It’s that time again! Expressions of Interest (EOI) are now open for our Fledglings&company stall at the Autumn Finders Keepers market in May. We are looking for new talent to introduce to the enthusiastic Sydney-siders that swarm to the markets! It couldn’t be easier – just email your EOI of 100 words about the work that you intend to sell and 2-3 good quality images to hello(at)andcompany(dot)com(dot)au by March 31st 2011.

Fledglings &company is all about promoting emerging, independent designers and makers with an object/product focus to their work. It’s a fabulous opportunity to launch new work, test the market and try your hand at producing stock for sale. We realise that committing to a whole stall alone can be a daunting task – the required investment of resources, stock, time and money are fairly significant! If your work is selected for the &company stall, we make the process as easy and friendly as possible! We look after the installation of the work, provide sales staff who are passionate and informed about your work, and with a shared space, you can produce a more achievable or intimate runs of products.

We are looking for well designed, well made products with a high quality of finish. We are interested in new, different, interesting products – Finders Keepers is always changing, so we want something different to what might have been shown in the past. Previously successful items have included homewares, children’s toys, special gift-cards, accessories. lighting, ceramics and timber works. Items that fall into the $50 or below price-range tend to do well, but we always stock for a broad range of budgets.

If you are a fledgling designer, still learning to fly, join us in a fantastic new opportunity at Finders Keepers, as &company presents a selection of exciting, unusual, glorious design by truly emerging and independent creatives!

For further details click more… Continue reading →

UPDATE: Thank you for all the applications and interest in the position, the internship has been filled. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities! ~ &co

Yes indeed, &company is looking for a new intern!Love object design? Think you’re a bit of a budding exhibition curator? Want to see your designs out in the big, wide world? &company would love a spot of company – so we are announcing an intern position that is up for grabs!

This will be seriously hands on, with opportunities to develop new designs, liaise with industry, get involved with the curation of exhibitions and other exciting events, as well as getting involved behind the scenes, to see how it all works! Hours/days per week are flexible to fit with your other commitments.

If you want more information, or you would like to apply for this position, email us at hello@andcompany.com.au. Please feel free to spread the good news!

On Saturday 19th February, &company and Object hosted the first of our events program for the In Good Company exhibition, the Urban Design Clinics. Read here for a little background, but in brief, we wanted to share the creative process with everyone, in an everyday context, delving into daily pleasures that we design around us.

We started with the morning with our much loved and much needed coffee. Hosted by James Humphreys (owner and Barista at Gaffa’s Klink Cafe in the CBD, and co-presented by designer Andrew Simpson of Vert Design, the clinic presented an opportunity to learn about the art of crafting the perfect coffee – and the processes behind crafting the perfect coffee cup. The clinics were intimate and very hands-on: prototypes, models, moulds and finished products were handled; coffee was discussed, sampled and punters were even allowed behind the bar to try their skills!

In the afternoon we headed to Surry Hills for a mixed bag of goodies – the wonderful Kit Palaskas guided us through crafting our own spoke cards whilst pro-mountain-biker Niki Goudex shared her tales – tragedies and triumphs – of the cycling life she designed for herself. Meanwhile, Hugh Ellens of the Cycle Re-Cycle Club (also known as the Nunnery) work-shopped bike safety and maintenance, and helped participants troubleshoot any concerns.

Then on March 5, we were joined by the wonderful Diego Bonetto, who took us on an edible weed tour of the Domain. It was fantastic to have our eyes opened to the food that was right under our feet, with stories of the provenance of the plants and Diego’s tips for cooking and eating them. Creative dynamo Lucy Hall talked of her experiences of cross-pollinating food, design, music and more, and we were treated to a special edition zine filled with weed recipes by Sepia chef, Dan Puskas.

food underfoot

click the link for more pics of the clinics!

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This weekend we kick off the first of the events program for In Good Company, our latest exhibition on show at Object Gallery. The Urban Design Clinics are a chance to explore design in everyday life, through three of our favourite daily delights: Coffee, Cycling and Food. This weekend, Saturday 19 February, dive into the world of coffee and cycling, and stay tuned for details on the Food clinic happening March 5.

These clinics are FREE to all, but bookings are essential – please see the Object site here to guarantee your place!

coffees at klink

Join us at Klink cafe at Gaffa Gallery at 10.30am to chat with owner and barista James Humphreys about crafting the perfect coffee (he might even let you have a go!).  Sit down with designer Andrew Simpson of Vert Design to get a closer look at his coffee cup designs and hear about upcoming projects. Sit with fellow coffee connoisseurs and sample Klink’s fine brew. We can’t think of a better way to kick of a Saturday morning!

bunting and bike craft with Kit Palaskas

In the afternoon, meet us at 1pm at Tokyo Bike in Surry Hills before heading to Object’s HQ for some serious cycle fun! Meet Niki Gudex, pro-mountain-biker who’s made biking her life, get crafty with the wonderful Kit Palaskas (designer, crafter, blogger and part of the Sydney Bicycle Film Festival team), and get the top tips for bike maintenance and safe riding (for the novice to the pro) with Hugh from the Cycle Re-Cycle Club (formerly known as The Nunnery)

All the details are on Object’s booking page – Don’t forget to book, looking forward to seeing you for a great day! Thanks to the City of Sydney for supporting this event.

On Friday January 29th, Object Gallery opened In Good Company, a special project curated by &company – and the company we kept was a little bit amazing! Thanks to everyone that came along to support all the designers, makers and retailers involved in the show.

In Good Company peels back the shiny veneer on product design, inviting you behind the scenes – we take a look at the steps a product goes through to get to market, and introduce you to the people along the way. It is these passionate designers, makers, and retailers that have really inspired &company over the last year – people who have incredible passion for what they do, and immeasurable skill with which they do it. If you haven’t made it to the show yet, we’d love you to make a little time to check it out over the next 2 months. We would like to share our stories, and show you how we do it.

A massive thanks to Object for the opportunity and support on this project, and to the wonderful exhibition team – Graphic Designer Emma Warfield and photographer Nick De Lorenzo. And once again a big hats-off to all the lovely folks that helped along the way. Photos from opening night and the show by Jamie Williams.

Annalyse McLeod (Object), Fenella Kernabone, Anna Lise De Lorenzo (curator, &company), Kathryn Hunyor (Object)

Fenella Kernabone opening the exhibition

Don't miss out on the little shop - presented in Atelier Bow-Wow's Manga Pod - only open during In Good Company, so get it quick!

See more after the jump!

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Please join us for a fabulous celebration of Sydney’s creative community! We follow the story of 25 design studios, makers, manufacturers and retailers, meeting over 50 individuals along the way. In Good Company is presented by Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design, and guest curated by &company. See works the works and words of established, early career and emerging designers and their support networks.

Exhibitors include: Dinosaur Designs, Cloth, Koskela, Mud Australia, Oliver Smith, Trent Jansen, Vert Design, Gary Galego, Design By Them, High Tea with Mrs Woo,  Naomi Taplin, Top 3 By Design, Gaffa, Metalab, and so many more! It’s a hellavalot of talent for a little gallery!

RSVP’s essential for opening night (details above) but the show will be up from the 29th January till April 3 2011.

Stay tuned for images and an events announcement for the public programs coming soon!

&company had a fabulous weekend at the Finders Keepers Market in Sydney, braving the crowds of creative enthusiasts and Christmas shoppers! This market we presented works by 6 emerging designers: three &company designers (Naomi Taplin’s Bounty shells, Harriet Watts’ Milkskin bottles and Sarah Long’s Pebble platters) alongside three independent designers (Sarah Spackman’s Flock toys, Natalie Choucair’s Moroccan inspired Far coasters and Laura Griffin’s hand-stitched children’s canvases).

A big thanks to all the friendly people that popped by and said hello, it was lovely to meet so many new (and long-time) &company friends. If the lovely FK ladies will have us, we hope to see you all again at the markets next year!

Flock birds: Sarah Spackman, Bounty shells: Naomi Taplin &company, Children's art: Laura Griffin

Milkskin bottles: Harriet Watts &company, Far coasters: Natalie Choucair, Pebble platters: Sarah Long &company

&company has been busy working on a brand new project – an exhibition at Object: Australian Centre for Craft and Design, in Sydney’s Surry Hills.

In Good Company is a celebration of local designers and the complex networks of skilled people that underpin our local design community. The exhibition will run from January 29 till April 3 2011.

We are looking for emerging/independent designers (of any age) to submit work for consideration in the exhibition. This is an opportunity to present your work and ideas alongside some of Sydney’s best known established designers, early career designers, manufacturers, retailers and more.

We are accepting submissions as of November 17, 2010.

Click the link for full details – it’s too easy! Continue reading →

By popular demand, Fledglings&company is returning to the Finders Keepers market, just in time for Christmas. &company is presenting a special feature stall at the December Finders Keepers market in Sydney, and applications are now open!

It couldn’t be easier – all you need to do is send a quick expression of interest (EOI) in the form of 100 word description of what you intend to sell and 2-3 images emailed to design(at)andcompany(dot)com(dot)au. Details below, if you know anyone who’s work really deserves to be seen, please let them know!

The Finders Keepers markets are a fantastic opportunity for emerging, independent artists and designers to get their work out into the big wide world, and to make a little dough from your talents!

&company knows that it can be hard work for the little guys – many artists and designers who are just starting out face a few challenges in taking part in such a big event. Finding the dough for a stall is a biggie. You might have an awesome design, but lack the resources to fill a whole stand with stock for two days. Or maybe your work is a little bit riskier – fresh, vibrant, fun, unusual: you reckon it’s got potential, but you’re a little freaked about committing to a stall…

If you are a fledgling designer, still learning to fly, join us in a fantastic new opportunity at Finders Keepers, as &company presents a selection of exciting, unusual, glorious design by truly emerging and independent creatives!

For further details click more… Continue reading →