News

Celebrated as one of the finest craft events in Europe, The Contemporary Craft Festival is now officially the Best Event in the South West and scooped the overall Winner or Winners at South West Excellence Tourism Awards 2018.

The Contemporary Craft Festival team, who are celebrating 15 years this summer, were elated at winning GOLD and overjoyed to also receive the coveted, overall ‘Winner of Winners’. Presented by BBC’s Victoria Graham, the judges commended The Festival for “their commitment to excellence, people, partnerships, local provenance, education and to constant improvement and development.”

The South West Tourism Excellence Awards took place on Thursday 1st February where businesses from throughout the South West gathered to celebrate their achievements of being the best in their field. The awards attracted a record 647 entries from across the Cornwall, Isles of Scilly, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire.
Director, Sarah James, who picked up the awards said -
“It was completely unexpected but such an honour to receive our awards in such excellent company. To see craft celebrated alongside big business is very exciting and helps us realising our dream of bringing craft to more and more people.”

And the celebrations continued: Behind every successful woman is herself! Sarah James, Director of The Contemporary Craft Festival has also been nominated as one of Exeter’s 100 most influential women in conjunction with Grow Exeter.  After an overwhelming response and around 500 nominations Grow Exeter are celebrating the region's most influential women at the Deer Park Country House Hotel next week.

The Contemporary Craft Festival welcomes 200 of the very finest designer makers to the idyllic setting of Mill Marsh Park on the edge of Dartmoor at Bovey Tracey. The handpicked collection of some of the country’s most exciting designer makers were selected to sell their handmade products to a discerning audience of 10,000 visitors.

It doesn’t stop there, you can book onto a great range of craft workshops where you can learn craft -skills, new Teen area-The Den, watch a range of top makers demonstrating their craft and a packed Children’s Craft tent will keep budding young craftspeople enthralled all day.

You can expect a weekend brimming with live action including The Pottery Showdown competition, the Out of the Woods tent which celebrates British woodland craft skills and the magnificent Craft Cinema, hosted in a vintage Bedford Bus. The unique opportunity to meet over 200 makers of contemporary craft is the highlight of the weekend which includes award winning silversmiths, potters, furniture makers, textile artists, glass makers, jewellery and next year includes demonstrations by The Boat Building Academy and Otter Surfboards from Cornwall. 

Great live music fills the air from Devon performers topped off with a wide variety of locally sourced, delicious street food. A weekend to remember.

The Contemporary Craft Festival takes place on 8th - 10th June 2018
Open Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10-5pm
Tickets (per day): Adult £9
Weekend 3 Day Ticket: £17 (£15 concs)
Accompanied Children under 18 FREE
Concessions (students, OAPs, children 15-18 years and those in receipt of benefits) £8
Group Tickets, +10 tickets £1 discount per ticket, discount automatically applied at checkout.
ADVANCE TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!

See the Contemporary Craft Festival website