The star of a new regional TV series talks to Helen Brown about tackling craft on the box

A NEW TV show all about crafting, which is filmed in the North-East and stars Durham-born Sara Davies, has earned it’s place on prime-time television. Davies presents the show called Be Creative, which airs on Made Television in Tyne and Wear, Teesside & Yorkshire, Cardiff, Bristol and Leeds on Thursdays at 6pm (running until February 12).

The six-strong series covers a variety of popular crafts including stamping, sewing, sugar craft, knitting, candle making and jewellery. Each show caters for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels with Davies bringing in a relevant guest expert for each show.

“We’re extremely excited about adding the Be Creative show to our programme offering. Made TV is very much about promoting the people, businesses, experience and talent of the local area. Be Creative was was originally commissioned and intended for broadcast in Tyne and Wear only, but demand from other regions for the programme has led to it being rolled out to additional areas across the UK that will see the show reach millions of homes,” says Tony Hazell, station manager for Made in Tyne and Wear.

Award-winning craft entrepreneur Davies, 30, is no stranger to success. She is the founder of North-East-based Crafter’s Companion, which she set up from her bedroom whilst at university, in 2005. The £10m company designs, manufactures and sells craft-related products across the world through retail outlets, online and TV shopping channels.

Aside from being a businesswoman, Davies regularly features on the Create & Craft TV channel as well as equivalent shopping channels in the US and Europe demonstrating new products. Away from her day job, she is an angel investor with investment firm Gabriel Investor, which supports growing businesses with funding and mentoring. She also mentors entrepreneurs and growing businesses as part of her role with the Entrepreneurs’ Forum. In addition, Davies works on the UKTI’s Catalyst group, which looks to promote UK companies in export markets.

“I am absolutely delighted to have been chosen for this TV show given it covers not only one of my greatest passions, but that it has been filmed right here in the region where I was born-and-bred. The fact that it’s going national for launch is a huge bonus too.

“Crafting covers so many areas and over the last few years, we have seen a real boom in the UK in terms of people adopting craft as a hobby. With this in mind, I think Be Creative has a great opportunity to reach new and existing crafters across the UK at just the right time.

“We have a stellar line-up of experts so, hopefully, viewers will get great value in terms of education and entertainment from the show. Ultimately, if it gets more people crafting, then I will be more than happy,” says Davies.

She recently fought off stiff competition from six high-flying creative professionals from across the UK to pick-up the Creative Industries Entrepreneur of the Year award at the prestigious Great British Entrepreneur Awards.

Her company, Crafter’s Companion, specialises in the manufacture and distribution of crafting tools along with its own brand goods. Its products are sold online via its website, via TV shopping channels across the world and through independent retail shops in the UK and Europe.

Tune in to Made Television on Freeview 8, Virgin Media 159 and Sky 117

For further information about Sara Davies crafterscompanion.co.uk/