Established designers and makers welcome new talent to their ranks this Easter at the Designer Makers Market at The Witham in Barnard Castle.

Rachel Fraser, 23 from Catterick Garrison, is a second-year student studying for a BA (Hons) Textiles and Surface Design degree at Cleveland College of Art and Design’s (CCAD) university-level campus in Hartlepool. Recent recognition for her ‘Tommy Bodkins’ exhibition at The Green Howards Museum in Richmond grabbed the attention of well-known event organiser Kathryn Guy.

Rachel’s next project explores topical issues of what it means to be a woman in today’s society and the ‘criminalisation of women in the workplace and on social media’. She said: “I am using current affairs that have even been discussed in parliament with women being forced to wear high heels, skin coloured tights, and even some who are made to dye their hair blonde. Outrageous examples like this and the current situation on social media where pictures are being removed from sites like Instagram and Facebook because the image has a female with her nipples showing but for a male it’s fine and accepted.”

During the two-day event members of the public are invited to get hands on with a participatory piece of art work with Rachel at the Designer Makers Market on Good Friday and Easter Saturday at The Witham in Barnard Castle. Working only in orange thread (orange being widely seen as a colour for criminals) participants can contribute one stitch or as many as they can manage to the final piece and Rachel will be on hand to teach visitors who have not tried sewing before.

There will also be a display of pieces from Rachel’s Tommy Bodkins exhibition which finished in Richmond on 31st March.