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From Student Union to The Burrell Collection

A former Glasgow student who held her first-ever pop-up market in the city is returning to showcase the cream of Scotland’s design talent at The Burrell Collection.

Joanne MacFadyen of Tea Green Events is hosting the event this weekend, with over 70 designers from across Scotland showcasing and selling everything from jewellery and clothing to homeware and accessories. The free event, which is open to all, will run from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 3 August and 11am – 5pm on Sunday 4 August 2024.

Joanne, who was born in East Kilbride and studied at Cardonald College (now Glasgow Clyde College) before progressing to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD) in Dundee, launched Tea Green Events exactly 10 years ago.

Viewing this weekend’s fair as her ‘homecoming’, the event follows the success of Tea Green’s debut events at The Burrell Collection and Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery last winter, when The Burrell Collection alone attracted 10,000 visitors. The summer market at Kelvingrove in June 2024 went on to attract a staggering 8,000 people.

Joanne said, “Tea Green Events owes everything to Glasgow. We held our first ever event at Glasgow School of Art Student Union. I’ve also got vivid childhood memories of visiting both The Burrell Collection and Kelvingrove, also as an artist and a young creative person where I spent lots of time, just being inspired by what was around me. I particularly love the works of Charles Rennie Macintosh and his wife Margaret Macdonald, whose collections at Kelvingrove just blow me away. I’ve also had a lifelong fascination with the ceramics and jewellery at The Burrell Collection, so coming back to these venues is huge for me and makes me feel particularly proud.”

Lauren Rhodes, Commercial Development and Programming Manager at Glasgow Life, added, “Tea Green Events work so well for our museums. As well as attracting footfall, including brand new audiences, we, as a charity, are passionate about supporting artists and creatives. More than ever, independents face barriers in showcasing their work and are increasingly priced out of city centres. Unfortunately, if creativity isn’t given a platform, art and creativity will suffer and our communities will miss out. We feel that civic spaces can make a real impact in providing that platform and investing in our local economy together. Events like this also help us break down barriers, showing that museums are for everyone, they’re free, accessible and a fantastic resource in our cities.”

One of the Glasgow designers selling her creations at this weekend’s Burrell Collection market is Jolene Crawford of Irregular Sleep Pattern whose bedding and sleepwear is ‘designed at the intersection between art and utililty’.

Jolene, who launched the business with husband Mil from her Glasgow flat at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, said, “We love being part of the Tea Green family. Attending the markets is about much more than sales – Jo’s created such a supportive and nourishing community which we massively appreciate. We’ve made so many friends through Tea Green, people who just ‘get it’, and that’s invaluable.

“The venues Jo selects are also really significant – arriving in the gallery with your stock, when no one else is there, is just magical. The markets also attract new audiences into these beautiful venues which can only be a good thing. Anything that encourages people to engage with art is so important.

“The buyers are also ready to buy and support us and understand the value of what we’re doing. We’ve built a global brand and have customers all over the world but you can’t beat chatting with customers face-to-face – you just can’t put a price on that part of the engagement.”

For more information, visit https://www.teagreen.co.uk/

ENDS