The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair brings UK’s top makers to Manchester.

The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair brings 200 of the UK’s finest makers to the Edwardian splendour of Victoria Baths over the weekend of 13-16 October 2022.

Now in its 15th year, the award-winning fair (GNCCF for short) brings us crafted items from designer makers at the top of their game as well as the best of what’s new. Over the years this has cemented its place as one of the top fairs in the UK and a key cultural highlight in the city’s autumn calendar. No wonder it has become a must-attend event for exhibitors and buyers alike, attracting both nationwide.

Expect a diverse range of talents, stories and objects from independent, professional makers including jewellers, ceramicists, furniture-makers, textile and glass artists, metalsmiths and printmakers. As ever, all exhibitors have been handpicked by a panel of craft experts to ensure the best in handmade design and craftmanship, which the GNCCF is renowned for. This is a rare chance to buy some genuinely individual pieces direct from the artists and talk to them about their work and the inspirations that guide them.

Fittingly, the fair has found its permanent home in the historic, Grade II listed attraction of Manchester’s Victoria Baths, adding the glamour of an Edwardian bathhouse to a feast of contemporary handcrafted items.

In addition to rows of craft stands set out on the tiled floor and balconies of the old swimming pools, don’t miss ‘Green Grads’ a showcase of graduates who bring us ideas to heal the planet tucked into the historic wooden changing cubicles that flank the pool. Dig in with hands-on textile and print workshops by students and staff of the University of Bolton’s Textile and Fashion degree in the Turkish baths. Find some of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust’s finest master-craftspeople nestled among stunning green glazed tiles and bejewelled stained glass and witness the Baths Superintendent’s old flat given a craft-makeover with ‘Convert’, an exhibition of repurposed fashion by Blackpool based designer and academic Angy Young, alongside workshops to give you a chance to do some upcycling yourself.

GNCCF’s organisers believe that craft transforms lives in all sorts of ways. They have a long-standing partnership with The Oasis Centre in Gorton, East Manchester who provide services to get people back on their feet. Free craft workshops are offered to clients to forge new skills and bring a wealth of mental health benefits. In 2022, GNCCF brought the whole of the Oasis community together to create a remarkable piece of artwork that will be presented at the fair in 2022 and will later find a permanent home at their community centre.

Event organiser, Ann-Marie Franey, stated: “Back in our new home at Victoria Baths, with our incredible line-up of makers, we’re enormously proud to be part of the Manchester scene. Come to GNCCF and immerse yourself in the finest craft the UK has to offer”.

Co-organiser, Victoria Scholes added: “There’s no other fair in the country that does what GNCCF does. Talking to people who work with their hands, love what they do and have such breath-taking talent is the ultimate feel-good experience. There’s so much to do and see, and it’s all set in an enchanting space that lends a real magic to the crafted objects on display”.

The Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair will commence with a special Preview evening on Thursday 13th October from 6pm-9.00pm. Following the Preview, the GNCCF will then open to the public from 10am on Friday 14th October to 4pm on Sunday 16th October. Advance tickets are now on sale via the website.