The Scottish Basketmakers’ Circle (SBC) exists to promote basketmaking and allied crafts – chairseating and environmental sculptures – in Scotland. This is achieved through exhibitions, courses, demonstrations, lectures, rural shows and craft fairs.
The SBC is a membership organisation and meets regularly in different venues offering members the chance to get together to share skills and discuss business. SBC aims to maintain and improve craft standards by organising training for beginners and holding masterclasses for experienced basketmakers and promoting memers work with arts organisations and the media through networking and presentations.
The SBC publishes a Newsletter and maintains this website and an Instagram page. There are also a private Facebook group, which anyone can ask to join and a public Facebook page. The Circle’s members offer a wide range of courses round the country covering all aspects of basketmaking, appealing to people of different skill levels. The Circle organises an Annual Gathering with ‘Masterclass’ courses taught by experienced tutors.
Regional Self Help Groups
There are also regional self help groups, some which meet regularly, and some on a more ad hoc basis. These are informal days for getting together and making or weaving baskets. They are for people who have already done some basket making and would like to practise and share skills with others. It is an opportunity to make baskets with the support of others to guide you, it is not a workshop or class.
Moray: meet the third Friday of the month between September and June in Pluscarden Village Hall. Contact Marion Campbell ✉
NE Basketmakers: meet once a month during the summer, usually at members homes. Contact Helen Jackson ✉
Inverness: Meet on the first Sunday of the month, April to November, usually at WASPS studios. Contact Tim Palmer ✉
Skye: meet once a month from September through to April in Edinbane Hall from 10am till 5pm. Contact Harriet Forrest ✉
Fife– contact Katherine Taylor ✉
Lothians: Self help group based at Poldrate in Haddington meets on Fridays 10am to 1pm during PACC term times. Please get in touch if you would like to hear more about group weaving opportunities as they develop. Contact Janice Hall ✉
Upperward: We meet on the 1st Saturday of every month (except for July and August) in Crawford Village Hall in South Lanarkshire . Space in the hall is limited so tickets are issued via Eventbrite to a maximum of 10 per session. Contact Ursula for more information ✉
Stirling & Glasgow: Group forming based at West Moss-side Farm. Contact Max Johnson ✉
Shetland: Interested basketmakers met through the winter at the Shetland Museum to explore straw work. Similar sessions are planned for this winter. Contact Ewen Balfour for more information ✉
We have also developed a sister site www.wovencommunities.org which traces Scottish vernacular basketry from the perspective of the communities who made and used them as well as the different basket types.