The Cockpit Arts Turners Award winner Jason Lock talks turning during 2020
About the Award
This Award supported by the Worshipful Company of Turners helps an aspiring or established turner, someone who practices the art and craft of turning on a lathe in wood or other materials, to develop their craft practice and business by providing a sponsored place at Cockpit Arts Deptford for a year including a studio and support services, as well as additional support from the Company.
The Cockpit Arts / Turners’ Award was created to provide an aspiring or established turner with the space and time to grow their business, increase profitability and develop their profile. Previous Award winners include Eleanor Lakelin and Frank Boggis Rolfe (2011), Chloe Robertson (2012), Matthew Corbishley (2014) Darren Appiagyei (2017) Rafael Santoliquido (2018) and Arturo Soto (2019).
The Award includes studio space and access to a lathe and workbench for a year at Cockpit Arts Deptford, London SE8. In addition, the Awardee has access to the business and professional development services at Cockpit Arts, including on-site coaching, a personalised development plan and business skills workshops, as well as public selling events twice a year and a range of promotional opportunities.
Jason began working with wood from a young age and started a carpenter and joinery apprenticeship straight after school in Colchester Essex and that’s where he first started woodturning. After ten years as a carpenter Jason had an accident where he fell through a roof and fractured his spine in four places which left him needing to use a wheelchair.
Not wanting to give up with working with wood Jason started woodturning and teaching himself to turn sitting down. Jason began working with wood and resin and arrived at a different way of pouring resin so it is more like painting with the materials.
Q & A with Jason
Q. When did you join and how are you finding Cockpit Arts so far?
I am finding Cockpit a world of knowledge. I was so nervous when I started with many people having been to University, as I only went to college I felt very under qualified. But after meeting everyone I am much more at home. I am like a sponge sucking in as much knowledge is a can!
Q. What activities have you taken part in so far? Any workshops or events attended? What were they like?
I have been doing a number of workshops, including the Make It Count series. In addition, the webinar with Danny Richman about online marketing was a real eye-opener, and there was another good session about social media.
I also took part in the Cockpit Makers Market, an online virtual market, and I would like to say how well it went. It was a great learning experience and I sold a lot of items – and some work sold just after posting so it was a great confidence boost.
Q. What are you working on at the moment and what do you have coming up?
I’m going to try and do a moon and sun bowl with the wood dyed white, black, blue and stabilised with dye resin, and the other wood dyed and stabilised yellow, orange and red. I will use the resin to create the dark blackness of the space. I also want to make a very large vase with wood and resin to the look like a waterfall, and a very large vase with airbrush Japanese tattoo style painting so it is like a Ming vase.
Q. Have you met your Business Coach? What have you been working on?
I have met with my coach David Crump, Head of Business Incubation, and we are working on both a blog and newsletters.
Q. What difference has the Award made to your development and the development of your practice and business so far?
I have seen how important it is to find a wider audience for my work, and not just other woodturners. I am also time keeping everything that I make from start to finish and using a diary for this.
Q. What are you looking forward to most in the coming six months?
I am looking forward to learning more, especially about galleries and fairs and getting the best out of them.
Q. Anything else to share?
Joining Cockpit has been a big eye-opener, I have worked on my website with Google ratings and getting the right wording. I also now know that I want to get my work in a gallery where I can do an exhibition.
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- Jason Lock
The Cockpit Challenge during 2020
It’s Cockpit’s mission to enable makers to start and sustain successful businesses. Achieving that mission has never been more challenging and more vital.
As with all businesses, charities and social enterprises, things have been challenging but so far we have managed to keep things steady for our makers. We have managed well through a combination radical furlough and intense fundraising.
The good news is that we have been able to offer large discounts on license fees to our makers since April and to support them with training and pastoral care. That, in turn, has meant that we have only two fewer makers now than we had this time last year.
But of course it’s challenging and it feels that the most difficult spell for our makers is ahead. We expect that during this second wave, with the economic constraints, things could get tougher, so we are even more grateful for our supporters. In challenging times, all donations make a difference, so thank you again for your support.
On behalf of all of us here at Cockpit Arts, thank you for your support! You enable the best in British craft and design to succeed and thrive.Winter Open Studios has not been possible this year but we launched our Makers’ Market on 26 November giving makers the chance to sell their exceptional craft to the public.
Cockpit has always been a destination to discover fresh talent on the cusp of career success – and the new online emporium features virtuoso makers across the spectrum of craft disciplines: from contemporary ceramics to fine jewellery, from hand-printed cards to handwoven textiles, and from bespoke leather goods to bespoke kitchen knives.
“Cockpit is one of a kind – and our makers are too. Our new platform brings together in one place Cockpit’s gifted community of makers and the stunning works they create. With an immense variety of items available – in price range, product type and craft discipline – its appeal lies in the ability to seek out one-offs found nowhere else. It’s the place to come for gifts with meaning and soul.”
Annie Warburton, CEO, Cockpit Arts
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