TOAST Creative Residency On-Demand

The annual TOAST Creative Residency brings together our community of creative individuals. This year, we hosted our first blended Creative Residency, with a three-day programme of engaging talks, workshops and live demonstrations both online and in person. The talks and workshops are now available to watch on-demand. Once you have purchased access, you will receive an email with a link to the video recording.

The programme, inspired by our seasonal campaign titled Rewilding, connected individuals and fostered thought. As part of the Creative Residency we exhibited a wild floral installation by renowned floral artist Frida Kim, curated an edit of pieces from the Crafts Council collection and TOAST New Makers, and watched our artist in residence, Liaqat Rasul, at work.

20% of on-demand sales will be donated by TOAST to Crafts Council UK to support their Young Citizens Programme - offering workshops, paid opportunities and creative and professional advice for young people from all backgrounds interested in shaping the future of craft, design and making in the UK.

Nature in Design | A Panel Discussion

Katie Treggiden is a writer and keynote speaker who champions a circular approach to design. Her fifth book, Wasted: When Trash Becomes Treasure, celebrates 30 designers, makers and manufacturers who use waste as their primary resource.

Katie hosts a panel discussion with  New Maker Corrie Williamson, artist Abigail Booth, designer maker Darren Appiagyei and craftsman and environmentalist Sebastian Cox. They discuss the reinvention and repurposing of natural materials and the benefits of collaborating with nature in design. 

1 hour, £5.
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Rewilding the Mind with Alice Vincent & Maya Thomas

Author and gardener Alice Vincent and herbologist and chef Maya Thomas share their personal stories of rewilding, dwelling on where they differ and where they are alike.

The roles of the city versus the country in terms of escape, as well as their different routes into working with plants are discussed. The pair also talk about the notion of disconnection from the land and by extension, ourselves, explaining what brought them to live closer to nature. Touching on womanhood and friendship, they consider the often overlooked role of women in connection to the land. Then, they share their daily practice of rewilding, with practical advice and tips.

1 hour, £5.
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Fostering Green Spaces in Cities | A Panel Discussion

London-based gardener-writer Matt Collins hosts a panel discussion with founder of Hackney Herbal Nat Mady and Ashley Edwards, head gardener from Horatio’s Garden.

They discuss our connection to nature and the importance of supporting and protecting it, as well as rewilding initiatives bringing green spaces back into urban environments, and community projects driving change - focusing on the health benefits of plants in community gardens.

1 hour, £5.
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Sketching Foliage & Flowers with Linda Williams

Artist and Obiko founder Linda Williams hosts a workshop exploring the fundamentals of drawing with charcoal pencil and painting with gouache.

Linda is known for her contemporary nature-inspired illustrations and artwork. Drawing from observation, the workshop focuses on the qualities of an autumnal floral installation by renowned florist, Frida Kim. Taking inspiration from the grasses, foliage and flowers, you will explore form, composition, negative space and the practise of simple, flowing mark-making techniques. From these sketchbook experiments, Linda demonstrates how to transfer your artwork onto notecards. Experimentation and discovering your own unique, creative style is encouraged. No previous experience is required.

2 hours, £5.
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Artist in Residence | Crafts Council in Conversation with Liaqat Rasul

Watch our artist in residence, Liaqat Rasul, reveal his artwork inspired by rewilding. During this talk and presentation, the Crafts Council’s Curator of Creative Partnerships and Programmes Annabelle Campbell converses with Liaqat, as he shares his innovative ways of working with found materials, from envelopes and old stamps, to egg boxes, paper cups and plates. Liaqat binds these elements together by sticking and stitching, uniting them in a cascade of shapes, words and textures to create a sense of hope.

Our open call sought artists from a variety of backgrounds and creative disciplines to submit artwork exploring the seasonal theme of Rewilding. Liaqat presented his work at the Creative Residency, was profiled in Crafts Magazine and the final piece has been donated to the Crafts Council collection.

1 hour, £5.
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Growing in Cities and Small Places with Claire Ratinon

Edible growing is not just for those with allotments and large gardens. Organic food grower and author of How to Grow Your Dinner: Without Leaving the House Claire Ratinon explores how you can connect with the natural world through growing edible plants in small spaces.

For this workshop, Claire shows you how to plant a range of crops in containers including a step-by-step demonstration of how to grow microgreens. She also discusses how we can create a more accessible landscape for people to participate in gardening.

1 hour 30 mins, £10.
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Needle Tufting with Maria Sigma

Award-winning weaver Maria Sigma, who follows a zero-waste philosophy, demonstrates a needle tufting technique to create abstract landscapes using remnant yarns from the TOAST production process.

This season TOAST has collaborated with Maria on a hand-tufted fabric made using waste yarns, which has been incorporated into a bag by leatherworker Candice Lau. During this workshop, through Maria’s step-by-step guidance, you will learn the basics of needle tufting and how to up-cycle your old knitwear to create unique textile artworks for hanging on the wall or turning into a small accessory.

2 hours, £10.
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Mindful Whittling with Barn the Spoon

Barn the Spoon is widely recognised as being responsible for the popularisation of spoon carving. During this workshop, Barn introduces you to basic, traditional wood carving and whittling techniques to create a butter spreader using coppiced wood.

Taking inspiration from our surroundings, you will learn how we can collaborate with nature to create useful tools. Barn also shares his passion for working woodlands being a route to improving biodiversity and the power of craft to transform lives. Discussion touches on managing forests and the environmental benefits of coppicing wood - how it enhances biodiversity and creates a patchwork of habitats for wildlife. The notion of craft as a therapeutic, mindful practice is also considered.

2 hours, £10.
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Willow Weaving with Julie Gurr

Learn the art of willow weaving with TOAST New Maker Julie Gurr. Working from a former oast house in Hastings, Julie weaves sculptural yet practical baskets using several varieties of willow.

During this workshop, Julie guides you through the process of creating a woven platter using willow cuttings and traditional basket-making techniques from the Catalan-speaking regions of Spain. You also learn about the growing and preparation of willow, from the planting of the cuttings to harvesting and soaking. No previous willow weaving experience is required.

3 hours, £15.
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