciation of crafts in general, and the satisfaction that can be gained from learning a new skill. The level of design has also improved in recent years, and there are now so many beautiful, contemporary designs available.
At the moment, two of the most popular glass techniques amongst craft hobbyists are bead making and copper foiling/stained glass, which are both fairly addictive and relatively cheap to produce – in terms of tools and equipment.
Glass making tends to appeal to anyone with a bit of artistic flair and determination. However, it is an incredibly fragile medium to work with and breaking a piece when near to completion can be heart-breaking and infuriating. But, when you get it right, the rewards are amazing.
Despite the recession, I think we'll see an increase in the demand for glass making courses over the next year, as people’s interest in traditional crafts continues. The downturn has definitely influenced this trend and consumers are generally buying less non-essential items, and preferring to make things that, perhaps a few years ago, they might have bought.”
For more information about the International Festival of Glass 2010, please visit http://www.ifg.org.uk, or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
