Preparing for the next Travelling SHOW

The theme of the Travelling Show 2021 is Inspired by Nature which was the subject for 2020.   All Full members of the Braid Society can participate - Long Haul members are welcome to upgrade their membership so that their work can be exhibited.  You can interpret the theme as you wish and use whichever braiding technique you fancy.  Entries should be sent to the organiser by 31st January 2021 - exact details will be announced in a later newsletter.  If possible, entries should be accompanied by a photograph of the inspiration for your piece and a few words of explanation.  Further details are given in Braid Society Newsletters.

 

Guidelines for Submissions to The Braid Society Travelling Show

Topic:  The topic for each Travelling Show is decided at the December meeting of The Braid Society Council. It is advertised in each newsletter, starting in March.

The deadline for submissions is January 31st each year.

Exhibits:  All full members of The Braid Society can submit up to 3 pieces of work. (Long-haul members are welcome to upgrade at any time.)

Remember that we are ‘The Braid Society’ so the pieces you submit should place braids, bands, passementerie or other narrow wares in the spotlight.

Exhibits that are very fragile or have a high value should not be submitted for the Travelling Show due to the nature of the events and venues.  Whilst care is taken to ensure that exhibits are carefully handled by Braid Society members at each venue, they are packed, displayed, viewed by the public, and packed back into the box many times a year. 

Size:  Maximum sizes are A4 (approx US letter size) for pieces to be wall-mounted and a 6 inch (15cm) cube for three-dimensional pieces.  All exhibits are packed into a box for transportation and the box sometimes needs to be sent by courier so any exhibits that do not fit in the box cannot be transported to that event.

Please do not include any additional bulky and/or delicate props or packaging. For example, no frames or glass as these are both bulky and breakable. The exhibition space is often limited, and may have very little space to display free standing objects; therefore exhibits that can be hung are preferred.

(There is an opportunity to submit larger work or fragile work for the Biennial Exhibition and separate guidelines will be provided for this event.)

Submission of Exhibits:  All submissions should be accompanied by a fully completed Travelling Show form.  These are issued with the December newsletter and are downloadable from the MEMBERS’ AREA (under Newsletters) on The Braid Society website (https://thebraidsociety.wildapricot.org/).  Please include a separate entry form for each item of work that you send.  The description of your work, inspiration and any photographs that you provide will enhance viewers’ interest and understanding and will help us to write good display labels.  Please also include display instructions, if any.  A team will mount the exhibits (where appropriate) so that they have homogeneous backgrounds.  It is a good idea to photograph your work and to keep copies of each form for future reference. 

Packaging: Exhibits should be securely packaged and labelled.  We may use your packaging when the pieces are packed up after each show and this will also enable us to return your work to you in the packaging in which it was received.

Submission of Exhibits: Exhibits should be sent to the Travelling Show Organiser (see details on the Travelling Show form).  Please email or telephone Averil in advance of posting your entry, so that she knows to expect it.

Deadline for Submission of Exhibits: Usually 31 January each year.  However, submission dates may vary.  [Note: deadline for the 2021 Travelling Show is 1 March 2021]. 

Tax and Customs: If you are mailing work to the Travelling Show Organiser from outside the UK, please be aware of potential Tax and Customs charges.  On the UK Customs Declaration form, the options are “gift”, “document”, “commercial sample”, “sale of goods”, “returns” or “other”.  None of the Travelling Show work is for sale, so please label the item as a ‘Gift’ and send it “Duty Paid”.   The value you state on the customs form should reflect the cost of materials, not the insurance value. If you have any questions on international post, Tax and Customs, please contact the Society’s Treasurer, Sara Hawkins (treasurer@braidsociety.com). 

Please Note:  Any additional expenses incurred by The Braid Society in receiving or returning work submitted for the Travelling Show will be charged to the sender.  

Return package: The Travelling Show Organiser will return all exhibits to senders by the end of the year, either in person at the AGM or by post.  Standard postage and packaging will be paid for by The Braid Society.  Please note on the Travelling Show form whether you would like your exhibit returned by recorded/tracked delivery and the insurance value.