STORY
inDEPENDENT BUSINESSES
THIS NOVEMBER, DISCOVER SOME OF KENT’ S BEST FESTIVE AND INNOVATIVE WORKSHOPS- GET READY TO UNLEASH YOUR ARTISTIC SKILLS WITH FELTING WORKSHOPS, WREATH-MAKING AND A HOST OF HANDS-ON CREATIVE EXPERIENCES.
STUDIO INFINARA studioinfinara. co. uk studioinfinara
Sarah Smith started Studio Infinara in October 2025, where she runs various creative workshops.“ I’ m an artist and have been since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I have a fine art degree and am a fully qualified art teacher, which was my career for almost 15 years,” she says.“ However, I’ ve always wanted to run my own business and teach art in the way I feel it should be taught- by encouraging creativity and inspiring others. I produce things in small batches or as one-offs that I sell online and at craft markets. I also run workshops for the public and for private events, including lino printing, wet felting, needle felting and Kinusaiga workshops, which is a unique Japanese art form that uses scrap fabric. I have lots of workshops running in the lead-up to Christmas and I’ m looking to branch out in 2027 into corporate workshops to help boost wellbeing in the workplace. I’ m also developing art kits particularly for Kinusaiga, so people who perhaps aren’ t close enough to attend a workshop can have a go from the comfort of their own home.”
WEST MALLING FLOWERS westmallingflowers. co. uk
westmallingflowers
West Malling Flowers was founded by Nikki Meader, an independent florist based on West Malling High Street in Kent where her team creates flowers for all of life’ s occasions, from beautiful everyday bouquets and gifts to weddings, events, funeral tributes and corporate flowers. Nikki also runs a popular programme of seasonal floristry workshops.“ Floristry has been a huge part of my working life and today I work alongside a talented team of professional florists from our shop in the heart of West Malling,” says Nikki.“ Our workshops have become a particularly special part of the business. They’ re designed to be relaxed, creative and welcoming, whether someone is already a flower lover or has never arranged flowers before. We guide everyone step by step, provide all the flowers and materials, and guests leave with something beautiful they’ ve created themselves. Christmas is one of our favourite times of the year- our festive wreath-making workshops bring people together for a wonderfully creative seasonal experience.”
GOOSE STUDIO goosestudios. co. uk goose _ studios
Goose Studio is a fully equipped screenprint and Risograph workshop in Faversham run by Sarah Simmonds, an artist and printmaker.“ I opened the studio in 2020, where I run beginner courses and print clubs, and work with artists on fine art editions, including prints for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and the London Original Print Fair,” says Sarah.“ Printmaking has been a constant throughout my career. I studied Fine Art Printmaking at Brighton University and at the Royal College of Art, and I’ ve also spent time on artist residencies in India, Germany and France. My experiences in print studios abroad showed me how powerful a shared, communal printmaking environment can be and I wanted to recreate that sense of collaboration and community in Faversham. For me, printmaking is never just about the finished image, it is about the process; the happy accidents and the people you meet. This month, we’ ve moved into a brand-new, purpose-built workshop and it’ s incredibly exciting to have designed a space around how people actually use it, with proper sinks, a dedicated washout booth and workshop areas. I’ m hoping to introduce new print processes and continue building a space where artists can learn, experiment and collaborate.”
216 • www. insidekent. co. uk