Events & Shows Diary

East of England - Norfolk

FREE ENTRY to our exhibition and sale of fair trade textiles

In many ways, Norfolk is where it all started… way back when Magie and Bob used to go there ‘on safari’ with the African Fabric Shop. From those humble days, grew World Textile Day at this great village venue in Mundford - just up the road from Thetford and an easy hop from Norwich and Cambridge. We’ve got great support from all over East Anglia – heaps of regular visitors and new visitors discovering us every year. See you there!

11 am : main talk : Textile Animal Trappings - Celebration and Endurance

• with world textiles expert and author Gaynor Williams
• £5. Tickets on the door

2 pm : short talk : plus World Textiles Show & Tell

• Talk details, to be confirmed
• £3. Tickets on the door

FAIR TRADE MARKET from makers, workshops and villages around the world

• African Fabric Shop
• Textile Traders
• Susan Briscoe Designs
• Khayamiya – The Tentmakers of Cairo
• Gaynor Williams
• Imogen Catling
• Jim Gaffney’s Textile Treasures

Plus: delicious onsite catering and refreshments all day

View and print flyer: World Textiles Spring Events [ PDF format ]

More information: worldtextileday.co.uk

The People Behind the Cloth

Magie first stepped into an African market 40 years ago. From desert to rainforest, from bustling cities to remote villages, that's a lot of miles.

So, Magie… What keeps you going back to Africa?

'The fabulous fabrics, of course. But it's not just the about the textiles,' she says.

'It's about the people we meet, work with and learn from.'

'It's their knowledge and their stories that we hope to pass on to you - along with their textiles!'

Join Magie for this ‘digital journey’ to West Africa. She'll introduce you to makers, techniques and cloths from Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, Ghana and Senegambia. You'll discover how contemporary dyers are building on the past to develop new methods and designs.

£7. Tickets at: https://nomadstent.co.uk/collections/events

Traditions and Innovations

You've probably heard of these traditional African textiles: mud cloth from Mali and Kente from Ghana. You may even know the eponymous Korhogo cloth from Côte d'Ivoire, much admired by Pablo Picasso, no less.

They're all examples of African textile traditions that go back centuries.

So, what's their backstory?

And, how has the world market place of the 21st century driven change and innovation in African textiles?

Join Bob as he examines these cloths, their makers and how they're maintaining traditions while innovating.

£7. Tickets at: https://nomadstent.co.uk/collections/events

Kora music from West Africa

Sample Josh Doughty's incredible kora music on Vimeo: Click to play
Video will open in a new browser window.

When Andrew Haughton at the Nomad's Tent asked us to recommend an African musician to enhance our Under African Skies exhibition, we were stumped.
Then Andrew found Josh Doughty, a Bristol-based master kora player who has studied in Mali with Toumani Diabaté.
We saw Josh play recently in West Yorkshire. His music will transport you instantly to West Africa. Guaranteed.
Don't miss his performance at the Nomad's Tent.

£10. Tickets at: https://nomadstent.co.uk/collections/events
More about  Josh Doughty: https://joshdoughty.co.uk/

Hand-stitching workshop with Magie Relph

On her travels, Magie spends a lot of time just waiting: for cars, buses, trains, planes and border officials. To keep busy, she stitches fabric postcards as a reminder of the places she’s been and the people she’s met there. She might even stitch a postcard when she’s not waiting - just for the pleasure.

Join Magie for a hands-on stitching workshop and make your own postcard.

£30. Includes fabrics and a selection of threads for hand-stitching. Please bring your own hand-sewing kit.

Bookings at: https://nomadstent.co.uk/collections/events

Image: While waiting for transport, Magie entertains a local hat maker. Labé, Guinea.

North of England - Cheshire

FREE ENTRY to our exhibition and sale of fair trade textiles

Frodsham Community Centre is home to an amazing array of textile groups - and one of our favourite World Textile Day venues. Fordsham is very easy to get to from Manchester, Liverpool, the Wirral and even north Wales. We’re always amazed at the turnout and enthusiam. One year we had so many visitors that we had to ask our guest speaker Janice Gunner to repeat her talk in the afternoon!

11 am : main talk : Japanese Country Textiles - Traditions Moving Forward

• with Japanese textiles expert and author Susan Briscoe
• £5. Tickets on the door

2 pm : short talk : plus World Textiles Show & Tell

• Talk details, to be confirmed
• £3. Tickets on the door

FAIR TRADE MARKET from makers, workshops and villages around the world

• African Fabric Shop
• Textile Traders
• Susan Briscoe Designs
• Tanya Burne – The Running Stitches
• Janice Gunner
• Jim Gaffney’s Textile Treasures

Special Guest Exhibitors

• The Braid Society

Plus: delicious onsite catering and refreshments all day

View and print flyer: World Textiles Spring Events [ PDF format ]

More information: worldtextileday.co.uk

Scotland - Bridge of Allan

FREE ENTRY to our exhibition and sale of fair trade textiles

Bridge of Allan has always been a special World Textile Day for us. It’s a really easy venue to get to from both Edinburgh and Glasgow. But guess what? Those textile-fanatic Scots come from as far away as The Borders, Aberdeen and Inverness. Now that’s dedication!

11 am : main talk : Textile Animal Trappings - Celebration and Endurance

• with world textiles expert and author Gaynor Williams
• £5. Tickets on the door

2 pm : short talk : plus World Textiles Show & Tell

• Talk details, to be confirmed
• £3. Tickets on the door

FAIR TRADE MARKET from makers, workshops and villages around the world

• African Fabric Shop
• Textile Traders
• Susan Briscoe Designs
• The Nomad’s Tent
• Khayamiya – The Tentmakers of Cairo
• Handmade Nepal – Karen Haggis
• Gaynor Williams
• Jim Gaffney’s Textile Treasures

Plus: delicious onsite catering and refreshments all day

View and print flyer: World Textiles Spring Events [ PDF format ]

More information: worldtextileday.co.uk