Fabrication Crafts have been based on Coney street since November 2018, when they took on a 4 month pop up on the street, skip forward several years and their lease was finally up on the 31st May.
Fabrication Crafts is a social enterprise set up initially in Leeds 2008 to support local artists and makers with work and retail space and a special interest in heritage crafts. The York-based social enterprise has sold work by and worked with over 100 local artists and makers in the three and a half years since opening, creating a vibrant much needed shop on the street.
As well as the retail side, they also are behind the Coney Street Heritage Project, which went online last year, having been started just before lockdown in Feb 2020. Researching the history of the buildings, who lived in them and what they made and sold, from the 16th-20th Century, prior to its commercialisation by bigger brands. They are also running heritage skills workshops, thanks to a HLF grant.
CEO Dawn Wood says; “This has proved to be a really fascinating project looking at how the street developed, you can see a real sense of community, families marrying families and the street fully occupied from top to bottom. As well as the growth of the modern city with many Mayors and Alderman as part of that history; there is still a lot more to do, but we’re really pleased that this project is now being used by landlords, YCC and the University to feed into the dialogue around the future of the High St. We’re looking forward to developing it further. We are also planning a street wide event for Heritage Open Week this year, having been unable to for the last 2 years, and will be asking all the properties on the street to join in.”
Fabrications plan is to stay on the street that feel such a huge part of, they hope to be able to rent a bigger building, which would allow them to take on more local makers and have an independent fashion space. As well as have creative workspaces and a community hub to work with local organisations and display the heritage findings.
