As Hastings Craft Weekend returned to launch Sussex Craft Week 2026, the East Sussex seaside town is making an increasingly compelling case as one of Britain’s most vibrant centres for contemporary craft.
Hastings has long enjoyed a reputation as a haven for artists and creative thinkers. Yet beyond Hasting Contemporary, and the town’s cool cultural scene, a quieter renaissance has been taking place. Over the past decade, Hastings has emerged as a genuine hub for makers, craftspeople and designers, attracting practitioners working across ceramics, weaving, furniture making, millinery, jewellery, leatherwork, mosaics and textiles.
The success of Hastings Craft Weekend, first launched in 2025, reflects both the strength and ambition of this growing community. Created by the craft-passionate visionary, James Matthew Thomas, the event arrives at a time when many traditional crafts are under threat nationally. Its mission is as much about preservation as celebration: demonstrating the sustainability and relevance of making by hand in our increasingly online shopping world shaped by home delivery and cheap mass-produced goods.
Part of Hastings’ appeal lies in its distinctive character. The town’s atmospheric Old Town, historic fishing quarter and abundance of former industrial buildings have created fertile conditions for creative enterprise. Independent businesses flourish here, while ambitious regeneration projects attract artists and makers seeking both space and community.
Nowhere is this more evident than at the Observer Building. Once a landmark newspaper headquarters, the restored Art Deco structure has become a symbol of Hastings’ reinvention, bringing together artists, designers and entrepreneurs both under one roof and on the roof in the iconic new Bunka cafe. Just one glimpse of Hastings Sculptor, Leigh Dyer’s iconic Gotham Alley Gates reveals how it is a fitting venue for Hastings Craft Weekend.
Yet the town’s craft story extends far beyond a single weekend. Throughout the year, artisan markets, makers’ fairs such as the Hastings International Ceramics Fair and events at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, many of them also led by James Matthew Thomas, ensure that craft remains woven into the fabric of daily life.
Education forms another important strand of the town’s craft ecosystem. Hastings Craft Weekend continues its partnership with students from East Sussex College, recognising that the future of Britain’s craft heritage depends upon nurturing the next generation of skilled makers. Organisers have consistently championed apprenticeships, vocational training and practical skills education as vital routes to safeguarding endangered crafts.
Their concerns are well founded. Organisations such as Heritage Crafts – a partner for Hastings Craft Weekend – have repeatedly warned of the decline of specialist skills across the UK, with several traditional trades now classified as critically endangered. Against this backdrop, Hastings offers an encouraging alternative narrative: a place where making remains valued, where independent creators are supported, and where handmade objects continue to occupy an important place in contemporary life.
Visitors to this year’s event, taking place at the Observer Building on 20–21 June, encountered some of the region’s most talented makers. Exhibiting ceramicists included Sussex Craft Awards 2026 Finalist Holly Dawes, Christopher Hughes, Kim Kish, and the much-admired Katja Seaton, whose playful vessels mirror elaborately decorated cakes.
Textiles were particularly well represented. Highlights included the intricate embroidery of Liz Padgham-Major, the striking wall hangings of Claire Whelan, quilts by Louise Bell and block-printed fabrics created by Sarah Burns and Alice Garner using dyes derived from plants they cultivate themselves. Mary Cushing of Textile Shed showcased her distinctive silk scarves and cotton pieces printed with real flowers, while also leading a fascinating workshop during the weekend.
Traditional crafts were equally prominent, often reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. Visitors discovered Amber Joy’s revival of parquetry techniques, millinery by Jane Fryers, woodturning from Amy Leake and weaving by Emily Mackay, who had looms on display throughout the event. Claire Whelan’s handwoven pieces and Julie Gurr’s basketry further demonstrate the enduring appeal of heritage skills in modern design.
Elsewhere, craftsmanship found expression in unexpected forms. Old Town Kitchen Co. presented beautifully made bespoke kitchens that combine traditional joinery with contemporary styling, while folk artist Valaria Marinaci’s distinctive pairing of tattoo art and ceramics offers a charming challenge to convention.
More than simply an exhibition of beautiful objects, Hastings Craft Weekend serves as a celebration of a town that has embraced making as part of its cultural identity. In an age increasingly defined by speed, convenience and uniformity, Hastings stands as a reminder of the enduring value of skill, locality and community. The result is a town whose creative energy is no longer a well-kept secret, but one of the most compelling craft stories in Britain today.