BA Spring School 2027: Undone, Re-done – Lois Walpole

Tickets available from 10am Saturday 9 January 2027

Spring School at Duchy College (formerly Harrogate Ladies College) offers four full days to immerse yourself in basketry with top-class tutors. There is also plenty of opportunity to relax and get to know fellow basketmakers from all around the UK and beyond.

Both residential (single-occupancy room, shared bathroom, all meals) and non-residential (includes lunches and Sunday evening meal) options will be available. In 2027 the ticket prices are:

• Residential: £670
• Non-residential: £415

Only one ticket is available per BA member, and material costs are payable directly to tutors at the end of the week.

By purchasing a ticket you are agreeing to the cancellation policy as detailed in the Basketmakers’ Associations Terms and Conditions

Bursaries

There are 5 bursaries of up to £670 (sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers’ Charitable Trust and the Basketmakers’ Association) and a travel bursary of £400 (sponsored by an anonymous donor) available for the Spring School.   Members of 2 continuous years’ standing may apply.

Please go the Bursaries, Awards and Cups section in the Members’ Area of the Basketmakers’ Association website for further information.

The course

In this course we will undo baskets that are damaged, unloved, or just so unlovely they end up in charity shops or landfill. These baskets come in an array of different materials, such as rattan, bamboo, wood chip, sisal, maize, and palm leaf. Undoing these baskets and re-using the materials teaches us not only how these things are made but also gives us the opportunity to play with materials that are uncommon to us. From these materials, or other materials we like using, we can make new baskets, do creative repairs, alter them, or re-use complete elements of the baskets such as handles, bases, and frames.

Suitability:  all levels.

Estimated cost of materials: tbc

Your tutor 

Trained in sculpture, basketry and product design, Lois Walpole has worked as an artist and basketmaker since 1984. Sculpture gave her a desire to create in three dimensions, basketry offered a wide choice of materials and techniques to work with, and product design taught her about our relationship with material resources.

Lois is particularly drawn to materials that are considered to be of no further use. She seeks to give them a new life in another context, allowing them to be viewed in a more positive light. Often, she believes, these materials still have plenty of life left in them when they are unthinkingly consigned to landfill.

By engaging with the craft of basketry in as many different ways as possible, Lois has been able to earn her living. Making, exhibiting, designing, curating, teaching and writing are all equally important aspects of her practice.

After thirty years in the East End of London, Lois moved to rural France, where her studio is based. She now divides her time between France and Shetland.