Fairhaven Lake will be hosting an exciting new environment arts project later this month. The Eco Makers Market is part of the Green Loop environmental arts programme led by Fylde Council. The market will have a surprising and inspiring array of sustainable crafts on offer. With products ranging from jewellery to homewares, visitors and shoppers can find handmade products which don’t cost the Earth.
The Eco Makers Market is being curated by Hopeful and Glorious who are known on the Fylde coast for their annual Winter Art Fair at Lytham Hall. The market will take place on Saturday 30th April and Saturday 25th June and showcase handmade sustainable, green and eco creative products. Featuring the work of over 20 talented north-west makers, the outdoor market will be located next to Fairhaven Lake and the newly restored water-sports Centre. The market will run 11am to 4pm and will be free to visit.
Cllr Gavin Harrison, Deputy Chair of the Tourism & Leisure Committee, said: “The Eco Makers Market is just one of the positive projects Fylde Council is proud to present as part of the Green Loop programme. As a Council, we are keenly aware of the importance of sustainability, and we’re excited to see what the talents of our workshop participants can produce under the guidance of these skilled artisans.”
Each maker has made commitments to working more sustainably including:
- Re-using / upcycling products to make crafts / design
- Growing materials from sustainable / local sources
- Making things by hand or with renewable energy
- Using recycled /re-used/ compostable packaging
- Avoiding single use items
- Using safe inks, dyes and binding agents that aren’t toxic
- Using products that are kind to wildlife and nature
- Committing to lowering the carbon footprint
At the market, participants from the Green Loop workshop programme will be showcasing samples of sustainable products that they have been making from recycled plastic under the guidance of environmental artist Nerissa Cargill Thompson. They will also be running a drop-in family friendly workshop activity making things from plastic bottles.
Nerissa Cargill Thompson said of the project so far: “The group have really enjoyed the research stage of the project including talks, a beach clean and a visit to Relic Plastic; which have inspired their design choices in the making workshops. We are excited to share the results with visitors to the Eco Makers Market.”
Included in the April market are:
- A Bit of a Buzz from Lancaster who make Eco friendly and sustainable beeswax candles and polish.
- Elizabeth Emmens-Wilson from Blackburn who use products that would be heading for landfill and turns them into beautiful things including up-cycled ceramics, heirloom embroidered baubles and vintage reclaimed tiles brooches.
- Hexagram Designs from Blackpool crochet with wool from charity shops and use recycled t-shirts to make crochet bags.
- Red Fox Pottery from Fleetwood use waste products within their work including locally sourced scrap wood to make plinths and frames.
Additional Background information
Fylde Borough Council’s arts development service have developed ‘Green Loop’ which is an art and environment project motivated by the desire to connect Fylde’s communities with the coastline. The project will provide meaningful volunteer opportunities & provide engagement opportunities and in doing so, it will offer local people opportunities to create deeper connections to the coastline so that it becomes more accessible to all, better appreciated, and better understood. The pandemic has forced many to be more creative, and to appreciate the natural environment. It is this acknowledgment across society that we wish to capture. It is our aim that Green Loop will bring together Fylde residents through this shared purpose.
Green Loop is comprised of three thematically linked strands: –
- Using the local coastline as the stimulus, we will engage two emerging artists to work alongside professional environmental artist Nerissa Cargill Thompson and participants in a workshop programme to research, design, create, promote, and retail a limited-edition, sustainable & ethically produced range of wearable or home accessories made from recycled plastic and waste found in the Ribble Estuary. Participants will retail their outputs online and at the Green Loop Eco Makers Market, showing how beautiful items can be made from recycled materials. Working with partner organisations Ribble Rivers Trust, Keep Britain Tidy & Friends of the Estuary invaluable support will be provided through the provision of ecology sessions and waste material sourcing activities.
- An artist commission created by Nerissa Cargill Thompson will explore the environmental impacts of plastic waste through a series of artworks created both using and inspired by litter found in the River Ribble. Nerissa will collaborate with the local business sector to develop an exhibition trail to be hosted by the participating businesses, along Fylde’s high streets, bringing greater awareness of the human impact on the local environment looking at the legacy of such waste and alternative choices.
- Green Loop Eco Makers Markets will be co-produced by Fylde residents in collaboration with Hopeful & Glorious (https://hopefulandglorious.co.uk/) providing a platform for the launch of the communities limited edition product range. Developed with an environmental ethos, the makers market brand will be produced in line with a set of green principles and will present the opportunity for artists working towards environmental sustainability to showcase their work.
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