The With Love Project on Kickstarter: British makers & crafts people

The With Love Project is launching a £9,000 campaign on Kickstarter to raise funds for the print of a book, With Love, which captures more than thirty of the UK’s traditional artists and makers, revealing their craft through outstanding photography and personal stories. 

Chris Evans of the Project told me more:

Just over two years ago we started the With Love Project. It’s our search to find people who produce things with a passion and a purpose, who truly care about what they do and what they make. We’ve traveled from the top to the bottom of the country, from the Outer Hebrides to the tip of Cornwall, and asked everyone we met the same question… why do you do what you do? 

So far we’ve met nearly 40 inspiring individuals [and have] been humbled by their openness and enthused by their work and attitude. Some days we’ve driven for ten hours to meet people; other days we’ve ventured out of the UK. Each and every journey is filled with excitement and anticipation of hearing another great story; an insight into someone’s thinking, their way of life and a chunk of knowledge and advice to hold on to. We have met traditional furniture makers at the top of their game, motorcycle manufacturers hand-building by eye, wheelwrights who can trace their family trade back to the 1300s and tailors who’ve produced suits for Pavarotti. Each one of these people has let us into their world after just a phone call or an email, understanding what we are trying to achieve and happy to share what they are producing. 

Now, with the help of GF Smith and Kickstarter, we want to create a beautiful limited edition hardback book of the people we’ve met. There aren’t many projects which include a sign writer who’s worked for the Kings of Leon and a female blacksmith artist from Wiltshire, next to a fair trade coffee roaster and a couple glass blowing their way into numerous collections and national museums. 

This promises to be a unique book of inspiring people, creating things with a passion and a purpose. To make this project a reality they have to hit their funding total; if they don’t, the book can’t be printed. To find out how you can reserve yourself a copy of the book along with some exciting rewards from the makers and producers featured in the book, visit their Kickstarter page here. 

David Hieatt of Hiut Denim Co. - one of those featured in the book

Kickstarter pledges range from £5 to £1,000, with rewards including limited edition books and prints, bespoke gifts designed especially for the project and unique experiences with the With Love interviewees.