Super Slow Way is inviting artists, illustrators and designer-makers to submit merchandise ideas to celebrate the bicentenary of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
As part of our ambitious programme, Super Slow Way is developing a range of creative merchandise to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, highlighting the heritage, creativity, crafts, people and places connected with it.
We hope to commission a range of creative products, including contemporary craft small batch production and limited editions, along with illustrative responses that can be used across a range of accessible manufactured goods.
While this is an open brief and we are happy to receive a wide range of responses. We are particularly interested in receiving proposals that demonstrate contemporary interpretations of traditional canal crafts, such as:
- Rag Rugs
- Quilting
- Cross Stitch/embroidery
- Crochet
- Decorative Knot / Rope work
- Brass / Copper ware
- Brightwork folk art
- Ribbon plates / ceramics
- Canal-themed clothing, footwear, accessories
We aim to create a range of goods within a broad price range, costing anything from £1 to £1000 for special limited edition products.
We are looking to commission up to ten artists and designer-makers working across a range of discipline, but will seek to unify the range through a separate branding and packaging commission. We are also interested in products that have the potential to be produced on an on-going basis through a community making scheme.
An additional commission will focus specifically on an illustrative response to the canals bicentenary, which we will be reproduced across a range of manufactured products such as tin ware, textiles, lighting, paper goods clothing and ceramics.
Commissioned artists will receive a full named credit for their work within the product range and will be promoted via the Super Slow Way marketing and media channels. The finished range will be sold through a network of heritage and specialist craft and design outlets across the region and nationally, so there will be real potential for re-ordering and further development of successful products.
