Creative Market brings joy and gladness back to the festive period

A Very Blackpool Christmas: Creative Market brings joy and gladness back to the festive period

Following the success of last year's event and hot off the heels of its Print Fair in October, the High Street Heritage Action Zone is hosting Blackpool Creative Christmas Market on 2nd December, bringing 50 local independent traders under one roof.

Christmas is a time for giving, but that shouldn’t mean we’re forced into spending a fortune on mass-produced tat that lines the pockets of corporations. One or two thoughtful gifts can mean so much more to our loved ones than a sackful of stuff but choosing them can take up valuable time in what’s the busiest time of the year for so many of us. 

This Christmas season, Blackpool's High Street Heritage Action Zone is taking the stress out of buying gifts for your loved one by bringing together 50 local independent traders under one roof for Blackpool’s biggest Christmas market. And with family entertainment and crafty workshops to take part in too, it promises to bring joy and gladness back into the Christmas shopping experience. 

On 2nd December the Winter Gardens Pavilion will be transformed into a festive marketplace with stalls selling handmade crafts, original artwork, artisan jewellery and homeware and so much more. The stalls are hosted by Blackpool makers and artists selling their unique products, meaning you’ll be supporting local independent traders and purchasing sustainable gifts that are good for the planet and much of it good for your pocket too. 

This is the second annual Blackpool Christmas Creative Market hosted by the High Street Heritage Action Zone which aims to use Blackpool’s high street heritage as a catalyst for bringing new and diverse uses to the town centre. The markets are also hosted outside of the Christmas period and this year’s Christmas market comes just over a month after the first Creative Market Print Fair, which was held in recognition of the incredible volume and quality of print artists living and working locally. 

Many of those artists are returning for the Christmas Creative Market, including screen printer Robin Ross who works for his Old Rock Factory studios in the town centre, St Anne’s-based graphic illustrator Darren Elwell who’s pop culture inspired prints make the perfect gift for older children and teenagers. Sarah Pugsley’s prints, made under the moniker Coxyart and inspired by Fylde Coast landmarks, make a perfect gift for anyone who’s rightly proud of our vibrant hometown.

There will be tonnes of inspiration for stocking fillers for children, with traders including Josh Ford – aka The Bearded Sewist – selling his handmade plushies, Ewa Ziewiec – aka New Star – selling all things manga, and Lucy Williams – Gitana Emporium – who’s crystals, minerals and fossils will inspire curious minds. 

Specialist teas, ceramics, 3D printed crafts, toiletries, candles, one of a kind homeware and – for those who like their Christmas creepy – even taxidermy will all be on offer. Textiles, meanwhile, will be well covered with everything from vintage clothes, hand-knitted baby clothes, hair accessories, tote bags and homeware such as cushions and blankets. And alongside this eclectic range of stalls, two textile artists will be hosting free workshops – inviting visitors to drop in and try their hand at making something christmassy themselves. 

Designer Monica Wardle runs a small business called Crafty Cloth making clothing and accessories with a distinctive vibrant aesthetic. On the 2nd December she’ll be offering workshop participants the opportunity to create their own Crafty Cloth tote bag, perfect for carrying home your Christmas shopping. 

Joseph Booth is a seamster and costume designer who has a wealth of experience teaching sewing and currently runs a sewing school from Aunty Social on Topping Street. He’ll be inviting shoppers on the day to take a break and craft a Blackpool-inspired Christmas Decoration.

“In this workshop we’ll be using hand sewing and appliqué techniques to embellish fabric – referencing the bright lights and architecture of Blackpool,” he says. “You'll leave with a hand-stitched, freestanding Christmas decoration for your home.

 

“In one of the busiest times of the year, handcrafting a decoration allows the time to stop and be creative. It's an opportunity to create something that nobody else has, unique to you and your home. Craft is a great opportunity to have a get together, to chat, make memories and take the time to be present. And the outcomes can be enjoyed year on year.” 

There’ll also be plenty to distract the children while you shop for them at Blackpool Creative Christmas Market. Street theatre performers will be providing entertainment and you can be part of a quintessential Christmas scene and step into a giant snow globe. 

“It’s so easy to get swept up in the Christmas frenzy on the high street and end up buying things that we don’t really want or need,” organisers said. “More and more we’re avoiding the stress of that completely and spending endless amounts of cash that many of us don’t have by sticking stuff in our Amazon baskets. 

“We know shoppers are feeling increasingly uneasy about handing their money over for unethically-produced goods for the sake of it and our Creative Christmas Market is really an opportunity to avoid that.

“We’re bringing Christmas shopping back to the high street but putting sustainability at the heart of it while supporting 50 independent local traders. There’s the added bonus of being able to do all your shopping in one place on one day while having the opportunity to feel part of our town’s vibrant creative community and entertain the family at the same time with some really fun activities. 

“This event is made all the more special by being hosted in one of Blackpool’s most beautiful venues and we want to thank the Winter Gardens Trust for their support and for hosting this event with us.

“We’re positive you’ll leave our market filled with the yuletide spirit and with your Christmas shopping wrapped up in time for you to soak up the rest of the festive season.”

Festive fashion

Four independent Blackpool traders who are making this year's Creative Christmas Market stylish tell us about the work that goes into their small business and why they feel it’s important to shop locally this festive season. 

Name: Caprice Minto 

Stall: Capri Club/Grumpy Club

An independent designer, Caprice will be hosting a stall selling her fashion lines – Capri Club, festival and swimwear, and Grumpy Club, up-cycled smock dresses and tote bags.

“I taught myself how to sew less than six years ago using YouTube videos and donated fabrics and have been running my own brand for nearly four years now,” says the 30 year old who’s currently studying for a degree in fashion at Blackpool School of Arts. “Everything is handmade in my home studio by myself and so much goes into each creation – from fabric sourcing to pattern cutting, sewing and much more but it’s always a pleasure putting my creations out there into the world!”

Finding her calling has introduced Caprice into a creative community in Blackpool and coming together with other makers at markets like this, she says, is massively encouraging.

“I truly never knew how many talented artists our little hometown holds,” she says. “Your local independent makers put so much of themselves into their products and we should all be supporting one another in the community to create further opportunities for everyone in the creative fields.” 

 

Name: Helen Rodger 

Stall: Handcrafted jewellery

“I make the kind of jewellery that I like to wear myself, elegant and understated but bold,” says Helen. “In my St Anne’s workshop I either work in recycled silver, setting stones and glass. Right now I'm working on ways of mounting glass and semi precious stones into tactile spinning jewellery.”

Helen feels that gifting your loved ones a unique, handcrafted product is incredibly rewarding.

“You're giving something where the piece has been considered and cared about by the maker. It's a piece of their talent and maybe it gives some inspiration. It’s something that will be treasured for many years and that hopefully the owner will identify with. 

“As a jeweller, I put a part of myself into everything I make and I think about how a piece will be worn as well as its balance and proportion.” 

Buying from local and independent traders, she adds “keeps Blackpool and the Fylde Coast as a part of our collective identity. Something we can all be proud of.” 

 

Name: Jessie Crooke 

Stall: That Scrunchie Brand

Jessie launched her business, That Scrunchie Brand with her mum, Kirsty, during lockdown. 

“We keep our hair accessories as sustainable as possible by sourcing fabric from charity shops and using end of line,” she says. “In the past year we have expanded and now offer jersey, high quality headbands as well.”

“Every Christmas I gift my family and friends handmade items,” she adds. “I love the idea of them being one of a kind and unique. As we attend lots of Christmas markets with our brand, it’s great to have the chance to buy from a variety of small businesses too – these makers have put so much time and effort into every piece, they deserve recognition for that.” 

 

Name: Sameera Al-Hilley 

Stall: The Vintage Wardrobe 

For Sameera, running her independent business is less about making and more about curating. She sells hand-picked women’s vintage clothing from the 1960s-1990s – taking the handwork out of shopping for anyone who likes the items in their wardrobe to be sustainable and one of a kind. 

“Each item is carefully picked based on wearability, condition and how it can be loved in a new wardrobe,” she says. “I firmly believe that there’s vintage out there for everyone, so I always aim to have something for every size and style. 

“You can’t beat the feeling of finding an incredible vintage piece, whether that’s for a loved one or yourself. Vintage is so versatile, it can be worn in many different ways and you know you won’t see anyone else in the same thing.

“There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes of running a small business, especially for those who are creating their own products by hand,” she adds. “By supporting local makers and small business owners, you’re helping us continue to do what we love doing.”

About the HAZ: The High Street Heritage Action Zone is aimed at using Blackpool’s high street heritage as a catalyst for bringing new and diverse uses to the town centre. The idea is to do this through a mix of building restoration projects and engaging creative activities.

Blackpool HAZ is primarily a partnership between Blackpool Council and Historic England but the Cultural Consortium brings in other partners to supervise the delivery of the cultural elements of the programme. More info at: www.blackpoolhaz.co.uk