AS TOLD TO: ANNA SCOTT; IMAGES: LEWES NIBBLER; HELEN BROWN


m i , i n c r x Events


‘It’s not Christmas without our Artists and Makers Fair’


The air buzzed with excitement in the town hall as visitors browsed stalls selling everything from prints to perfume. With more than 80 creative vendors to choose from, fi nishing their Christmas shopping with weeks to spare seemed like a reality. I felt somewhat sentimental – the Artists and Makers Fair had become a highlight of my winter calendar, but I knew this was the last one I would organise. Since its debut in 2003, the fair has


been organised annually by the parents of Western Road Community Primary School, with the profi ts donated to our school’s PTA to support the creative curriculum. Our efforts have funded a vast array of projects: we’ve bought art supplies, paid for visits from creative speakers and supported the school’s participation in a local arts parade.


This year, as well as the family-


friendly days, we decided to run a Friday evening opening event. A local brewery kindly donated a keg of beer and several bottles of wine, and our DJ fi lled the town hall with music. We open stall registration in June and


routinely receive over 200 applications. With only 84 places, it is tricky to choose who to accept, so we have a couple of conditions. The fi rst is that if a parent from the school applies, they are guaranteed a spot. The second rule is designed to support emerging artists. Every year we commit 30-50% of our stalls to new talent. Our profi ts are predominantly


generated from the commission we charge the artists on their sales. Put simply, if you sell more, you pay more.


Another source READ


of income is the raffl e, with the artists donating prizes. We do have operational costs such as hiring the town hall, marketing and purchasing supplies for the café, but we know our model is working well because the latest fair generated £15,600 profi t! As my daughter comes to the end of


A longer version of this story at pta.co.uk


her time at primary school, so does my time as the Artists and Makers Fair organiser, but I have no doubt I will continue to return to the fair as a visitor. Antonia Jewels, fair organiser and parent at Western Road Community Primary School, Lewes, Sussex (210 pupils)


pta.co.uk AUTUMN 2022 41


H


t


e


fi o


l p


r


w i


p


t h


g


p l


atten


d


a


n


c


n


a n n n g a


e


i s n i s i d


i n g e a a m


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60