What's on
BA Autumn School 2026 – Contemporary Baskets in Soft Fibres
By Joanne Lamb
Tickets available from 10am, Saturday 30th May 2026
Our Autumn School at Waterperry House and Gardens, near Wheatley, Oxfordshire, offers three days to immerse yourself in basketry with top-class tutors. It is also a great chance to unwind and connect with fellow basketmakers from across the UK and beyond.
This year teaching will start at 1pm on Friday, 2 October and finish with photos at 4pm on Sunday, 4 October.
The ticket price for this residential event is £430, which includes all meals (vegetarian) and single-occupancy bedrooms. There will also be an option to purchase accommodation and breakfast on the nights of Thursday, 1 October and Sunday, 4 October for an additional £85 per night.
Only one ticket is available per BA member, and material costs are payable directly to tutors at the end of the week.
There are three bursaries of £395 available, with an additional amount to go towards travel expenses, all generously funded by the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers’ Charitable Trust. Applications for bursaries open on Saturday, 14th March and close on Sunday, 19th April. Successful candidates will be informed by 16th May. Please click here for more information and to apply online.
By purchasing a ticket you are agreeing to the cancellation policy as detailed in the Basketmakers’ Association’s Terms and Conditions
Course details
Join Joanne for a playful and expressive basketry workshop using soft fibres and natural materials. Drawing inspiration from the seasons and personal imagery, you will transform memories and experiences into contemporary woven forms.
Using plant leaves, paper, natural yarn and fabrics, you will explore colour, texture and structure while learning simple basketry and weaving techniques, such as twining, coiling and Soumak, alongside expressive textile methods which include bundle dyeing, knotting, wrapping and darning.
The workshop will begin with experimental creative exercises to allow ideas to emerge before moving into planning and developing samples for your final, and unique, three-dimensional piece.
Suitability: all levels
Estimated cost of materials: £30
Your tutor
Joanne is a contemporary basketmaker. Following a successful 15-year career in textile design, she completed her MA and the Royal College of Art and is currently the recipient of the Basketmakers’ Award at Cockpit Studios, sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers’ Charitable Trust. Her work has been exhibited at the London Design Festival, London Craft Week, and the RA Summer Exhibition.