Our mission to celebrate and share maker expertise and experience has taken us to all parts of Scotland, and introduced us to a wide range of people, skills and making practices. However, this year has expanded our horizons through an exciting new project which will connect Scottish makers with craft practitioners in Thailand.

AAS is working with the British Council as a partner in their Crafting Futures Programme which supports the development of craft communities throughout the world. This particular project builds on work already done by our Chair, Carol Sinclair, through the New for Old project, in developing a maker exchange between Scotland and Thailand and cements existing relationships we have with makers from both countries in textiles, ceramics, jewellery, metal, wood and furniture.

In this new project we are building a digital platform to share maker’s stories and give development support to makers seeking to start or expand their craft business. We will launch the platform in December in Thailand and Scotland in 2019. We are currently building a bank of case studies of successful making businesses in both countries and over the next few months we will be introducing you to some of the makers we have been lucky enough to meet along the way.

The Crafting Futures programme will bring a range of exciting opportunities for Scottish makers to connect with a wider international making community over the months to come. These images offer a brief introduction to some of the makers we have spent time with, make sure you are signed up to our newsletter and social media to see more.

Don Moo Din ceramics studio in Sakon Nakhon creates one off hand made pieces using glazes made from natural local materials. She also makes great coffee using her own hand made ceramic drip.  Follow her on @donmoodin

141 Studio is a social enterprise that makes wooden toys. Cleverly designed pieces have one toy inside another, so when you buy one you also have one to give away. Wonderful people with a great social mission.  Facebook ๑4๑ Social Enterprise

PiN makes sculptural lights and interior products from the waste metal from her family’s metal factory In Bangkok. It was a real privileged to be invited inside the factory and to see ideas and projects in process.