THE EVENT
The Selvedge World Fair, a celebration of cloth culture and creativity.
What’s special about this event?
Nurturing the designers and makers who inspire us is crucial to the Selvedge ethos – they are as much a part of our story as we are theirs, and with this event we are bringing the pages of the magazine alive.
This event celebrates cloth. Textiles form an important part of the cultural heritage of every human being on the planet. Whoever you are and wherever you are, there are textiles in your heritage. Textiles are inextricably linked to the history of all humanity and it is fundamental that we cherish these traditions.
This event celebrates all cultures. We make no distinction between the developed and developing world. All artisans are presented on an equal footing. The event is free to enter and if selected free to participate. Selvedge aims to cover all reasonable artisan expenses.
The event celebrates creativity. The event highlights innovative alternatives to the destruction caused by the global textile industry. we are actively looking for solutions that respect the environment and the labour of the artisans involved in their production.
A team of judges, native to each continent or category will assess the work. All specialists in the in their fields. They will independently scrutinise every entry against the following criteria:
Cultural authenticity. Does the work connect to the cultural heritage of the maker’s home country or countries. Does it represent the diversity of handmade textile production around the world?
Quality of design. Colour, composition, shape and form.
Quality of craftsmanship. Hand skills and mastery of technique.
Sustainability. Is the product environmentally and economically sustainable?
We are looking for artisans to take part in the Selvedge World Fair 2021, taking place over the course of 5 days 31 August – 4 September 2021. Applications are open now and we want to hear from you if you are a maker of handmade textiles. The event will represent textile traditions from at least fifty countries and will offer opportunities for visitor engagement. As with this year’s event, the 2021 World Fair will be held online and will include virtual workshops, talks and panel discussions. This is unless the situation changes between now and the spring, in which case we would revert to a live event.
Due to the number of applicants to the 2020 event, the 2021 selections will be made by six separate independent panels grouped according to continent, with an additional category of cross-cultural collaborations – for work produced as a result of a collaboration between two or more individuals from different geographic regions.
Before you start the application we ask that you please familiarise yourself with the requirements, gather all necessary documents, photos and materials needed to complete the application. Please set aside approximately 1,5 hrs to complete the application.
IMAGES
All images must be square.
Minimum size 500 pixels by 500 pixels, maximum 3500 pixels by 3500 pixels. Please make the resolution as high as possible within these parameters.
Accepted filetypes JPG, JPEG & PNG.
See visual guides and samples for artisan profiles, all images, audiovisual content, products & visitor engagement in the sections below.
PROFILE
Each artisan will have a dedicated page on our website with portrait, making, studio & detail images as well as a short bio of approximately 200 words.
PRODUCTS
Each artisan will have a dedicated shopping page for their product collection. Artisans can list up to 10 products, with no variants except size allowed. The products can be available to dispatch right away, or alternatively made to order. You can also create a special collection exclusively available through Selvedge (recommended option).
Each product must have a minimum of 2 images: one overall packshot image & a detailed image. If possible, you should also have a styled image with the product in context, this helps customers to sense the scale of the product.
The product should also contain a short description as well as details such as materials and techniques used, measurements, stock & retail price.
Product Overall Pack Shot Images
VISITOR ENGAGEMENT (SWF 2020)
This is an opportunity to connect with the potential customers and promote your brand, and all participating artisans are required to take part. The options include taking part in talks, podcasts, hosting workshops, Instagram live, creating a project kit, live Q&A with an audience, slow tv, taking part in show & tell sessions. You can find out more about the 2020 event visitor engagement elements through the links below. During the application process we invite you upload proposals for talks, workshops and project kits. For workshops, you will need to provide a workshop outline & material list. The workshops are 3 hours long and should accommodate up to 12 participants. Talks are 15 minutes long and should contain 15 slides / images (1 minute per slide). Project kit is a DIY craft project designed by the artisan, complete with PDF instructions and materials kit that will be posted to the customer.
APPLICATIONS
Once you have familiarised yourself with the requirements and samples, gathered all necessary materials & content, please proceed to the apply for the event using the link below. Chrome is the recommended browser to fill out & submit the application.
With any questions, please email customerservice@selvedge.org, chat online or call +44 7723 465522