Studio Safari

Studio Safaris are back again for Sussex Craft Week - get ready to go behind the scenes with the makers who shape Sussex.This immersive, small-group experience will take you straight into the working studios of some of the region's most talented craftspeople.

These curated journeys offer something you won't find anywhere else: real conversations with real makers in the spaces where their work comes to life.Set at the foot of the South Downs, the small village of Ditchling has long been known for artistry, making, and independent thought, and it continues to shape the makers who work there today - this is where this Studio Safari is headed….The first stop will be to meet Will Spankie, sculptor and letter cutter in stone and wood who works from a hidden-away stonemason's yard at the foot of Ditchling Beacon where he creates beautiful stone sculptures to commission and for exhibitions.Then we will head to the centre of Ditchling village to visit the atmospheric jewellery workshop of Pruden and Smith who continue the legacy of craftsmanship spanning generations.

You will meet Rebecca Smith who will show you the process of creating truly handmade jewellery - from raw precious metal, with every detail shaped, refined, and finished in their Sussex workshop.In the afternoon, the Safari will head onto Ditchling Common where Elaine Sheppard Bolt has her ceramics studio.

Her exquisite work is in great demand from collectors and includes sculptural work, hand-built wall pieces and thrown vessels, made in porcelain and stoneware and mixed-media.You will be joined by a knowledgable guide and there will be a lunch stop in Ditchling, or you are welcome to bring a picnic.Spaces on each Safari are deliberately limited to 8 people to keep the experience special.