Traditional Basket Making

We are currently running a number of Skills for the Future projects, including our three month taster course of which we have six participants. Learning a number of traditional crafts and heritage skills, today saw them learning traditional basket making under the tutelage of Joanne Hammond.

Our trainees listening to Joanne

"Joanne Hammond originally studied Fine Art but always felt drawn to craftwork, particularly traditional rural skills. Then about fifteen years ago she began collecting and weaving twigs and climbers from a local woodland. Jo’s basket training has been informal; starting with short courses, learning from books and absorbing information from the Basket Makers Association newsletter, but mostly through trial and error.

The thread to all her work is a love of the beauty of the materials, and a wonderment of what can be done with a bunch of twigs. She prefers to use the willow rods in their natural state – with the bark on- displaying a variety of colours and textures. Jo designs and makes practical, functional baskets, light-hearted decorative pieces, and willow sculptures."

Joanne and Hannah

Here at the Museum we believe in the preservation of traditional craft skills, something which we demonstrate regularly, and showcase at our annual Steam and Crafts event http://eastanglianlife.org.uk/2011/06/steam-and-crafts-weekend-2011/ and through our Skills For The Future programme, we are making sure those skills are being transferred and continually practised in heritage organisations.

Materials for the basket making

Now if you're looking at this and thinking you'd like to give it a go, why don't you look out for one of our Leisure Courses that we run here at the Museum http://eastanglianlife.org.uk/learning-2/leisure-learning/ or contact our training officer Paul Palmer on 01449 612229 or email:  paul.palmer@eastanglianlife.org.uk