Type: Group exhibition curated by Edward Crumpton, Jess Pearson and Barnstaple Museum

Dates: Saturday 1st October – Saturday 18th February 2023

Location: Museum of Barnstaple, N.Devon

Entry: Free

The In a New Light exhibition explores how North Devon’s endangered craft skills can be highlighted and evolved through use in contemporary arts and crafts.  

New works are being created by 2 Artists and 1 Craftsman by combining a learned Endangered skill with their current practice. Painter, Hester Berry is being taught tile making by Ceramicist Sandy Brown. Furniture Maker, Edward Wild is being taught Gilding by Artist Danni Bradford and Artist, Edward Crumpton is being taught Coppersmithing by Michael Johnson from Newlyn Copperworks.  

 This project idea was formed in 2019 whilst Edward Crumpton and Jess Pearson attended the International Guild of Knot Tyer’s annual conference in Dorset. A concern of the guilds that had become apparent was their need to engage the next generation of potential knot-tying enthusiasts. The worry was that if this did not happen, the many skills involved could eventually be lost and with it important English heritage.

 The project will culminate in talks, demos, workshops and an exhibition at The Barnstaple Museum, from the 1st of October 2022 until the 18th of February 2023. In the exhibition, Barnstaple Museum will also display linked heritage craft items from their archive.

This Arts Council-funded project is being run by the Artist, Edward Crumpton and Jessica Pearson, Founder of The Maker Series, to inspire the evolution of Endangered skills so that these skills have a better chance of survival in our modern world.