Building upon past success and now going into its fifth year, Inspiring Makers is being held at Bath’s historic Guildhall on Wednesday 13th May 2026.
The day-long event offers a unique platform to connect and inspire emerging designers and makers with leading brands and influential industry voices. The aim is to champion traditional hand skills, preserve British craft and to encourage, train and sustain the dedicated masters of the future.
The not-for-profit conference is co-organised by Artichoke, the Somerset-based interiors studio specialising in world-class design and maker of heritage joinery, and the Furniture Makers’ Company - the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry. Previous touchpoints have included discussions about sustainability, gender, diversity, education and AI, with this year’s thought-provoking line-up of speakers including:
Bill Amberg, Founder of Bill Amberg Studio - With sustainability and innovation as central philosophies, Amberg is one of today’s most respected designers and craft makers in contemporary British furniture and interiors.
Caroline Till, Founder of FranklinTill Founded in 2010, FranklinTill is a design futures consultancy activating design, colour and material innovation for positive social and environmental change.
Belinda Joslin, Founder of Women in Boatbuilding - Belinda grew up sailing on the East Coast rivers, watching the sailing barges in awe but never feeling they were a place for her. Through the Bread and Roses barge project she hopes to create meaningful skills opportunities for women at all levels; to learn basic practical skills; grow their boatbuilding careers; become experienced shipwrights and help to create a more diverse and welcoming maritime industry.
Fred Baier, Furniture Maker & Designer - Fred Baier is an avant garde British furniture designer and maker who has been working since the 1970s, when he graduated from the Royal College of Art.
Freddie Armstrong and Joseph De Ferranti, Founders of Slow Ways - Both graduating from the University of Edinburgh two years ago, and training as makers themselves, Freddie and Joseph have since sought to document Britain’s heritage crafts by walking the length of the country.
Artichoke - Artichoke is a luxury interiors studio and the pre-eminent designers and makers of fine, heritage joinery for the world’s most exclusive homes, creating entirely bespoke rooms as well as whole house projects which include interior design.
“Making at this level is a responsibility and privilege that we don’t carry lightly to keep traditional making skills alive," says Neil Fox, COO of Artichoke. "It’s as much about setting the gold standard for what true quality and artistry looks like as it is to inspire future generations.
"Here in the UK, it takes a fair amount of investment to re-train as a highly skilled craftsperson - something that has become increasingly exclusive which is why our focus is on our own grass roots initiatives to young people. Inspiring Makers, alongside our educational outreach programmes such as apprenticeships, are a key part of our business to continue to meet the demand for the skill required for the historic and significant homes that we have the honour of working in and in turn supporting British industry.”
Tickets are £15 for students and £25 for general admission, including lunch and refreshments, limited spaces are available and can be purchased through Eventbrite here. Inspiring Makers is taking place from 9am-5pm on Wednesday 13th May 2026 at Guildhall, Bath and is generously supported by Artichoke, the Furniture Makers’ Company, Sykes Timber, Castelan, Wolf Components, Halstock and Ergochair.
