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Sussex Craft Week

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Sussex Craft Week

Craft festival 20-28 June 2026 with over 60 events in 40 venues across Sussex. Celebrating contemporary and heritage craft.

03/07/2026

Congratulations! .penney is the Sussex Craft Awards 2026 winner, while
takes the Heritage Prize, and .svenningsen wins the ROSA Prize!

It was a wonderfully balmy evening at Newlands House Gallery, where the finalists and their guests enjoyed canapes from The Hungry Guest and Sussex Sparkling by Artelium Wine Estate.

The standard of work was very high, and there was heated discussion among the judges behind the scenes!

We are very grateful to .house.gallery for hosting the Awards, and to Wealden District Council and for supporting this much-needed celebration of the amazing craftspeople of Sussex.

Those craftspeople include the other Finalists, who all deserved a prize if there were more than 3 to hand out!

dawesjonessculpture

Thank you also to our judges: James from Corina and

And last but not least, a huge thank you to for his stunning letterpress winner certificates

All photos by

01/07/2026

🏆 TOMORROW'S THE DAY! 🏆

The winners of the Sussex Craft Awards 2026 will be announced tomorrow at Newlands House Gallery, Petworth. .house.gallery

From the 12 outstanding finalists, the judges will select the recipients of the Sussex Craft Award 2026, the Heritage Craft Prize, and the ROSA Prize.

Chosen through an open nomination process, this year's finalists represent the very best of contemporary making across Sussex, spanning ceramics, textiles, metalsmithing, basketry, woodcraft, millinery and mixed-media practice.

✨ Meet the finalists:
• Ellen Rose Svenningsen
• Studio AMOS
• Stephanie Smart
• Kas Williams
• Jubal Prevatte
• Jenifer Corker
• Holly Dawes
• David Rhys Jones
• Caron Penney
• Cara Wassenberg
• Anna Chocola
• Barbara Gittings

A huge thank you to our expert judging panel:

If you haven't visited yet, there's still time to see the finalists' work:

📍 Newlands House Gallery, Petworth
📅 Exhibition continues until 20 July 2026
🎟️ Free entry

Good luck to all of our finalists—we can't wait to celebrate with you tomorrow! ✨

Follow for the winners and more from Sussex Craft Week.

30/06/2026

We are delighted to announce the last (but by no means least!) of the 12 finalists for the Sussex Craft Awards 2026:

Stephanie Smart

Her work is currently exhibited at the 'Sussex Craft Awards 2026: The Finalists' exhibition at Newlands House Gallery – open until July 20. .house.gallery

Winners of the Sussex Craft Awards will be announced at the Awards Evening on July 2.

Stephanie Smart began working with paper after discovering a museum display of a paper kaftan. Made for a sultan to wear into battle, the garment was entirely covered in intricate text and drawings. Between 2016 and 2017, she served as artist-in-residence at an Elizabethan mansion in Sussex. There, she showcased her first three-dimensional collection of garments – made entirely from paper and thread – inspired by historical fashion and the lives of the building’s former residents.

She went on to create The Regency Wardrobe collection, which debuted in 2021 at Firle Place, Sussex. The exhibition subsequently toured to the Chertsey Museum, Worthing Museum, The Royal Pavilion in Brighton, and Jane Austen's House in Hampshire, attracting more than 150,000 visitors. The bonnet, Filigree, is a featured piece from this collection.

Smart is currently developing a new collection in association with Historic Royal Palaces for exhibition in 2027. In parallel, she is collaborating with the Northampton Museum to create a collection of 30 shoes for a 2030 exhibition. Each piece will be inspired by a distinct historical era between the 1720s and the 2020s, as well as a different bird. Halcyon Nights, inspired by the 2020s, and Columbidae, inspired by the 1900s, are two of the first five completed works.

Portrait photo by Ray Sullivan

28/06/2026

✨ Last chance! ✨ Today is your final opportunity to experience Kaleidoscope at Brighton Art Space as Sussex Craft Week draws to a close.

Discover the incredible work of Lou Taylor, including vibrant botanical collages and marquetry: the ancient craft of piecing together fine wood veneers to create striking organic and geometric designs. Inspired by everything from kitsch to cottagecore, botanical illustrations, vintage seed packets and '70s maximalism, Lou's work is full of colour, texture and imagination.

Alongside Lou's pieces, you'll also find the beautifully suspended sculptures of Claire Knill, creating a truly immersive exhibition.

📍 Brighton Art Space, Regent Street, North Laine, Brighton
🕛 Open today: 12pm–6pm

Don't miss your chance to see this joyful celebration of contemporary craft before it closes today!

26/06/2026

🔥 HOT PLACES TO VISIT FOR HOT CRAFT THIS WEEKEND 🔥

It's the final weekend of Sussex Craft Week 2026 (Friday 26 – Sunday 28 June), and there's still so much to discover!

☀️ALFRISTON – Explore Craft Town Alfriston, where 40 makers are exhibiting across 20 businesses, with demonstrations, exhibitions and workshops throughout this picture-perfect village.

☀️ ARUNDEL – Wander the Craft Town Arundel window trail, visit seven exhibitions, watch live demonstrations and enjoy a packed programme of events.

☀️ LEWES – A must-visit this weekend! Don't miss Natural and Unnatural Colour at Continuum, the Sussex Guild's special 20th Anniversary Exhibition at Southover Grange, World Textile Day at Trinity Church (Sunday), plus exhibitions and events at The Needlemakers, Oil and Dust, and Sarah Money's latest show at Star Gallery.

🌞 PETWORTH – See the 12 finalists of the Sussex Craft Awards 2026 at Newlands House Gallery, alongside the major Paula Rego exhibition.

☀️ RURAL OPEN STUDIOS
Meet some of Sussex's finest makers in their own creative spaces:
• Keith Pettit (East Hoathly)
• Woven Mairi (Edburton)
• Elaine Bolt's Open Studio & Group Exhibition (Ditchling Common)
• Unfinished – an exhibition by three generations of one family: Maya May Jex, Julie Howells and Cynthia Howells (Mannings Heath, near Horsham)

☀️ HASTINGS – Visit the Hastings International Ceramics Fair at The Observer Building.

☀️ WORTHING – Don't miss Strandline, the iconic exhibition at Chintz & Wood featuring outstanding contemporary makers.

☀️ EASTBOURNE – Richard Mason shows his latest collection of mobile sculptures at Emma Mason Gallery

☀️ WEALDEN – Visit Farleys House & Gallery in Chiddingly for the Yard Artists' Open Studios, sculpture garden and exhibitions. Then head to The Waldron to discover a beautiful exhibition of contemporary ceramics by master craftspeople in a stunning historic house and newly opened arts centre.

Find the full programme at sussexcraftweek.com – link in bio.

Ceramics Textiles Woodworking Jewellery CraftTrail VisitSussex Support

25/06/2026

We are delighted to announce the eleventh of the 12 finalists for the Sussex Craft Awards 2026:

Jenifer Corker

Her work is cureently exhibited at the 'Sussex Craft Awards 2026: The Finalists' exhibition at Newlands House Gallery from June 20 to July 20. .house.gallery

Winners of the Sussex Craft Awards will be announced at the Awards Evening on July 2.

Born in London and now based in Sussex, Jenifer Corker is a multidisciplinary maker with a BA in Fashion & Textiles and an MA in Metalwork & Jewellery from the Royal College of Art.

Her creative practice uniquely bridges these disciplines. Transitioning from fashion to jewellery, Jenifer adapted her pattern cutting skills directly to metalwork. She hand-pierces metal sheets and joins the seams to construct intricate, three-dimensional shapes. Demonstrating an egalitarian approach to her craft, she awards equal importance to every material she handles, whether working with 18ct gold, sterling silver or brass.

Recently, Jenifer has become deeply intrigued by hag stones. Shaped by centuries of being tumbled in the sea, these unique stones are defined by their naturally formed holes, and they historically served as protective amulets. Everyone from ancient Druids to 19th-century fishermen used them, with the latter threading them onto the ropes used to haul boats up the beach. Today, these coastal artefacts find new life within Jenifer’s sculptural jewellery.

Stitched self-portrait by Jenifer Corker

24/06/2026

Thomas Smith is the original Sussex trug company, Chapter2 is a handmade shoe company set up by two award-winning designer-makers, work by textile artist Carola van Dyck was recently at Art Basel, land artist Chris Drury is the winner of the Lee Krasner Award for Lifetime Achievement, and artist in wood Walter Bailey has been commissioned by Kee Gardens, Ruby Taylor's book Wild Basketry is the No1 best seller in this field, Frances Bloomfield has shown in Kettle's Yard and the list goes on...

What do they all have in common? They are all Sussex artist-makers and examples of their work can be seen at Craft Town Alfriston this week as we celebrate our makers.

40 makers in 20 venues through this Wealden village plus demonstrations and workshops.

Head over any day 11am-4pm. A part of Sussex Craft Week in partnership with West Dean and Wealden District Council.
Sussexcraftweek.com

22/06/2026

We are delighted to announce the tenth of the 12 finalists for the Sussex Craft Awards 2026:

Studio AMOS

Their work is currently exhibited at the 'Sussex Craft Awards 2026: The Finalists' exhibition at Newlands House Gallery from June 20 to July 20. .house.gallery

Winners of the Sussex Craft Awards will be announced at the Awards Evening on July 2.

Based near Lewes in East Sussex, Studio AMOS is a contemporary craft workshop headed by Irish basketmaker Annemarie O'Sullivan and designer Tom McWalter. Together with a small team, they design and fabricate bespoke woven objects, statement lighting, and large-scale installations that honour ancient British basket-making traditions.

The studio’s creative process is deeply rooted in sustainable living and the landscape. On a half-acre plot near their home workshop, they hand-harvest around 20 distinct varieties of local willow alongside coppiced wood and hay. This intimate relationship with raw materials dictates the texture, weight and balance of each slow, handmade piece. Their designs are heavily informed by the sturdiness of historic agricultural frameworks and the soft curves of the natural terrain.

Studio AMOS regularly showcases its work at prestigious events like London Craft Week and through exclusive, small-batch collection launches. Their highly distinctive sculptural and domestic pieces have earned widespread international acclaim, with features in prominent publications including The New York Times, House & Garden, Country Living, Financial Times, and Crafts magazine.

Portrait photo by Petr Krejčí

21/06/2026

It was a true pleasure to spend the afternoon, meeting Craft Week Arundel makers, sipping aperol spritz, and listening to music in Tarrant Square. The intense heat gave the event an Italian vibe - plus the Italian cooking next door. A perfect way to spend the Summer Solstice !

Thank you and !

20/06/2026

Thank you to James Thomas , Nikkan Woodhouse from and Daniel from and the Mayor of Hastings for a sensational launch for Sussex Craft Week at Hastings Craft Weekend at The Observer Building yesterday. #

Huge congratulations to the makers for such innovative brilliant work.

A beautiful show and a joyous evening.

Address

ROSA (Review Of Sussex Arts)
Lewes
BN72QJ

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.sussexcraftweek.com/

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