A rather different series of Master Craftsmen on Sky Arts

A new and different series about Master Craftsmen started on Sky Arts / Now TV last week. 

In 2022, Sky Arts ran the first series (in 8 episodes) of Master Craftsmen. Last week the second series started - which is shorter and had a change in presenter.

Bill Bailey’s Master Crafters: The Next Generation seems to be taking a somewhat different tack and may well keep my attention to the end of the series. (Note: I only watched a few of the last series)

What are the programmes about?

This is what Sky has to say about it. 

I don't quite get the inclusion of the presenter's name in the title. He's a musician/comedian/actor - since when are the presenters the stars of the show about crafts?

Bill Bailey’s Master Crafters: The Next Generation

Celebrating traditional crafts, Bill Bailey’s Master Crafters: The Next Generation, will spotlight the stellar work of expert crafts professionals across Britain and follow junior crafters as they refine their skills. Filmed across the UK, this series will explore three traditional heritage crafts in all their glory: wood carving, stained glass and silversmithing. The show will also highlight the work of The Prince’s Foundation in supporting new generations of crafters and keeping traditional building skills alive as a key part of our national and international heritage.

The series seems to be working in collaboration with The Prince's Foundation - established when King Charles III was the Prince of Wales - in relation to his support for heritage and traditional arts and crafts, which he has been doing for a very long time. (I'm rather expecting it to become The Royal Foundation - in the same way The Prince's Drawing School became the Royal Drawing School). 

The Foundation champions a sustainable approach to how we live our lives and build our communities. It runs a diverse programme of education and training for all ages and backgrounds and it regenerates and cares for places where communities thrive and that visitors enjoy.

What crafts are covered?

There are four episodes in the series and the series works as follows

• each of the first three episodes covers:
• a heritage craft: stained glass windows; wood carving and silversmithing
• introduction to an expert master craftsperson / demonstration of their craft in terms of outputs and practical aspects
• introduction to three junior crafts people - already trained but at an early stage in their careers (nine in total across the series)
• the development of a new piece of work - to time and a deadline
• the final fourth episode involves commissioning the early-career craftspeople, as a group, being commissioned to create an heirloom piece, which will sit in the gardens of Highgrove House, the summer residence of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
  

What looks very promising is that:

• this is NOT a competition - nobody gets voted off
• there's rather more attention given to process and technique - and expert commentary on same
• fewer jokes and more respect for the craft (i.e. I only spotted one pun)

Who are the craft experts?

The three craft experts are:

• Stained glass: John Reyntiens - who is a leading glass artist in the UK. He helped restore Windsor Castle after the devastating fire and recently completed the recreation of all the glass during the clock dial restoration of the four faces of Big Ben in London
• Woodcarving:  Two experts:
• sculptor: Clunie Fretton - an award winning and classically trained sculptor, carver & gilder, who graduated from City & Guilds of London Art School in 2015. She is a member of the Master Carvers’ Association.

 Bill wood carving with Clunie Fretton

• wheelwright: Mike Rowland.  He is a Yeoman with the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights. He was made a Master Wheelwright in 2016 after over half a century of experience in the trade.
• Silversmithing: The experts who guide the junior silversmiths through a plethora of silversmithing techniques are:
• Ndidi Ekubia - awarded an MBE for silversmithing in 2013, she has work in various public collections across the UK; and 
• Thomas Lyte - a Royal Warrant holder as silversmiths and goldsmiths to HM The Queen. 

Thomas Lyte disrupt and rejuvenate this industry by pioneering the use of modern technology and innovative methods during our handcrafting process.

Bill Bailey hammering silver with Ndidi Ekubia

Where do the episodes take place?

The first three episodes and the masterclasses will take place in Messums Barn (Tithe Barn, Place Farm, Tisbury,) which is a recently restored 13th Century Monastic Barn, owned by Messums the prestigious Art Gallery. The intention of the restoration was that it should open to the public as an arts centre and become a cultural institution for the South West of England.

The reception to date

Responses to the announcement of the series on my FB Page produced the following

Bill is perfect as the new presenter. I actually watched this one and enjoyed it.

Really enjoyed it and preferred the different format from the previous series with Jim Moir.

I’ve watched the first episode. Fortunately Bill understands that inane jokes aren’t necessary and appreciates that craft can be sublime.

I now get the inclusion of the presenter's name in the title. 

It's to tell people that this series is not the same as the last series!

I'm going to be watching the second episode on Thursday 20th July!

The Artist formerly known as Prince

There have been a few posts on social media using this quip.

However it's worth remembering that King Charles III is an artist who is a keen painter in watercolours and who exhibits his paintings on a regular basis. 

He is also a Patron of drawing, traditional art and crafts in different locations both in the UK and abroad.

I remember when Prince Philip died I made reference in Prince Philip (1921-2021) - the painter to his interest in painting.  I guess this interest must have influenced his son. I'm hoping it passes on to more of his progeny.

Below you can find out more about his activities - when Prince of Wales in terms of: 

• watercolour painter
• timeline of exhibitions
• patron of art

Watercolour Painter

As a Prince, he painted from childhood. 

However he did not become dedicated to plein air painting of landscapes and nature in watercolour until the mid 1980s. After which he produced paintings of places he visited and generally produced about 30 paintings each year.

He has, up until now, painted under the name A.G Carrick. The A. G. relates to two of his names 'Arthur George' and the Carrick references one of his titles 'Earl of Carrick' - one of the Scottish titles held by the Heir Apparent.  I think I'm correct in saying that he has typically signed his watercolours AG. 

However he's no longer the Earl of Carrick as that title has now passed to his son! 

I wonder if being King might mean we no longer see his watercolours even if he continues to paint them.

Timeline of Exhibitions

Home Is Where The Art Is (Series 2)

This week the second series of Home is Where the Art is started up in the afternoons on BBC1.

Nick Knowles returns with this inspiring series that challenges talented artists to make something amazing for the homes of people they've never met.

Three artists must turn detective and try to work out the buyer’s taste by snooping around their house - but when the two sides finally do meet, who will deliver best on the brief and win the coveted commission?

I was VERY critical of a number of aspects of the last series. So much so that my very post about it was titled Home Is Where the Art Is - needs a makeover!

So when I realised that the second series was being broadcast I was intrigued to see if they'd tackled any of the issues I'd raised in my blog posts (which they could hardly miss since there on the front page of Google just under the listing for the programme!

Episode Guide in the Radio Times online - today, tomorrow, Friday and Monday

What's changed

A number of aspects of the programme have changed - and I'll highlight them in the order I noticed them

• They've gone from urban industrial warehouse to urban chic gallery setting!  But the presenter and format has very much stayed the same!
• The locations for the clients seem to be more diverse. This is on the basis of three programmes which have had homes in Shropshire, Whitstable in Kent and the Wirral (across the Mersey from Liverpool). Last time it was VERY much oriented to northern locations - presumably because the company making the programme were working with commissioning executives based at the BBC Media City in Salford. (Amazing what moving the base of a company does for a wider perspective on the UK!)
• The location of the homes of the artists are also more diverse. Last time they were typically around and about the area where the client lived. I think we're going to get the length and breadth of the UK this time around
• The artists are very much professionals not amateurs - although, for a number, art is a second career.  Last time the call for entries for Series 1 was asking for amateurs - and a lot of amateurs applied - with some in the distinctly "hobby artist" category.  However a lot of professional artists who saw the call for entries realised what a great opportunity it was to market who they are, what they do and what their art looks like - and so they applied too! This time around the marketing asked 

Are you a talented passionate artist?

• The artists get PROPERLY NAMED 
• in the credits at the end of the programme
• in the credits on the BBC website page for their episode

I claim a BIG victory!

I made a VERY big thing about the lack of credits in the last series for some very good reasons which I explained in the Call for Entries for this series

For all those saying that the names are said in the programme so why do they need the credits? 

Well a number of reasons:

• to respect the work of professionals - just as the credits at the end of the programme respect the work of the people behind the scenes who make the programme

• two of the three are unpaid - and providing a named credit is fair exchange for the many hours given for free to make content for the BBC. Otherwise it's the equivalent of working for free for the exposure - but without the exposure in terms of a name to enable people to find you!

• the names might be said - but nobody spells them out. In the first week there are THREE artists where I had to keep replaying the segment to listen to the names again and again - and even then finally identified them using information from elsewhere in the programme (eg "Gallery Windermere paintings cattle" got one of them).

• the BBC is hypocritical and ignores its own rules when it suits it - such as making sure it gets great guests on the Graham Norton show - because they are only there to promote their latest whatever - and always do!

So just as those in The Arts and Crafts House got named after I blogged about the disgusting lack of named credits (ditto Portrait/Landscape Artist of the Year) - this time the artists in Series 2 of Home is where the Art is are also getting their proper name credits.

Which is how I know that the artists in the three episodes I've watched so far are as listed below. I found their websites - they're not listed on the BBC! That would be asking too much!

LINKS TO WEBSITES are embedded in their names

To be honest, the calibre of the artist's website says a lot about the calibre of the artist - which is as it should be. (With the notable exception of the artist for whom I'm guessing websites present a major challenge)  Those pondering on whether there might be a call for entries for a third series might want to have a think about that.

Art Education: Courses, Workshops and Talks at the V&A Academy

The V&A Academy provides courses, workshops and talks for Adult Learners at the Victoria and Albert Museum. They are predominantly art history related and also focus on design and decorative art as well as fine art.  They also include professional development courses which may well have wider application to those involved in the business of art and design.

At this time of year people often start planning any courses they want to do over the winter months - hence his post!

If anybody wants to recommend any other venue for courses please contact me

Courses

The 2019–20 V&A Academy Course programme is our richest, most varied yet. Whether you’re looking for an inspiring weekend or an in-depth exploration of your favourite subject, we welcome all kinds of learners. You can expect exclusive lectures from V&A experts, hands-on sessions with museum objects, behind-the-scenes access and day trips to see history in context.

examples of some of the courses

They've recently published their V&A Academy 2019 - 20 Courses brochure PDF (3.1 mb)

Titles of Available Courses in 2019-20

The Courses vary from:

• Year Courses 
• these take place on one fixed day per week for three terms.  
• Day tickets are available for some of the days in these courses. 
• There are also optional visits to External Locations
• Short Courses - often frequented by those who have retired.
• in each of the Autumn, Spring and Summer Terms
• typically 4, 8 or 10 week courses
• some are in the evenings
• Weekend Courses - unsurprisingly are on Saturday and Sundays making them accessible for those who work.

They also include professional development courses for those working in art galleries and museums or wanting to do so.  For example

Home Is Where the Art Is - needs a makeover!

Yet another programme from the BBC about art and crafts - this one is called (groan!) Home Is Where the Art Is.

The Title Image for the Programme

This one's a bit different - because it's being broadcast every day for a fortnight - so I thought I'd give you

• the idea behind the programme
• a rundown of the basics of how each episode works 
• the synopsis for each episode.
• what's wrong with the process and programme - after watching two episodes

However...

YET AGAIN - the BBC is NOT providing credits that include the names of the artists participating/working in the show.  Every other professional - but not the artists!

So I'm including the names of the artists in Episodes 1 and 2 under the synopses for those episodes below

Home Is Where The Art Is

The programme was commissioned by Dan McGolpin, Controller of BBC Programming and Daytime (salary £203,000) AS part of the factual and factual entertainment shows for BBC One Daytime. I shall be focusing some more on the word "FACTUAL" later.

You can tweet him your thoughts about the show on @dnmcg!  Can I suggest something like

"Why do you get paid £200,000 of taxpayer's cash to do your job and yet you won't give a named credit to artists appearing in 'Home Is Where the Art Is'"

Here's the one paragraph synopsis

In Home Is Where the Art Is, presented by Nick Knowles, amateur artists compete to win a special new commission for one paying homeowner. Three artists, whose skills range from everything from painting, metal work and embroidery to woodcarving and ceramics will get to snoop around a Mystery Buyers’ home before pitching their ideas. But which one will hit the brief and bag the commission?

Interestingly the emphasis in the synopsis is on AMATEUR artists. I don't remember that being in the brief when they were seeing artists for the programme - see my blog post TWO NEW BBC Art Shows

This was the advert for artists - no mention of amateur artists!

This was the advert for those commissioning. Note the artists are now NOT "amateurs" - but rather...

some of the UK's finest artists, from painters to potters, carvers to crafters, screen printers to street artists

Seems to me we might be in the realms of the Advertising Standards Authority's Non-Broadcast Code for adverts in newspapers or journals.

I'm just wondering how they validated their claims to the effect that these are "some of the finest"?  Would their defence be that this was an obvious piece of "puffery" I wonder?  No offence to the artists - I'm not disputing many are professional and produce excellent work - it's just I'm wondering why they should be described as finest. It just occurs that somebody thought this a logical extension of 'fine art'!

To me, it's very clear from the advert and research for this blog post (eg I talked to artists who had talked to the BBC about participating in the programme) that

• the BBC had no professional advice about commissioning art
• the BBC have a gameshow mindset.  A number of people were very interested in how competitive the artists were and those who said 'not in the slightest' did not get on the show.
• at the outset had done inadequate research into the process of commissioning artwork and typical budgets.  

It's also very clear they had to change their mind about budgets as they progressed (see Episode synopsis below as to the fact they crept upto £1,000 from the £500 mentioned in the advert)

It reminds me very much of crafts on the cheap i.e. the era of BBC when crafts were what you could make from two toilet rolls and some 'sticky back plastic'!

Basic Principles of how it works

At the end of this blog post is an extract from the official BBC letter and description to artists of how the show works.

In summary

• 'Somebody" responded to the commission adverts and has let the BBC know they want to commission an artwork - and have a set budget (it would appear this is non-negotiable)
• BBC select three artists (painters, illustrators, pet portrait artists, textile artists, ceramicists, wood sculptors, metal sculptors) to come up with ideas for a pitch
• Three artists then get to do a 'free' pitch for work
• first they're allowed to snoop around the empty home to pick up on their tastes and preferences
• then go away and work out what might work
• present their pitch at their first meeting with the clients
• Two artists are chosen to create a final artwork.
• The Clients choose one artist - who gets paid the commission sum for the work (as opposed to what they'd normally charge for that amount of time, effort, expertise and materials)
• The other artist is refunded the cost of materials.

So basically "Through the Keyhole" meets "DIY SOS" (remember the instant artwork for people who get a makeover for their homes after a tragedy in their lives) to provide competition for "Money for Nothing"!

I'm going to watch it - but I'm not overly optimistic I'll like it.  

• The idea behind it - of revealing the scope for commissioning local artists to produce bespoke art is an excellent one. Unfortunately the game show tendency then takes over.
• This is emphatically art for entertainment NOT education. I like the creativity aspects. I hate the game show elements.
• After two episodes it's clear that on the whole it's also very far from factual - in terms of pricing.
• Or as one artist who applied - and then rejected their programme format put it

Watch this for entertainment, sure, but please honour and respect the skill, training, and talent that genuine artists and makers put into their work - and value it accordingly

BELOW are the synopses for each episode re the commission and those making art in each episode.  The episodes are being broadcast in the afternoon at 3.45pm on BBC and then repeated the next day on BBC2 at 7.15pm

The Artisans #2 - Stephen Winstanley, Niamh Wimperis and Rod Hughes

It's the second episode of the Victorian House of Arts and Crafts tonight - and further to my last post - The Artisans without a credit on Arts and Crafts House - I'm very pleased to say that since my last blog post:

• the artists sent a link to it to that post to the Managing Director of the television company that makes the programme
• he referred it to the BBC
• the BBC have given permission to change the end credits so that ALL THE NAMES of the artisans/crafters will now be included.

I call that a RESULT!

[UPDATE: The second episode included the names of ALLl the crafters - right after the presenters - in the credits roll at the end of the programme]

The Artisans - (top row - Left to right) Abdollah Nafisi, Ilsa Parry, Niamh Wimperis,
(Bottom row - left to right) Rod Hughes,Stephen Winstanley, Bryony Knox

So here's the second tranche of artisans who are contributing to the series. They include the youngest and the oldest of the participants.  They are - in order of youth!

• Stephen Winstanley - age 25
• Niamh Wimperis age 27
• Rod Hughes - age 62

The Artisans without a credit on Arts and Crafts House

This post is about introducing the six artisans appearing in a short series on BBC called "The Victorian Arts and Crafts House"

• Today I'm doing the first three - Bryony Knox, Abdollah Nafisi and Ilsa Parry
• Tomorrow I will introduce the other three - Rod Hughes,  Niamh Wimperis and Stephen Winstanley

(Left to right) Rod Hughes, Ilsa Parry, Stephen Winstanley, Bryony Knox, Niamh Wimperis, and Abdollar Nafisi

As I indicated yesterday in The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts - Episode 1 I'm pretty tired of seeing the various television companies make programmes involving people who have expertise without any credit whatsoever.

They don't need to include their websites and be accused of advertising.

However they do however need to respect them as adult human beings with skills and talents and NAME THEM - with surnames!

By way of making up for this very marked deficiency in respect and human rights I propose today to set out a brief summary (below) of each of the artisans - with their FULL NAMES and links to their websites and any other relevant/related sites including videos.

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful William Morris

A common theme among the crafters is that the aspect of the project they found the most challenging - living with no power, no light when the sun went down, and no connection to normal life - was also the most rewarding. As Bryony points out, working with hand tools “links you back to craftspeople from hundreds and thousands of years ago”, while Abdollah adds “Very little access to tools and materials pushed me to the edge, which made me more creative.” The Telegraph

The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts - Episode 1

I watched The Victorian House of Arts and Crafts on Friday night and was quite pleasantly surprised.  On the whole I'd recommend it as worth watching.

It was mostly about the reality of making arts and crafts objects for the parlour of "The Victorian House" used for the series (emphasis on the quotes - see below as to why) - and not too much about the clash of personalities (yet!).

There again let's see what happens in Episode 2 - on BBC2 at 9pm on Fridays.
Episode 1 is available to watch by all those who can get BBC iPlayer.

The Arts and Crafts House in the series - Wyndcliffe Court
see more below as to why this is a contradiction in terms

In this new, unique four-part series a late 1800s Victorian Arts & Crafts commune in the Welsh hills has been painstakingly brought back to life as a group of six 21st century crafters - three men and three women - move in to experience the highs and lows of living and working together as a creative commune.
Over their month-long stay the crafters are set to renovate four of the key spaces in the house. BBC

Why are the "makers" always kept anonymous?

Trying to work out who the artisans are was well nigh impossible - I finally found a photo with names.

Pictured: Rod Hughes, Niamh Wimperis, Patch Rogers, Ilsa Braniff, Anita Rani, Keith Brymer Jones, Abdollah Nafisa, Bryony Knox, Stephen Winstanley

I am getting very tired of the people who genuinely make the programme i.e. the people making things whether it's paintings or crafts - having their names left out of the press releases, the credits at the end of the programme and in general receiving very little formal recognition.

I can only assume one of two things

• EITHER the union for people who appear on television must have an absolute stranglehold on the bosses and refuse to allow the participants to enjoy the same benefits as those who hold union cards
• OR the bosses buying and/or making the programme are not prepared to pay the going rate for others who would normally appear on such programmes.  I gather from various people that the amounts they get paid are nominal in the extreme!

To me this is simply unacceptable.

• It's treating artists and craftspeople as commodities and not as people or professionals.
• Worse still, it treats them as anonymous nonentities who don't deserve a named credit when the credits roll at the end. Every other professional working on the programme is listed EXCEPT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THINGS ON THE PROGRAMME!

The cook who appeared for 10 seconds gets a credit - but the artisans don't!

I feel very strongly this is wrong

I came across this website about freelance fees - and anybody appearing on television might want to take a look at what the television companies pay for expert comment in other areas of television

Top telly tonight @BBC2 9pm #thevictorianhouseofartsandcrafts pic.twitter.com/YMdrxfIMDQ

— anita rani (@itsanitarani) 11 January 2019

[ UPDATE: see also my other posts. I'm very pleased to tell you that the artisans wrote to the producers of the programme about the lack of name credit - quoting my blog post - and by the second episode, they'd got their name credit at the end of the programme!

• The Artisans without a credit on Arts and Crafts House 
• The Artisans #2 - Stephen Winstanley, Niamh Wimperis and Rod Hughes ]

The people getting paid properly