SDC AGM 2024 & Members' Day 'Digital Technology in Craft'

We are delighted to invite you to the SDC 2024 AGM and Members' Day 'Digital Technology in Craft'. Book your ticket now to join us in person on Saturday 11 May 2024! HERE

Annual General Meeting: 10.30am-12.30pm (members only)
The AGM will include the Chair & Treasurer's Report (Kate Mason & John Theophilus) and Council Elections. It will also be an opportunity to meet Jenny Starr, our new Executive Director who will outline our exciting plans for 2024 and beyond.

This part of the day is only open to Associates, Licentiates, Members, Fellows and Honorary Fellows. MSDCs and FSDCs will be required to vote in the Council member election and adoption of the accounts. Booking your place allows us to make sure there will be enough Members and Fellows present to be quorate.

Lunch: 12.30pm - 1.30pm (members & non-members welcome)

Members' Day - "Digital Technology in Craft" : 1.30-4.30pm (members & non-members welcome)
Craft is often defined as a practice inextricably linked to the hand of the maker, but innovative digital technologies are changing and refining that definition, to astounding effect. We have invited four highly regarded makers who will present their inspiring work and reveal their approaches to blending digital technology with traditional techniques.

Jonathan Keep, Jacky Puzey, Beth Somerville & Angela Thwaites will be presenting their work and we will be asking what part does digital technology play in Craft? As craftspeople, what do we make of AI? This event will also be an opportunity for you to share how you use digital tools in your practice, or if not, why not? We eagerly anticipate a thought-provoking discussion on the evolving definition of craft in the digital age. Find out more about our speakers here.

Members - we'd love to hear from you if you'd like to share how you use digital technology in your work, please email us.

This part of the day is open to non-members please invite friends, colleagues and fellow makers to book and join us for lunch and discussion from 12.30pm.

KEY INFORMATION
When: Saturday 11 May 2024, 10.30am - 5pm
Where: Art Workers' Guild, 6 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AT Map
Agenda:
10.30-11am: Registration & Social + Coffee & Tea
11-12.30pm: AGM (members only)
12.30-1.30pm: Lunch (members & non- members)
1.30-4.30pm: Members' Day - Digital Technology in Craft (members & non-members)
Presentations by Jonathan Keep, Jacky Puzey, Beth Somerville & Angela Thwaites, working in Textiles, Glass & Ceramics, followed by questions and discussions
4.30-5pm: Social

RSVP: Booking Essential Here
We kindly ask that you make a suggested donation of £5 (members) / £8 (non-members) to help us cover the cost of the event.

If you are interested in joining SDC as a Council Member please get in touch for more information.

Any Questions: admin@societyofdesignercraftsmen.org.uk

SPEAKER INFORMATION

JONATHAN KEEP calls himself an artist potter and lives and works on the Suffolk coast. His ceramics are recognisable for a strong sculptural quality and emphasis on form. The shapes of his pots are drawn in computer code. Inspired by evolutionary and ecological processes, Jonathan has developed this working method out of an interest in the way computer code can mimic natural codes, patterns and growth structures. As a pioneer and leading exponent of studio based ceramic 3D printing he has undertaken residencies, workshops and lecturing on digital ceramics in over fifty institutions in more than twenty countries.
www.keep-art.co.uk/
Instagram: @jkeep_artpottery

JACKY PUZEY is a contemporary embroidery artist, whose work combines traditional embroidery skills with digital technology. She stitches stunning 3D tableaus in rich, vibrant colours, using fur, feathers, tweed and organza as well as drawing, laser cutting and digital embroidery to explore a baroque pleasure in imagery and style. Conceptually she loves to explore visual collaborations across cultures, from multicultural graffiti-d contemporary cityscapes to historical textile motifs and traditional cloths. Her commissioned designs consistently push the boundaries of digital and hand embroidery to deliver stand-alone artworks, embellished furniture and statement wall-pieces. Clients include international architects, interior designers, fashion designers, film and television companies, private clients and collectors. Recent commissions include works for luxury hotels in London and Madrid
www.jackypuzey.com
Instagram: @jackypuzey

BETH SOMERVILLE is a textile practitioner driven by material innovation and experimentation. With a hands-on approach to design, Beth realises ideas through rigorous exploration of embroidery processes and fabric manipulation. Beth graduated from Falmouth University in summer 2023. Recognised for the “bravery, juxtaposition and beauty” of her work, Beth was awarded the New Designer of the Year in 2023 as well as being named an Embroiderer’s Guild Graduate. Having also been awarded the Wilcom Assosiate Prize in 2023, Beth was able to continue her exploration into digital embroidery to develop new fabrics and ultimately a zero-waste garment. Currently, Beth is developing her practice on the CHANEL and the King’s Foundation Métiers d’Art Fellowship in partnership with Le19M in order to contextualise her work within the luxury fashion industry.
Instagram: @beth.som

ANGELA THWAITES is an internationally active artist, researcher, educator and author. Focused on expressive potentials of glass her practice spans sculpture, commissions, collaborations, site responsive installation and wearables. Angela regularly exhibits and teaches from her studio and in Masterclasses across Europe and the USA. Successfully completing a PhD (University of Sunderland, 2018) Angela melds digital and physical modelling methods, developing tangible, tactile forms, translated through 4,000 year old casting techniques, into glass. It is not the flawless regularity that digital process appears to offer that’s interesting, rather its potential to combine with the material presence of the handmade, to produce previously ‘unmakeable’ forms and structures.
www.angelathwaites.com
Instagram: @angelamthwaites

Image top: Angela Thwaites Vessel Line Up (photo Dave Lawson)