The Tall Ships Makers Programme

Welcome Aboard: Introducing The Tall Ships Makers Programme

The Tall Ships Makers Programme was launched in December 2024 with an Open Call to Makers with Aberdeen connections to submit an entry to the programme.

Their entry had to respond to the themes of the Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025, including Aberdeen's maritime history and cultural heritage, the local environment and ecology, the ships and races themselves, and the international nature of the event.

An expert panel made up of Susy Bell, Retail Manager - Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums; Joanne MacFadyen, Director - Tea Green Events; Eilidh McNair, Buyer - University of Glasgow, Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery; and Matthew Williams, Commercial Manager, Aberdeen City Council. All have extensive experience in working with makers, product development, commissioning and buying.

Five Makers Selected

The five makers selected became six, with one a partnership between two experienced local artists who had collaborated before. Their varied projects engaged superbly well with the themes of the programme, from their sources of inspiration, choice of materials, and extension of their existing practice. Each has a business in product design, making and commissioning, forming a vital part of Aberdeen's local economy and the city's reputation as a centre for excellence in craft and design.

The makers' blog entries show the breadth of their projects and expertise that they have brought to the project, with the financial support, courtesy of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, allowing them time and space for experimentation with new materials and ways of working, as well as extending their existing practice and developing a range with commercial potential for the future.

As well as their blogs here we encourage you to check out their website and instagram pages, these show the progress of their work and provide an opportunity to buy the amazing work from their existing ranges, or commission them to work with you on a bespoke project.

One Winner

The best of the five projects will be awarded a prize of £5000 to assist them further in their creative practice and business, giving them room to invest as they see fit to drive future sales, profile, or manufacturing methods.

Makers in Aberdeen

Aberdeen is a key centre for makers with an enormous number of small businesses creating a varied range of products, from textiles and ceramics, to 3D printing, illustration and jewellery.

This entrepreneurial community has the full support of Aberdeen City Council, directly through retail sales and product commissioning, as well as active collecting by curators at Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums.

The Art Gallery shop collaborates with Joanne MacFadyen of Tea Green Events, who curate biannual makers markets at Aberdeen Art Gallery. Joanne and her team are renowned for holding the best markets in Scotland, with venues including the V&A Dundee, National Museums of Scotland, Kelvingrove Museum and the Burrell Collection.

Aberdeen City Council also works through Business Gateway, Aberdeen Inspired, the Union Street Empty Shops scheme, and other networks and projects to ensure support for local maker businesses and entrepreneurs, from start-ups stages to expansion and growth.

The Tall Ships Races Aberdeen 2025 has provided a great additional way to support makers, ensuring that the project touches all aspects of Aberdeen's communities from schools, to cultural organisations, to businesses of all sizes.

The Tall Ships Makers Programme was kindly funded by the UK Government