Handmade in Farnham is an upcoming exhibition at the Museum of Farnham exploring the historic and contemporary face of Farnham's crafting heritage through the people who helped create it.

Guidelines for submissions

Crafters aged 11 and over are welcome to submit works for the exhibition.

You don't need to produce a brand‑new craft piece to enter. Work of any age is welcome, as long as you created it and it fits within the guidelines.

What you can submit

We are looking for artists, crafters and makers of all ages and abilities in the local area who are willing to loan craft-related items to the museum for the duration of our exhibition. These objects could be finished craft pieces, works in progress, sketchbooks or tools.

We accept most types of crafts, including:

• Ceramics and sculptures
• Textile (embroidery, crochet, weaving, quilting, lace making, felting, quilting etc.)
• Paper and printing (bookbinding, calligraphy, lino printing, quilling, etc.)
• Woodwork
• Jewellery making and metal work
• Basket weaving and other willow-based crafts
• Painting and drawing

This list is non-exhaustive so please get in touch if you think your craft object would fit within the exhibition.

Please note, we are unable to display anything that depends on electrical power, audio-visual components, or anything that requires staff to activate, prepare, or maintain during the exhibition. To protect the Museum's collections, works that include organic materials are also unlikely to be accepted.

Working in three dimensions

Larger scale ceramics and sculptures are welcome, provided it’s practical to display safely. Every piece must:

• Weigh no more than 5kg

• Measure no more than 50cm in any direction

• Be easy for one person to lift and move

We have a limited supply of plinths and display cases, so ceramists and sculptors are encouraged to supply their own if possible. Clear Perspex mounts present sculptures well and help ensure the piece can be shown securely. If a sculpture or ceramic piece is selected but is found to be unstable or unsafe on arrival, we may not be able to include it in the exhibition.

Guidelines for wall‑mounted work

Due to the size of the gallery spaces, only a limited number of wall‑mounted artworks larger than 1m × 1m will be accepted.

All pieces must be manageable for a single person to move.

Framed works should arrive ready to install, with secure mirror plates already fixed.

Insurance and installation

The Museum is unable to provide insurance for exhibited items and cannot compensate artists in the event of loss or damage to these items. Installation will be carried out by experienced Museum staff, but craft works must arrive fully prepared for immediate display, including any mounts, plates or supports needed.

Your object label

Each piece will have its own label in the gallery. The information on the label is taken directly from your submission form, so it’s essential to complete every field clearly, including title, materials and any short description. Labels must adhere to a set word limit due to their size, allowing for descriptions to be edited for clarity and ensuring a proper fit.

Your object label may also use quotes lifted from the questions you answer in this application.

How selections are made

Artwork will be selected by a panel composed of representatives from the Museum, the Farnham Maltings and external professionals with relevant experience in the crafts.

Where your work will be shown

Selected works will be shown throughout several galleries in the museum. Works will be displayed either in secured display cases or attached to walls using mirror plates, command strips.

Security

CCTV covers the front desk and one of the exhibition spaces. All spaces are periodically patrolled by front-of-house staff throughout the day. Overnight, the Museum is locked and protected by security and fire alarm systems.

Entry fees

There is no charge to submit your craft work.

How to enter

To enter, send a digital image of your work (max size here) and complete the submission form below. You'll be asked to provide the dimensions of your piece, height and width for 2D work, and height, width, depth and weight for sculpture.

Entries close at 9am on Monday 20 July 2026. After this deadline, the selection panel will review all submitted works.

Artists chosen for display will be contacted by Tuesday04 August, with instructions for delivery.

Artwork deliveries will take place during the Museum’s regular opening hours (Wednesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm). Drop‑off and collection dates will be confirmed in the email sent to selected crafters.

Submit your entry