BA Spring School 2027: Traditional Withy Lobster Pot – Helen Munday

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

Helen will guide students through the process of creating their own lobster or crab pot (inkwell pot) in the traditional Cornish, Cork or Kerry style, working with semi-green willow as is customary.

Using a handmade jig to secure the rods and form the mouth of the pot, students will learn to shape the pot step by step. Once formed, it will be removed from the jig and turned upside down to weave the base. An old car tyre (without the rim) will be needed to hold the pot securely while weaving the base. A hazel pot stick will be added at the end to complete this traditional fishing basket.

This is a physically demanding basket to make and requires strength and dexterity. Students should bring a pair of thin rubber builder’s work gloves to improve their grip when weaving the base and help protect their hands.

Suitability: Some level of basket making experience would be useful but not essential.

Cost of materials:  £25 payable directly to the tutor.  There is an option to buy the jig and former at the end of the course.

Your Tutor

Helen has been basketmaking since 2010 and graduated with first class honours in Contemporary Design Crafts at Hereford College of Art in 2022, she is a practicing artist Basketmaker, working in willow and natural materials grown or gathered by herself, giving her practice a circular, sustainableethos. Choosing to live close to the land and nature in rural Ireland, her lifestyle focuses on minimal waste and making use of what’s to hand therefore embracing the seasons.

Utilising traditional basketry techniques Helen creates a range of works straddling contemporary to traditional heritage designs.

‘From the first time I made a basket I was hooked! The smell, the feel of the willow and the pattern and repetitive strokes just came naturally to me. It can become mesmerising, and addictive and the possibilities are endless. I love the sustainability of the craft and grow a lot of my own willow, feeling grateful each winter when I come to harvest the rods how circular the process is, the baskets and artworks I create can go back to the earth at the end of their long lives and nourish the ground once again.’