Discover! Creative Careers in Craft with Aunty Social

Join Aunty Social for a hands-on making session where we’ll explore lots of different ways that you can make a living from Craft.

Hosted by Aunty Social Directors Catherine Mugonyi and Joe Booth and drawing on their experiences, we’ll look at the different kinds of maker careers such as:

Craft for exhibition and performance

• Showing your work in exhibitions and galleries
• Making work for theatre and film (e.g. costume, accessories, props etc.)

Craft for retail
Selling your work:

• Online
• In shops
• At markets

Craft in manufacturing and product development

• Designing for large companies

Craft workshops and community projects

• Planning creative sessions
• How to get your sessions booked
• How community projects are funded

You’ll also find out about the opportunities and support available to you locally.

While we’re discussing craft careers, you’ll learn how to design and make your own linocut printed tote bag to take home with you.

Find out how to:

• Design and hand carve a lino stamp
• Stamp your design onto a cotton tote bag using fabric paints

This event has been made possible with support from the as part of Discover Creative Careers 2025-6

Joe Booth
Joe has spent 15 years dedicating his time to tailoring a career combining his love of theatre, costume, crafting, and teaching. Joe started out of university as a pattern cutter, working with small design houses to realise their designs before making the move across to costume.
Having worked in theatre for over a decade, Joe has worked across many areas of the costume industry including theatre wardrobe, workshop technician, studio management, and costume design.
Alongside a successful costume career, Joe manages the retail offer at Aunty Social CIC, working with local and international suppliers to build their brands, bring their products to the high street and establish a financially sustainable creative practice. Joe currently works as a lecturer at Blackpool School of Arts alongside his position as director at Aunty Social.

Catherine Mugonyi
A long-time resident of Blackpool, Catherine looks after Aunty Social’s finances, governance, strategy and creative programme.

Catherine has previously been a Trustee of Creative Lives (a national Charity that champions volunteer-led arts) and was the Creative Programmer at the Harris - a museum, library and art gallery in Preston. In this role she planned events, exhibitions and activities that encouraged people to explore their creativity as well as the Harris’ extensive collections. This involved hiring and commissioning artists and makers as well as coordinating artist support through the pandemic.

For her ‘day job’, Catherine is a freelancer who works on a variety of cultural projects. She is also the Coordinator of the North West Craft Network. She is a Clore Fellow and has experience of working as a funder including her current role as a member of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, North Committee.

Discover Creative Careers is a government funded, industry-led programme that is working to ensure there is a larger and more diverse intake of talent via a broader range of routes into the creative industries. The free to access hybrid programme of activities and resources offers meaningful encounters with industry professionals, online tools, training and support throughout the year. Its annual flagship Discover! Creative Careers event takes place every November, connecting thousands of young people with hundreds of workplaces to give hands-on insight into the creative industries.

The delivery of Discover! Creative Careers is led by ScreenSkills in partnership with over 25 organisations and through collaboration with industry, education and careers professionals.

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