you are cordially invited to join us
We’re ready for you at last - new members step up…
As you know Manchester Craft Mafia is a group of crafty businesses dedicated to supporting and sharing a creative, maverick spirit of crafting in Manchester, Greater Manchester and beyond. We’re craft and proud!
We want to help kick-start the new wave of . . .
. . . entrepreneurial crafters sacking the rat race and finding other ways to make a living . . . people crafting en masse and in public . . . anyone hiding an inner crafter . . . and everyone who just loves buying, finding or making something that bit different.
Manchester Craft Mafia wants to introduce, encourage and promote craft as a career and as a hobby; bringing like minded people together to create and enjoy craft individually and socially; and spread a new fired up crafting buzz throughout the city and beyond.
We will offer crafting support through:
* our website, providing information about all local and regional craft opportunities
* social crafting events mixing new skills with happy times
* new networking, promotional and business development activities for craft entrepreneurs
Exclusive benefits for our members include:
* Information about your work and a link to your website / shop on our website
* Monthly e-bulletin and occasional intermittent newsflashes containing crafts news – markets, exhibitions, trade fairs, workshops, training, jobs, commissions, updates of the group and more**
* Advance notification and booking discounts for our selling and other events
* Members only get-togethers
* Business Development Advice sessions
* Discounts at a range of local and national suppliers and service providers (see below)
* Your achievements on our blog and in our press releases
* Access to other craft mafia members internationally
* Your website on the international Craft Mafia website’s shopping guide
* Improved profile through the craft mafia name and international advertising
* Access to various digital communities: Manchester Craft Mafia and International Craft Mafia Flickr groups to increase exposure to your work, with a private forum for discussion amongst our members; international craft mafia yahoo group open to all craft mafia members throughout the world
* Opportunity to be part of a Manchester based Craft Mafia exhibition in 2009
* Being part of our Manchester family. There will only ever be one Manchester Craft Mafia as we’re legally protected from copycats, so you’ll always know who everyone is.
** The current calendar pages of our website demonstrate the many opportunities we can keep you posted on. Our calendar will soon be password protected and only visible by members.
Membership discounts are available from:
Fred Aldous arts & crafts supplies
The Mesh Company
Robson & Mason online haberdashery
Vanilla Storm website design
Visit the Supporters page of our website to find out more about our sponsors and their offers. And we’re always negotiating more….
Are you eligible?
o Membership is open to individual crafts people over the age of 18, running a crafts-related business.
o We will prioritise people based (ie living, studying or working) within Greater Manchester.
o Craft Mafias are open to anyone to set up so we encourage people in other areas to start their own but until that time, we may also look at applications from across the North West. However if a craft mafia sets up in your area, we would no longer be able to offer you membership as we aim to collaborate with other craft mafias, not compete.
o Applications should fit the craft mafia ethos – there is no fixed definition but have a look at other craft mafia sites and our flickr groups (http://www.flickr.com/groups/manchestercraftmafia/pool and http://www.flickr.com/groups/craftmafia/pool/ – if you think your work fits within that family get in touch. If not, you’ll always be welcome at lots of our events and to stay in touch through our blog but our membership won’t really be right for you.
o Members are expected to have some sort of web presence be it myspace, an etsy shop, blog, or your own site with online shop. Most promotional activity for craft mafia members takes place online. Members are expected to have access to email, this is how we will communicate with you most of the time.
How to join:
Complete the application form and return it to: members@manchestercraftmafia.com
Annual membership fee for successful applications is £30 (do not send us payment yet)
If your application is successful we will let you know, send you a paypal invoice for your annual £30 membership fee, and an international craft membership letter of agreement (which all craft mafia members across the world complete).
Once your fee is paid and you have returned your letter of agreement, we will send you a welcome pack and get the ball rolling!
call for members
application form
8 Comments »
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aww, just as i’m moving away from sunny manchester! really jealous of you lot who get to stay and have fun together, hope it goes well
rach =)
Comment by spugmeistress — June 7, 2008 @ 5:34 pm
course you could just stay in manchester and join us…
Comment by Sally Fort — June 7, 2008 @ 5:37 pm
Hi do you cover bolton?
Comment by rosie — July 6, 2008 @ 4:30 pm
hello yes, Gtr Manchester and the area so Bolton included.
Comment by Sally Fort — July 6, 2008 @ 8:21 pm
Hi, does my company have to be a ltd company?
currently i work full time as a designer, for someone else, but for a while now have been thinking I would like to start up my own ‘company/web’ selling textile products…fashion mainly, I have hand made slippers in the past (etsy), and am interested in producing reconstructed dresses from vintage fabrics,
thanks.
Comment by hayley — August 3, 2008 @ 4:50 pm
Membership is open to individuals with a craft business but we wouldn’t define what status your business needs to be. However it is only open to individuals, so a one-person company or sole trader would be fine, a company with staff wouldn’t be eligible.
Comment by Sally Fort — August 3, 2008 @ 7:27 pm
Would you.. or do you cover Blackpool?!!
Comment by Amber — August 28, 2008 @ 8:35 pm
To Amber - and anyone else living a bit further out - we will look at at areas across the NW though we prioritise Gtr Manchester so we’d really only take members from outside areas if they’re able to add something really special and unique to our group. Also we would prefer members who are able to come to most of our events and get really stuck into things, which could be tricky for anyone living further out. Also worth bearing in mind is that a lot of our events are open to non-members too, so you may not actually need to join to get what you want from us, perhaps watch our events unfold for a few months and see what you think?
Comment by Sally Fort — August 28, 2008 @ 9:30 pm