http://www.enterprisenation.com/funding-applications/helen-foot-design/

Helen is a woven textile designer based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. She gained a Masters from the Royal College of Art in 2010 and has been building up her own design business for just over a year. Through an introduction by a mutual friend sherecently formed a new creative collaboration, Millbank and Foot, with designer Kate Millbank (www.katemillbank.co.uk). She is a womenswear graduate from Central St Martins with a MSc in sustainability. By combining our skills of tailoring, sustainable design and woven textiles we aim to produce a range of innovative Tweed fabrics.

Pushing the boundaries and traditional concept of tweed fabric, Millbank and Foot will inject a contemporary feel to our Shropshire Tweed products. Vibrant and acidic colours inspired by rare local lichens will be used alongside natural hues present in the surrounding landscape. Woven designs and tailoring details will be informed by traditional timber frame structures from the area, and combined with cellular patterns inspired by biological drawings from Darwin’s nature and evolutionary studies. We envisage the fabric collection to be used in a variety of outcomes from more traditional tailored womenswear to contemporary conceptual art pieces.

Yarn will be sourced from British spinners and manufacturing from UK mills. We aim to work as locally as we possibly can.

We have all the ideas and are itching to get started with production, so now we are seeking money to buy woollen yarns to sample and produce the first collection of Tweeds. This project marks the start of what we hope will be a blossoming creative partnership, we just need a little help with funding to get it started. We hope you will support our idea.

Kate and Helen, (Millbank & Foot)

Fund 101 http://www.enterprisenation.com/funding-applications/helen-foot-design/

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Shrewsbury designer, Helen Foot, has been selected to showcase Shropshire’s foremost artists and makers in a new exhibition at MAC in Birmingham. From the 21st of April Helen will be curating PLOT 9 of ALLOTMENT, a new and innovative programme which explores democratic approaches to exhibition curation. The project sees the Arena Gallery of Mac divided into ten plots, each tended by an independent Midlands-based creative practitioner. Helen’s ALLOTMENT space, ‘Showcase Shropshire’ will celebrate and profile the region’s leading visual artists.

“A mosaic of framed images will cluster quirky illustrations next to vibrant photography, moving image and three dimensional pieces. A combination of fresh colour, contemporary style and humour within the pieces will appeal to mac visitors both young and old alike.”

A series of workshops run by artists contributing to ‘Showcase Shropshire’ will take place in the ALLOTMENT SHED, installed in MAC’S public space offering visitors the opportunity to interact with curators and artists.

The group of creatives Helen is working with offer a diverse mix of styles with a united contemporary nature. Confirmed artists include Matt Sewell (illustrator), Richard Foot (photography), R&A Collaborations (film), Millbank and Foot (tweed and print), Sophie Copage (print), Christophe Dillinger (photography), Julie Hedges (3D textiles), Beth Fletcher (painting), Pam Newall (printmaking), Hayley Robinson (photography), and Ella Ruth Cowperthwaite (photography).

The curatorial aspect of the project has been to raise awareness of the wealth of talent in the county. To further support this, during May and June Helen will be running a Showcase Shropshire event in partnership with MAC at The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse. In the spirit of ALLOTMENT, artists will be invited to apply for a plot to curate at the Coffeehouse. The emphasis of the Shrewsbury exhibition will be to nurture new talent and generate fresh collaborative opportunities.

The exhibition will run at MAC from the 21st April until the 9th September and more information can be found at http://10plots.tumblr.com/

For more information please contact Helen:

e: studio@helenfoot.co.uk,

t: 07903103291

w: www.helenfoot.co.uk

After the success of last years networking events at The Creative Studio we decided after a busy old few months to run more but this time at our friends venue The Shrewsbury Coffeehouse on Monday 23rd April from 7-9pm. So if you’re an artist, musician, maker, designer etc come along and meet other local creatives.

Facebook Event info https://www.facebook.com/events/320724361319958/

Hope to see you there!

Richard Foot

Its eight months since Kelly joined HEFF, or Heart of England Fine Foods to give the organisation its full name, as an apprentice.  However, its clear she’s already made a great impression judging by the heartfelt comments made by HEFF Chief Executive, Karen Davies at the event.

The praise was sincere and with Kelly having made biscuits for the assembled audience its clear her career is off to a sweet start.

I went to meet her at HEFF HQ at Shropshire Food Enterprise Centre (SFEC).

It could all have been so different.  Kelly it seems began her culinary journey by chance when she was asked if she would like a part time job washing up at the Royal Hill in Melverley.  Having previously imagined herself as a fitness instructor, she found she liked the buzz of the kitchen.

She says: “ I really took to pressure, the intense work ethic and the need to react quickly.”

Skills that were undoubtedly useful for her apprentice trial day. Thrust in at the deep end she found herself part of Shrewsbury’s Big Curry, where army chefs challenged the civilian chefs from the Taste Kitchen, part of HEFF and SFEC, to a five hour cook-off raising funds for ABF The Soldier’s Charity.

Since then she’s been on stage with Gino di Campo at the Shrewsbury Flower Show, which she says taught her that cooking isn’t always stressful it can be great fun too.

“Gino is a real showman and the whole experience was really good fun.  He’s a total crowd pleaser and wished me luck in my career.”

She also assists HEFF’s development chef Ed Warren on his many demonstrations and has cooked for MP’s and Minster’s of State.

Talking to Kelly it’s easy to see how much she enjoys the day job and to see her drive and enthusiasm for her new career.

HEFF is a great place for any young person looking to further their career in food.  Not only is Kelly cooking in the kitchen when she’s not at college, she’s also got a unique insight into the food business because of HEFF’s work promoting the food of Shropshire, Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Birmingham, the Black Country, Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

The impressive Shropshire Food Enterprise Centre on Battlefield Enterprise Park also house the premises of a number of local producers who Kelly has got to know and whom she has helped develop products with.

She has also helped cook products from HEFF members at important ‘Meet the Buyer’ events with larger retailers.

She says: “I get to see the whole supply chain which is really unique so I’m using the year at HEFF to learn as much as possible.  The apprenticeship has been great, I feel more confident within myself and I’m taking things in my stride.”

Indeed nothing from the year so far seems to have fazed Kelly; she’s a pretty fearless young woman.  So what does the future hold?

“Well I know that being a chef is what I want to do for the rest of my life and I’m determined to be the best I can be.  An exchange trip to Italy really sparked a love of Italian food so I’d like to learn more about that and one day I’d like to have a boutique hotel, that’s the dream.”

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing Kelly, like a lot of young people leaving school what she really wanted was a chance to show what she was capable of.  Having secured her apprenticeship it’s evident that she’s grasping the opportunity with both hands, a knife, fork and spoon!

Darren Marsh and Tess Slater have won more marmalade awards than any other artisan producer proving they make the best commercially available marmalade in the world.  They make 6 varieties of marmalade and all have won at least one World Marmalade Award.    This year it was gold for their Hand Cut Seville Orange Marmalade and gold for their Lady Windsor’s Rich Seville which is made to an old family recipe.  Commenting on their success Darren said,

‘We never expected to become known for making marmalade but over the years we have built up quite a reputation.  It is always nice to get recognition for the work we do and we are really proud to have won awards against such tough competition.’

Darren and Tess met whilst working at Tesco in Ludlow and applied for jobs working on the Food Centre’s delicatessen.  Their interest in food production was rewarded with a place in the Centre’s jam and pickle kitchen where they were trained to make over 30 varieties of preserves.  Where possible they use local ingredients from Shropshire and its surrounding counties but for marmalade they go a step further, (Darren explains)

‘We actually source our Seville Oranges from a single cooperative in Spain.  We know the growers and we know their quality and attention to detail is paramount.  We certainly have our own way of making marmalade but the quality of the raw ingredients is crucial in the process.’

For their efforts the duo have had their marmalade stocked in London specialist food store, Fortnum and Mason.  They have held the honour for two years and Fortnum’s have extended it for another year due to demand for the product.

John said: “We only entered six products, so the results are brilliant. We pride ourselves on our quality products and what better way to display our core range than as ‘award-winning’! But more than that, the road show also gives us a platform to trial and launch new products – as our young butcher Andrew Brassington has just done.

John adds,

“Andrew created a new ‘Pork Cheddar and Chive Sausage’ for the Young Sausage Maker category, and came away with a gold award too. We’re thrilled and it’s the perfect present for Andrew who turned 21 the day after the event, and will now put the sausage on sale in the shop.”

Andrew, who started out as an apprentice under John’s tuition and who has since been Young Butcher of the Year, is now looking forward to coming up with more ideas and according to John, his success will help inspire the other young butchers too.

“It’s inspiring to do well and come away with recognition like this,” he says. “The ‘Pork and Black Pudding Roulade’ is also a relatively new product. We are completely self-sufficient in pork, so every product sold is guaranteed to have come from our pigs. This means we have to be a little inventive to make sure we’re using everything possible and it is how dishes such as the roulade come about. Our Black Pudding always goes down well, so this seemed a good combination and is certainly getting positive feedback.”

Whether it’s Florence Nightingale or Mrs Smith from down the road, an
international icon or an everyday heroine, one woman or all women, we want
to hear about the women who inspire you and how they have changed your
world.

Entries can be poetry, prose or any style you like, though not longer than
350 words. The winning entries from the She’s The One Competition will be
published in an anthology to be released in September 2012. Full details can
be found at www.myworldpublishing.co.uk/shestheone

On arrival walk through the galleries and period room settings, which tell the story of the UK ceramic tile industry, and meet the curator who will show you special pieces from the Museum’s collection. Then join the workshops to experiment using glazes to create your own artwork. You can try your hand at enamelling jewellery and firing it in the small kiln, or join a drop-in tile decorating session with makers Craven Dunnill; these activities carry an extra charge.

Next discover more about the science behind colour in our drop-in room where there will be a range of interactive displays and activities.  Separate light using a prism, look at the difference between light and pigment and see how dyes are made.  There will also be a variety of free paper activities including a family trail and tours of the Craven Dunnill factory.

Open 10am to 5pm, Jackfield Tile Museum is one of the ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums. An Annual Passport Ticket, to all ten valid for twelve months and multiple return visits, costs £22.50 per adult, £18.25 for the 60 plus, £14.75 for students and children and £61.50 for a family of two adults and three children aged up to 18 years in full time education; under 5s free. Individual museum entry tickets are also available; activities and workshops vary and some carry an extra charge in addition to the museum admission fee.

For further information, contact the Ironbridge Tourist Information Centre on Tel: 01952 433424 or visit www.ironbridge.org.uk.  The Gorge is easily reached via the M6 and M54 motorways exiting at Telford (M54 junction 4 or 6).

Suzannah Dunn by Caroline Forbes

Oswestry Library is hosting what promises to be an eyebrow raising visit from Shropshire author, Suzannah Dunn, during next month’s Oswestry Festival of the Word at its In bed with the Tudors event on Thursday 15^th March at 7pm.

Ms. Dunn will be chatting about her top-selling historical novel, The Confession of Katherine Howard, which reveals the tangled web of passion, promiscuity, deceit and betrayal that eventually led to the raciest of Henry’s Queens’ execution.

Based on historical fact, Dunn’s fictitious tale of life in the court of King Henry VIII is told from the perspective of Cat Tyler, a childhood friend and confidant of the young libidinous Katherine Howard. Cat later becomes Katherine’s Lady in Waiting. Events cause her to question whether she can stay silent about the passionate past of Henry’s young Queen.

Suzannah’s entertaining romp around the bedrooms of Tudor England will be given an added dimension by Cate Howell, from the Corbet Bed Project. Cate will join the novelist to share how a team of more than 200 expert embroiderers from across Shropshire restored a famous Tudor bed to its former glory.

The 16c Corbet Bed, on loan from the Victoria & Albert Museum at Rowley’s House, Shrewsbury, is now adorned with an intricately woven valance tapestry, curtains and covers thanks to a community project that took 12 years to complete.

Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for libraries, said: “This promises to be a great event and I’d like to encourage as many people as possible to go along and experience what Oswestry library has to offer.”

Martin Bennett, Shropshire Councillor for Oswestry East, added: “From studying the period for A level history, I have a lifelong love affair with the Tudors, which is a fascinating period of history. I am sure this event will be provide a colourful insight into our past – especially when we remember that it was Henry VIII who firmly fixed Oswestry as being part of England rather than Wales; an action which is still being hotly debated in the town.”

Tickets for this Oswestry LitFest event are on sale at Oswestry Library priced at £3 and can be booked in person or by calling 01691 677388.

The Oswestry LitFest runs over 11 days from 10th-20th March 2012. Events celebrating words written, spoken and sung include headlining authors and performers such as Frank Cottrell Boyce, The Archers’ Sunny Ormonde and Reggie Perrin creator, David Nobbs.  For details see www.oswestrylitfest.co.uk.  To reserve tickets email: info@oswestrylitfest.co.uk, or call Booka Bookshop on 01691 662244.

The year began well with comedian Jeremy Hardy’s sell-out performance, closely followed by another sell-out show by jazz pianist Zoe Rahman. The William Brookes School Musical Theatre Company production of Oliver! outdid all previous school musicals in terms of box office, with two of the four nights selling out.

Coming up next week is Vamos Theatre’s play, Much Ado About Wenlock. This performance, on Wednesday 29^th  February, is currently touring the UK, and celebrates Wenlock’s unique place in the history of the modern Olympic games, with a comic twist from this energetic full –mask theatre company. The 1^st March sees The Edge’s first National Theatre Live presentation, with Lenny Henry’s acclaimed performance in The Comedy of Errors, by direct satellite link from the National Theatre in London.

Arts Centre Director, Alison Vermee, said: “We are very gratified by the response of audiences to our programmes. Every aspect of The Edge’s work is thriving – children’s dance and drama classes, art exhibitions, cinema and live performances –  and we have some excellent events to look forward to. Performances by the Tord Gustavsen Ensemble in March, and The Unthanks in May are both selling very quickly, and we are looking forward to announcing the next National Theatre Live events soon.”

The Edge is also a venue for the Wenlock Olympian Society’s Live Arts events, Wenlock Poetry Festival and the Much Wenlock Festival.

To book tickets, call 01952 728911, or go to www.wegottickets.com for selected events. The Edge also has a Friends scheme with opportunities for exclusive access to special programmes. To become a Friend of The Edge, call 01952 728911.