The Framers Forum

Whether you're new to framing, or been around for a good long while, we're looking forward to a day of framing education, information and skill sharing at the UK's biggest framing get-together of the year.

There is NO CHARGE to attend the daytime events and you DON'T have to be a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild to come along and join in. The workshops open at 10.30am and run through to 3pm. There is no set timetable or formal talks - you can just come along, wander around the room and chat to whoever you like. It all takes place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Stratford-Upon-Avon on Saturday 14th May 2022.

So many people in the industry work alone or in small teams - this is a chance for framers to come together, ask questions, offer opinions, share hints and tips and get involved in learning new skills.

There will be informal demonstrations on lots of practical framing topics - the sort of thing that people ask questions about all the time. Morso maintenance, pricing and sales, fabric framing and mounting, box making, Hedgehog mounting method, hinging artwork, washlines, framing items with direct contact overlay and encapsulation and so on. There will be helpful information on Mountboard Standards - how they are changing (we are in the transition period at the moment) from the old standards to the new ones that will be fully on-line by January 2024. And you can also find out about the changes to the Guild's Levels of Framing - why we made them, what they mean and how they've been kept up to date with new techniques, products and information. There will be enough experience in the room that we're hoping pretty much all bases will be covered on practical skills, machinery maintenance and general problem solving and business advice.

If you own one or are thinking about getting one, then experts from Valiani and Gunnar will be on hand to show you how to get the best from the investment in a CMC - and if you're a current user, come and pick their brains on new things you'd like to learn how to do.

Are you confused about the options of specialist glass available or worried that your customers don't ask for it or might not want to pay for it? Wessex Pictures - who stock a wide range of brands and types of specialist glass and acrylic - will be on hand to answer your questions. But you can also chat to framers who sell it day-in-day-out and find out the best way to promote it and market it to your customers to improve your profitability.

With the increased consumer awareness of sustainability - Larson-Juhl will be on hand to talk about FSC certification.

Sometimes standard size stretcher bars won't fit the bill - Harris Moore will be there to discuss bespoke stretcher bars and their other products.

Members of the Framers Committee will be on hand throughout the day answering technical queries and helping framers to problem solve. They are the same people who man the Guild's Technical Helpline and FrameTalk Forum for members throughout the year. All of them are qualified framers, some with Advanced qualifications and this is a chance to speak face-to-face with framers who earn their living from the framing industry and who have day to day hands-on knowledge that they are happy to share.

Want to take your GCF exam or Advanced exam but not sure about what that involves? There will be Guild examiners on hand to answer your questions and dispel any myths on how scary they can be!! As a marketing tool to gain new customers - qualifications are an easy win.

There will be books, study guides and other Guild information on hand for those that are interested and if you're looking at membership, qualifications, training or finding out about the benefits of membership and the marketing opportunities that it offers you that you can promote to your own customers - then there will be plenty of Guild volunteers on hand who would be more than happy to chat this through.

You can also look at the entries for this year's Framing and Mount Cutting Competitions - and vote to choose your "Best in Show".

The day rounds off with the Master's Dinner and Annual Awards - EVERYONE is welcome to join us for that too and if you'd like to book your place at the dinner then you can do that here https://www.fineart.co.uk/events/guild- ... 22-38.aspx

We're looking forward to a fantastic day and we'd love you to come along and join us.

Hi Jo

Slightly on a tangent, but do the Guild have, or are aware of, a ESFA accredited training course in picture framing, so we can hire a apprentice?

Location not to much of an issue as it seems it now acceptable to receive the off the job training via Zoom or the like

All best


Will

Hi Jo
My wife and I would love to come. Do we need to pre-register at all?
Thanks
Mike

Hi Mike

It will be great to have you come along - although you can just drop in on the day, for our planning purposes it will be easier if you pre-register. We're also going to be having badges, so can get all pre-registered ones printed in advance.

But if you have a sudden change of plan and can come along at short notice, don't worry, you won't be turned away at the door if you haven't pre-registered.

Registration for everything can be done here -> https://www.fineart.co.uk/events/guild- ... 22-38.aspx

Framerpicture wrote: ↑Sat 12 Mar, 2022 1:48 pm Hi Jo

Slightly on a tangent, but do the Guild have, or are aware of, a ESFA accredited training course in picture framing, so we can hire a apprentice?

Location not to much of an issue as it seems it now acceptable to receive the off the job training via Zoom or the like

All best


Will

Hi Will

We've done a lot of research about apprenticeships looked at various avenues to how this can be done. Biggest issue is that the Government doesn't consider our industry (bespoke framing particularly) a big enough market AND the demand isn't high enough for this to be done in isolation. I did a survey back in 2019 to see whether we could get something off the ground following a great example I'd found from Australia, but we only got a handful of responses and 2 potential candidates to trial it both decided to got to college and study something else. So it never got off the ground.

The Australian model where they piggy-backed onto existing scheme is, I'm convinced, the best way for someone to achieve apprenticeship funding in bespoke framing in the UK at the moment. Few options to look at with that - you can either go down the retail route (this is more suited to someone who needs to run a gallery as well as be a framer) or a workshop safety route (good, but not ideal). Alternatively there is a "Wood Products Manufacturing" route. This can easily cover picture framing and all the elements that go with it - from ordering and managing stock, machinery maintenance and the making of the framed items themselves.

I found this example of a company using that route https://centreforapprenticeships.co.uk/ ... 000007538/ and a provider in Bristol who managed it for them https://didac.co.uk/course/wood-product ... operative/

There is a City & Guilds course for picture framing and restoration - or of course the Guild Certified Framer course with CPD for on-going learning.

Hope that helps.

Jo

Thank you Jo, I will investigate the avenue you suggest, and just hope someone can offer a remote learning package as we're a little bit out in the sticks with poor transport links.

Looking forward to it! Ive missed it the last 2 years as its a great way to catch up with other framers.

Thanks to the guild for organising it.

We're finally booked! Looking forward to talking framing for hours and hours and meeting some other FF members face to face , maybe we'll have to scribble our FF names on the bottom of our name badges?

I'm going to be talking all things Textile Framing - from delicate fabrics, cross stitches and needlepoints, silk scarves, sports shirts and other clothing items - different ways to support and frame them and hints and tips on handling.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

What an excellent day Saturday. Really enjoyed and met some great people.
Well done to all concerned.

Seconded Mike, it was great to chat face to face.
We got some great tips on some current projects we were struggling with and it was really useful chatting with Alec about stacking mouldings and using magnets for double sided frames. All in all a great weekend of networking and socialising.
Thanks to Jo and Alec and the rest of the Guild team responsible for putting on such a great event. Onwards and upwards!!