Find something new at the Lost Trades Fair

THE Lost Trades Fair is set to return to the Bendigo Jockey Club this March for the festival’s fourth iteration of bringing past arts, crafts, and trades to town.

Fair co-founder Lisa Rundell said there would be more than 180 live demonstrations hosted by artisans from all over the world, including master spoon carver Jögge Sundqvist from Sweden.

“He’s just an iconic figure in the craft industry from a worldwide perspective,” Ms Rundell said.

“His take and his lifetimes work on slöjd, or Scandinavian craft is incredible, he’s written books he’s done lots of things.”

Joining the master spoon maker at the fair this year are 15 new artisans including local Leanne Grylls who will demonstrate lamp work, or the craft of using hot glass to make beads and small figurines.

Another new addition to the program is the Victorian Facetors Group, who will be demonstrating to crowds the art of gemstone polishing.

“I’m excited to see the faceting because I haven’t watched that before and polishing gemstones, that will be really cool,” Ms Rundell said.

The fair will also showcase the work of local fine artists including a watercolour artist, a printmaker, and Kyneton based illustrator Adam Cusack.

Cusack has won awards for his charcoal and graphite depictions of contemporary subjects, which Ms Rundell said initially made him question whether his craft was a lost trade.

“I said to him, if you can encourage one kid to pick up a pencil or a charcoal stick and draw rather than on a computer, you’ve done your job,” Ms Rundell said.

“He’s going to be there encouraging kids to go out and draw, like draw a flower, draw a tree, draw something in your kitchen.”

Encouraging festival patrons to appreciate and even pick up a new trade or two is what the fair is all about, according to Ms Rundell.

“We aim to inspire people to create, to make something, to show them how clever we as humans really are,” she said.

The Lost Trades Fair will be on at the Bendigo Racecourse on 9 and 10 March and for tickets and more information visit the event’s website.