Advertise on podcast: The Capital of Craft

The Capital of Craft Podcast with Linda Unsworth Craft Festival Wales 2026 Season Craft Festival Wales director, Sarah James MBE met up with potter Linda Unsworth in the foothills of the Preseli Mountains. They talked about her early life in Communist Czechoslovakia and her post revolution travels. They also talked about her Qigong and Kung Fu practise and how it influences her ceramic work.  You can meet Linda at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle from September 11-13, 2026.

The Capital of Craft Podcast Craft Festival Wales Season 2026  Craft Festival Director, Sarah James MBE, met jeweller, Ami Pepper in her workshop / atelier in Newport to talk about her work, her family background and her approach to developing her jewellery collections. We also talked about what she is looking forward to at Craft Festival Wales 2026.  Ami Pepper Jewellery Meet Ami at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle from September 11-13th 2026.

Craft Festival Wales Special I met Cathryn Gwynn at her home studio in Cilgerran, a village near Cardigan in West Wales.  Her early life in Cardiff led her to a career in writing, editing and finally teaching at Preseli School. She later began an access course in art, leading to a degree in Textiles from Carmarthen School of Art in 2020. Text, texture and textile: three words which reflect sher practice as a mixed-media artist. She is drawn to thread, pen, ink and paper and work somewhere on the cusp of these materials. Cathryn Wynn will be giving an illustrated talk about her work at The Capital of Craft at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle.  Her work is part of an exhibition of 8 important Welsh makers at Canfas Gallery in Cardigan. Woven, curated by Suzi Park from Cambrian Wool, runs from September 5-October 5th.  Craft Festival Wales September 5-7, 2025 www.craftfestival.co.uk/wales

Craft Festival Wales  Craft Festival Wales Special  Earlier in August I met with Cardigan based potter, Ella Bua-In. ⁠ ⁠ We talked about her background in illustration and how she started working with clay. ⁠ ⁠ Ella was one of the artists in last year's Craft Festival Town Trail, curated by Oriel Myrddin and this year, she will be joining us at the Castle as a demonstrator. ⁠ ⁠ Listen now and meet Ella at Craft Festival Wales. ⁠ ⁠ 📍 Craft Festival Wales, Cardigan Castle ⁠ 📅 September 5-7th⁠ Craft Festival Wales September 5-7, 2025 www.craftfestival.co.uk/wales

Craft Festival Wales Special  Weaver, Llio James joins me in her studio in Cardiff to talk about her life and work and what led her to work on the loom. Deeply embedded in Welsh culture, Llio's rich colour ways and confident, minimalist patterns reflect her interest in architecture.  Llio is exhibiting at Craft Festival Wales. She will also be part of The Capital of Craft Live at the Festival. She will be in conversation with Ann Whittall, Head of the National Wool Museum and Mary Eluned Lewis, Head of Craft Sustainability at Heritage Crafts. They will be discussing the future of double cloth weaving as it has been recently placed on the Heritage Crafts' Red List. Llio James is also one of 8 important makers exhibiting in "Woven" at Canfas Gallery in Cardigan from September 5-October 5 curated by Suzi Park from Cambrian Wool.  Craft Festival Wales September 5-7, 2025 www.craftfestival.co.uk/wales

Season 6 of The Capital of Craft, Welsh Special. To celebrate the return of Craft Festival Wales, I chat with Head of the National Wool Museum, Ann Whittall.  We spoke about the historic importance of wool to West Wales and new projects at the Musuem.  Ann is spearheading training new apprentices who are learning to work with the looms at the impressive Weave Shed in Drefach Felindre. We also discussed Musuem's work in the decolonisation of the Collection and working with visual artist, Lucille Junkere.  The National Museum is supporting Craft Festival Wales and will be running free workshops for children throughout the weekend. You can meet Ann at Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle from September 5-7, 2025 www.craftfestival.co.uk

Season 5 of The Capital of Craft, Wales Special. To celebrate Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle, I had a great conversation with Jem Roberts AKA On the Wing.  Writer, poet and artist, we chat about the creative juggling act needed to persue a passion for words.  Jem is our poet in residence at Craft Festival of Wales and she will be working along side Nick Hand of The Letterpress Collective to produce daily posters responding to the Festival at Cardigan Castle.  You can meet Jem at Craft Festival Wales from September 6-8th, 2024. www.craftfestival.co.uk On The Wing

Season 5 of The Capital of Craft, Wales Special. To celebrate Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle, I was delighted to meet and chat with Belinda Knott of Pothies. We had a lovely conversation about her practise and how her love of sea swimming prompted the invention of the Cosymajig.  You can meet Belinda at Craft Festival Wales from September 6-8th.  www.craftfestival.co.uk Belinda Knott

The Capital of Craft Season 5, Wales Special To celebrate the first Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle, I had a lovely conversation with textile artist and surface pattern designer, Sophie Snow. Born and bred near Cardigan, West Wales, Sophie lives in St Dogmaels and makes contemporary quilts.  I loved hearing about her creative family and how she is passing down her passion for making to her own children. You can meet Sophie at Craft Festival Wales from September 6-8th 2024.  Sophie will also be speaking at The Capital of Craft LIVE at Craft Festival about her practise.  Join us in Cardigan. www.craftfestival.co.uk Sophie Snow

Welcome to Season 5 of The Capital of Craft: Wales Special. To celebrate the first Craft Festival Wales at Cardigan Castle, it was a real pleasure to interview Rosa Harradine for The Capital of Craft podcast.  Rosa is based in Carmarthen and makes brooms and brushes. We talk about her creative life and how she began making brooms. It's a lovely story and I hope you enjoy listening.  You can meet Rosa and 80 more makers at Craft Festival Wales from September 6-8, 2024 at Cardigan Castle. Rosa is also one of our demonstrators and you can also find her work in the Craft Festival Town Trail, which runds from August 30 to September 20th.  Craft Festival Wales is funded by Arts Council of Wales, Ceredigion County Council and QEST.  www.craftfestival.co.uk/wales Rosa Harradine

The Capital of Craft 20th Anniversary of Craft Festival Season To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Craft Festival Bovey Tracey in June, here is the 4th season of The Capital of Craft hosted by me, Sarah James MBE. I am the director of Craft Festival and Find a Maker.  In this podcast I chat with the inspirational and influential founder of the Craftivist Collective, Sarah Corbett. Sarah is joining us at Craft Festival Bovey Tracey in the Out of the Woods tent on June 8th where she will be in conversation with Daniel Carpenter, Executive Director of Heritage Crafts.  Born in Everton, Liverpool, Sarah P Corbett is an award-winning activist, Ashoka Fellow, author and founder of the global Craftivist Collective. She has dedicated over a decade to the Craftivist Collective, honing her unique 'Gentle Protest' methodology, combining neuroscience, positive psychology, campaign strategy and beautiful handicrafts. We talk about upbringing in Liverpool and how her parents shaped her approach to activism and why it's important to use your voice for change.   Her latest book, Craftivist Collective Handbook is is out now.  Craft Festival Bovey Tracey, Mill Marsh Park, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9FF www.craftfestival.co.uk

The Capital of Craft 20th Anniversary of Craft Festival Season To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Craft Festival Bovey Tracey in June, here is the 4th season of The Capital of Craft hosted by me, Sarah James MBE. I am the director of Craft Festival and Find a Maker.  Margo Selby is one of the UK's most celebrated and successful textile artists. Back in 2008, Margo was awarded Best New Business.  Since then she has built an impressive portfolio of creative work and working collaboratively with leading high street brands.  Her latest work, the spectacular moon landing; her first site-specific installation, created in collaboration with composer Helen Caddick, was debuted at Collect at Somerset House in March 2024.  Margo will be joining us at Craft Festival Bovey Tracey on June 8th. She will be running a workshop at Make Southwest in the Morning. In the afternoon, she will be giving a talk about her work in the Out of the Woods tent at Craft Festival. The talk is free and cannot be booked in advance.  Margo talks with me from her studio in Whitstable. https://www.margoselby.com/ https://www.craftfestival.co.uk/

The Capital of Craft 20th Anniversary of Craft Festival Season To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Craft Festival Bovey Tracey in June, here is the 4th season of The Capital of Craft hosted by me, Sarah James MBE. I am the director of Craft Festival and Find a Maker.  Alex Finberg was the recipient of Craft Festival's Making It Award 2023 and debuted at Craft Festival Bovey Tracey that year.  In our podcast we find out more about his career. Trained in psychology, his entry into woodworking came about from working on therapeutic projects. I loved learning more about Alex's life and his passion for the outdoors. He talks with me from his Devon home. https://alexfinberg.co.uk/ https://www.craftfestival.co.uk/

The Capital of Craft LIVE from Cheltenham Town Hall: Bonus Podcast As a bonus podcast, listen to Sarah James MBE talk to Dr Kate Strasdin about her critically and commercially successful latest non-fiction book, The Dress Diary of Mrs Anne Sykes.  The book is investagative journalism meets fashion and social history and is a brilliant read. Sarah and Kate talks about the fascinating story of how she found the diary and the lengths she went to to piece together the life and times of Mrs Anne Sykes.  Dr Kate Strasdin is a senior lecturer at Falmouth University, where she teaches contextual studies for Fashion Design, Fashion Photography, Fashion Marketing and Performance Sportswear Design. Sounds quality reflects a live setting.  @katestrasdin  @craftfestival  @thecapitalofcraft

The Capital of Craft with Keith Brymer-Jones and Marj Hogarth. To celebrate the end of our good friend, Keith Brymer-Jones', storming national tour, we are releasing a podcast to end Season 3 of The Capital of Craft. Recorded live earlier this year at Craft Festival Cheltenham at the Town Hall,  Keith is in conversation with his partner Marj Hogarth, talking in great depth, with humour and poignancy about his life, growing up in London to Welsh parents. Becoming (as well as a dancer and singer) an accomplished and prolific potter, before being "discovered" by Love Productions and asked to be a judge on The Great Potter Throwdown. The series has gained a hugely loyal following, almost entirely due to the warm and emotional interactions between Brymer-Jones and the contestants. The show is now the 2nd most popular show on Channel 4 after Bake Off!  Marj and Keith have just completed a successful, 22 date national theatre tour, where they brought Keith's book, Boy in a China Shop, to life.  Huge Congrats Keith and Marj. Sound quality reflects a live environment.