BCU Alumna to host Winter Arts Fair
A BCU Alumna is set to host a Winter Arts Fair in Birmingham, celebrating and championing a wide range of local independent businesses.
Charlotte Jenkins, who graduated with a BA (Hons) in Illustration in 2021, is now a freelance Illustrator and has arranged the Winter Arts Fair in Moseley, Birmingham, for the last two years.
The event, which is taking place at Moseley Exchange on Alcester Road on Saturday 26 November from 10am-4pm, will bring together over twenty local creatives, showcasing their gifts, cards, decorations and more.
Charlotte said: “The line-up is so great. I am so pleased to have such a variety of illustrators, designers, makers, and creatives all in one room.
“The majority of the stallholders are from Birmingham, but a couple are from slightly out. In fact, the ones travelling to Birmingham are fellow BCU alumni, which is very exciting!
“I've always lived in Birmingham, so it made complete sense to host the Winter Arts Fair here. Moseley is a nice little creative hub in Birmingham and has some lovely spaces for things like this.
“On the same day as the event, there is also an outdoor Moseley Arts Market, and another Christmas Fair nearby, so hopefully it will be a festive, good selling day.
“Everybody has been supportive so far, both the stallholders and general public who are planning to attend. I would love for these to continue to grow and become popular, and maybe have two a year; one in the summer, and one in the winter. It's a lot of work, but well worth it.”
Alongside organising the Winter Arts Fair, Charlotte has enjoyed a huge range of success in her chosen industry in the past year, including creating her very own educational, illustration children’s version of the card game ‘Go Fish’, with all designs inspired by the National Sea Life Centre in Birmingham.
Charlotte also works with St Philip’s Cathedral, where she regularly creates maps and fun resources for their educational department.
She said: “I also have my own shop via my website, where I sell a variety of hand-made and hand-drawn items, including greeting cards, prints and stickers. I sell these in-person too at markets and stalls, including one I did back in BCU earlier this year.
“But my biggest news is that I'm currently illustrating my very first series of children's picture books. The first one, Nicky and Candy's Street, is out next February with Tiny Tree Books.
“It's been a definite highlight of my career so far, and somehow, I've managed to balance the workload too!”.