Hidden gems (From The Northern Echo)

Hidden gems

11:11am Monday 30th November 2009

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Hidden away in the heart of Durham, Jenny Laue discovers the perfect place to pick up individual gifts for Christmas.

OVERLOOKING the River Wear, only a few steps away from Durham city centre, is a little oasis of creative calm. Fowlers Yard, a series of seven studios and workshops for professional artists and craftspeople, is a rather well-kept secret – although it also houses the City Theatre and one of the best cafes in Durham, Leonards Coffee House. Wander down the ancient steps from Silver Street, turn left sharply at the coffee house and you will see a row of buildings with big glass windows, black barn door-style shutters and traditional swinging wall signs.

Not much is known about its history, other than that it once belonged to a well-to-do Durham gentleman by the name of Fowler, who used the buildings as stables and warehouses.

Over the years, it has also been used as a scout hut and a recording studio and practice rooms for musicians.

In recent years, Durham City Council has taken it on and now rents it out to North-East artists.

These days, all but one of the spaces is occupied and inquisitive visitors who do find their way to Fowlers Yard will be able to watch an array of crafts in process, from embroidery and textile art to photography, jewellery making and beer brewing. Even better, they can speak to the individual artists, ask them questions, commission them or even buy a piece of art there and then.

■ Fowlers Yard can be found off Back Silver Street, take the stairs or lift from the back of the indoor market or the steps on Silver Street next to Dorothy Perkins that lead down the ginnel. For more information, log on to fowlersyarddurham.co.uk

JEWELLER ANDREW ASHCROFT GOLDSMITH and jewellery designer Andrew Ashcroft occupies unit one. The front of his workshop is like a shop with glass cases to display his best gold and silver jewellery. He says he came across Fowlers Yard three years ago and was attracted by the relatively cheap rates.

“I only found out about Fowlers Yard by accident through a friend. At the time I wasn’t 100 per cent sure I wanted to do this, but it’s been really good,” says the 26-year-old.

Andrew is a local lad, born and bred in Durham. He also did his apprenticeship here and for a short time worked for a Durham jewellery company. “I mostly did repair work for them,” he says, “but I wanted to create jewellery. I don’t regret starting up on my own, but it’s never an easy thing to do.”

Andrew works in any kind of precious metal. He is now specialising in wedding rings made in a new alloy metal called palladium, a relative of platinum, which has only just become available in workable form.

A lot of Andrew’s work is commissioned. He makes everything from rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings to tiaras, watch cases and even mini silver solitaire games, in traditional and contemporary designs.

Unlike most other artists, Andrew works hard not to have a style. He feels that commissioned jewellery is too personal to impose his own tastes.

“I like it to be their own concepts as much as possible,” he says.

■ Andrew Ashcroft, The Croft Workshops, Studio 1, Fowlers Yard, Durham, DH1 3RA. Tel: 0191-383-0020.

andrew@croftworkshops.co.uk

TEXTILE DESIGNER JULIA TRISTON JULIA’S realm is like an Aladdin’s Cave, only the gold, silver and pearl treasure is replaced by an abundance of fabric, wool, threads, beads, buttons and sequins.

In the middle is a huge work table, the walls are hung with completed art work, several tailor’s dummies are wearing her designs and there is a massive shelf from floor to ceiling stuffed full of text books.

The 43-year-old came to Durham to study and never left the thriving city.

Before she opened her Fowlers Yard studio, she was self-employed for a number of years, teaching City & Guilds courses. But when those courses started to close down, Julia was forced to think of other ways to make a living. Four years ago, a friend put her in touch with traditional embroiderer Tracy Franklin, who was already renting unit three, and together they decided to continue teaching. Their joint venture – Stitchbusiness – offers City & Guilds certificates and diploma courses in design and art textiles.

Julia joined the little artists’ community in Fowlers Yard around two years ago. Her designs are vibrant and expressive. She draws inspiration from her travels in India, Peru and Mexico. “A lot of my colours and textures come from there. Colour is really my thing,” she says. “My materials come mostly from local shops or trade shows, but I also love to recycle clothes from charity shops.”

By layering and combining different textiles and joining them with by hand or machine, she creates individual one-off pieces that can’t fail to catch the eye.

Julia not only creates and sells her pieces from her workshops, she also takes commissions and exhibits on a regular basis.

■ Julia Triston, Studio 2, Fowlers Yard, Durham, DH1 3RA. Tel: 0191-383-0831.

textilearts@juliatriston.com

ARTIST CHRISSIE MORGAN CHRISSIE is one of a handful of craftspeople dedicated to specialist weaving. The 50-yearold from Durham creates lifelike portraits both in traditional media such as oil, acrylic or watercolour, or more unusual ones such as mohair or wool.

Apart from taking on commissions, she has now diversified into teaching classes in felt-making and weaving as well as taking on the role of chairperson for Interface Arts, a collective of artists and crafts people based in County Durham.

Between commissions, she’s mostly inspired by people, by the human face and by abstract concepts, such as identity, memory and conflict. “I get my inspiration from people.

Being back in the North-East is a great inspiration and when I’m allowed to just work, I like to do pieces on what’s around me.”

■ Chrissie Morgan, Studio 4, Fowlers Yard, Durham, 07791-680139, morgana@macace.net

ARTIST TRACY A FRANKLIN TRACY has had her studio in unit three for six years. The 41- year-old, who was born and bred in Durham, studied traditional embroidery at the prestigious Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace in Surrey and also worked there on a freelance basis.

When she moved back up north, it became clear very quickly that she had outgrown her parents’ house even before she moved back in and that she desperately needed her own working space.

“If you want to get on in business,”

says Tracy, “you’ve got to take a risk, I think. So I with the help of my bank’s business manager I applied to Durham City Arts, who ran Fowlers Yard at the time. That was in 2003 and I’ve loved every minute here. It’s great to have the other artists here and Julia next door. We’re all sharing and collaborating.”

Tracy’s work as traditional embroiderer and designer is very much in demand, as it is a dying art form.

She undertakes commissions, especially for churches, and has been head embroiderer for Durham Cathedral for the past three years.

For her commissioned works she’s done things such as portraits of cats and dogs, logos or birthday invitations, in various techniques.

“That doesn’t leave much time to be creative, although I have to come up with my own ideas for my teaching courses,” she says.

“I’m interested in detail and pushing the boundaries of technique. Most of my inspiration comes from fashion couture and everyday things I pick up at antique fairs.”

■ Tracy A Franklin, Studio 3, Fowlers Yard. Tel: 0191-384-4263

BREWER MICHAEL GRIFFIN HILL Island Brewery makes up the end of Fowlers Yard. It was founded by master brewer Michael Griffin, 35. “I thought this was a great location and with my beers being craft products, I moved in. That was seven years ago,” says Michael, who ran the brewery for Cathedrals before he started his own business. “I knew this place existed because my dad used to be in a band that used the studios here.”

Michael brews four regular beers, which he sells to local pubs. They are Peninsula Pint, Dun Cow Bitter, Hill Island Bitter and Griffin’s Irish Stout. He also produces various seasonal beers every year and beers for individual outlets.

“I think my most popular beer is the Dun Cow Bitter. I brew that at least once a month and sell it to freehouses in the area, pubs like The Angel, the Elm Tree, The Victoria or the Tap and Spile in Framwellgate Moor.”

Like any good chef, Michael know which ingredients will go with which but to come up with new ideas he tries different and new kinds of hops, which become available all the time. Luckily for him, his educated guesses have worked out every time so far.

In the near future Michael wants to apply for a premises licence so he can hold mini beer festivals in Fowlers Yard and people can take bottles away with them as souvenirs of their visit to Durham.

■ Michael Griffin, Hill Island Micro Brewery, Unit 7, Fowlers Yard, Durham, DH1 3RA. Tel: 07740-932584. mike@hillisland.freeserve.co.uk

STEVEN is 32 and has been at studio five for the past six years, since becoming self-employed. He became involved in Fowlers Yard when he met a representative from Durham City Arts at one of his exhibitions.

“There was no one here at that point apart from the brewery, but it’s a good location. It’s far enough off the beaten track to be quiet, but at the same time busy,” says Steven.

Steven, who moved to the North-East when he was a youngster, graduated in photography, video and digital imaging from Sunderland University.

His portfolio includes portraits, weddings, commercial pictures, as well as fine art and conceptual photography.

Steven’s split-level studio has a work space downstairs with a white wall and light reflectors. Upstairs, there is a office space where clients can browse through examples of his extensive work.

“When I get the chance I like to do documentary-style wedding photography,”

he says. “I think if the pictures are not posed, it’s a more genuine reflection of the day.”

■ Steven Landles, Studio 5, Fowlers Yard, Durham, DH1 3RA.

Tel: 0191-386-8999. steven@stevenlandlesphotography.com

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