Birdcage Radio's Weekly Crafting Café

It’s a tale as old as time – us creatives being our own hardest critique. Sometimes, self-doubt creeps in, we question our motives and ponder on if it’s all even worth it. Other times, we unnecessarily compare ourselves to the work of others and get lost in the outcome rather than just enjoying the process. 

Oh yes, we know it all only too well and that’s why we’re providing a gentle creative nudge by facilitating all your crafting needs at our new studio. When we moved into our new place in mid August this year and saw all the space and rooms that could be put to good use, we simply knew one room had to be a dedicated crafting space. 

That’s how the idea for Birdcage’s Crafting Café hatched. Now, every Wednesday evening we get together in the studio with fellow creatives who enthusiastically work on their own craft – sewing, drawing, crocheting... practically any project is welcome. 

Our Crafting Café facilitator, Bokito, explains it well: “We’ve been working on a space where we try to make the threshold as low as possible for everyone to get creative. Not that I believe it necessarily takes a lot, but being able to do it together is a good way to get going if you find it hard to get started crafting.”

Bokito usually works on his own projects but also really enjoys helping out others. “There’s an old Dutch saying which goes ‘een slechte vakman verwijt zijn getuig’, which I believe situates skill or talent within the individual. Creative thinking is very much a part of our natural state of being. It’s the economic conditions of society that prevent people from being able to cultivate this ability. By means of my involvement I play my little part in lifting these barriers.”

The response for the Crafting Café has been very positive thus far and now, we’ve managed to build up a group of dedicated regulars which makes it a very comfortable time and space to be, Bokito shares. “I hope our craft café might be especially interesting for those who feel a little shy about reaching out to involve their hobbies with others. You don’t even need to be working on the same type of project to find inspiration in other’s works as well as their presence. It might not always be what you expect, but there’ll be something new to learn every time.”

Does this sound like something you’d be interested in? Then hop on by! Whether you’re a seasoned maker or someone whose last art project involved macaroni and glue, Birdcage’s new Crafting Café is here to get your creative juices flowing. See you at the next session? You can sign up below. 

Click HERE to sign up for the next session.

Good to know: bring your own materials, rummage through the material swap closet, bring something you’ve already started working on or start right from scratch, it’s all possible and everyone’s welcome to enjoy it with our “pay as you want” system. Because as you already know, Birdcage is 100% voluntary and independent, so all contributions really help for nights such as these and well, quite literally keep our studio doors open.