Iron Age to Contemporary Age
A Blacksmiths Tale
18th - 20th August 2023
The Venue:
Butser Ancient Farm, Chalton Lane, Hampshire, PO8 0BG
Please use the link below to book your tickets, T-Shirts and Food Options
Registration Form
Bring your tent!!
Free Camping on site for booked delegates.
Basic toilet facilities, showers at Clanfield Leisure.
The venue is Butser Ancient Farm in Hampshire. A beautifully laid out experimental research site telling the story of over 10,000 years of human history in Britain. The farm is a world-renowned hub for archaeological research, carrying out pioneering experiments to understand how the people of ancient Britain lived, exploring traditional skills, archaeology and Britain’s prehistory. This is where our skills as blacksmiths can become part of this pioneering experiment taking the ancient skills used by the smiths from the Iron Age, Roman & Saxon eras right up to now, the Contemporary Age. Open to the public we will be covering over three thousand years of metalwork showcasing the variety of forged metalwork created through the ages and as artist blacksmiths our response in a contemporary way with creative design and modern tooling to the making of these historical items. This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the craft of the blacksmith directly to the public as we recreate metalwork from the past and create new shapes and forms for the future. The sound of hammers ringing on the anvil will bring Butser Ancient Farm to life over the weekend. Click here for more info on Butser Ancient Farm. Delegate's have free access to Butser Ancient Farm throughout the weekend.
The first aim is to forge accurate recreations of items of the period from the Iron Age, Roman and Saxon eras. There will be information boards for each historical time period for smiths to work from that will hold details and photos of historical finds for replication. The items will be left with the Farm to aid them in their educational work with the public and school children who visit the farm each year as part of their educational journey.
The second aim is to forge contemporary responses to these period items, to look at what was forged hundreds of years ago and create a “modern version” if you like. As we all know, while there has been some advancement in equipment, iron and the way it reacts to the blow of a hammer or shape of a tool, remains unchanged and is still at the heart of everything we make.
BABA AGM
The BABA AGM will be in person, on the Saturday morning 19th August 9am - 11am. This is your chance to hear about what the council have been doing over the past year and the plans being made for the future. You will also have the opportunity to vote for the existing and new council members who will take the association forward through 2023 into 2024. If you would like to get more involved with BABA and help shape what the association does, why not put yourself forward for the BABA council please contact Shona Johnson chairwoman@baba.org.uk
Demonstrations and speakers
For the conference delegates we have an exciting line up of demonstrators and speakers over the three days who will be moving up & down the Butser Ancient Farm timeline weaving the story of the blacksmith from the Iron Age through the centuries to the modern day contemporary artist blacksmith.
Owen Bush of Bushfire Forge will be running an Iron smelt over the weekend. The furnace will be built on the Friday and the iron smelted on the Saturday with the excitement of the bloom being broken out as the sun goes down on the Saturday evening. Owen, a well known blacksmithing figure on many television documentaries will also give a talk “Making History” on the making of pattern welded steel for his historically inspired Saxon pattern welded swords, Viking axes and kitchen knives that he creates, demonstrating how he achieves the patterns in the steel with his, not to be missed, hands on approach using coloured plasticine.
David Tucker FWCB Master blacksmith, working from his forge in Derbyshire has established a reputation for forge work of the highest calibre and innovative design, will give a talk and slide presentation on his work. David has over several decades produced an impressive body of work, with a strong focus on forging, both by hand and with the power hammer and has a particular skill when it comes to developed specialised tooling to push his forging processes in interesting directions. He has received the TonyPandy Cup awarded by the WCB and is also a holder of both Bronze and silver medals from the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths.
Hector Cole FWCB MBE and Melissa Cole FWCB, Two generations of smiths, father and daughter will talk about the aspects of their individual approach to the craft and the art of metalsmithing, crossing the boundaries from art to craft and discussing making the most of resources available to blacksmiths then and now.
Hector has a worldwide reputation for the forging of high quality historic arrowheads and specialises in detailed analysis and accurate reconstruction of archaeological artefacts using wherever possible the same materials and techniques of ancient smiths. Melissa was trained in traditional blacksmithing by Hector following her art degree. She shares his love of making with metal but embraces contemporary design and all methods of making appropriate to the design. Melissa is focusing more on the sculptural pieces she has produced alongside commissioned works for public and private spaces.
Catering
Catering will be provided in the Main event marquee in the camping area, from Friday lunchtime onwards at an additional cost with most dietary requirements catered for. See the registration form for catering details and costs.
The deadline for booking meals is 4th August 2023
Camping
Camping is free!! The camping facilities are basic with portaloos in the camping field & flushing loos in the Butser Ancient Farm site. Free Showers are available to delegates at Clanfield Lesure Centre during their day time hours, only a 4 minute drive from the camping area.
A google search will bring up various inns, Airbnb’s, local campsites and different styles of hotels locally for those who prefer not to camp on site.
Registration
Delegates will be able to arrive on site, pitch tents and register from Thursday afternoon, with the event starting at 10am on the Friday morning. Registration will run Thursday 3pm - 7pm & Friday 8am - 12 noon.
Round House Talks
There will also be short talks given each day in the Iron Age Round House by blacksmiths to both members of the public and conference delegates. If you would like to give a short 20 minute talk to the public about an area of blacksmithing that you enjoy or are interested in, please do get in touch. chairwoman@baba.org.uk
Round House Bar
Butser Ancient Farm will run a small bar from the atmospheric Iron Age Round House on both the Friday and Saturday evening. This will add to the excitement of breaking out the iron smelt furnace at dusk on the Saturday evening. The bar will accept both cash and card and will be selling local beers, ciders and mead as well as wine and soft drinks. They are however unable to provide spirits and mixers. Bring those along if that is your preferred tipple.
Show & Tell
We would like to have an informal slot where we can share images of the wide variety of work that is created by those attending, it is always inspirational seeing what other creative makers or doing and hearing the thoughts behind a design or a particular way of forging. If you would like to take part, please send a maximum of 5 images to Pete Hill at babaslides@gmail.com Pete will compile all the images into a presentation to be shown at the event on Friday evening in the Round House Bar. If you wish to talk about your work then you would be very welcome to but it is not compulsory!!
T-Shirt
No BABA AGM event would be complete without the keepsake T-Shirt. This is has been designed this year by the talented Owen Philips of Gate Foot Forge. These will be available to purchase at the conference event and on the BABA website when you book your conference ticket. To avoid disappointment order your T-Shirt now and collect at the conference.
Conference T-Shirt printed on Mouse Grey available in several sizes
100% ringspun semi-combed cotton, ribbed color, taped neck, tubular body, twin needle stitching
S, M, L & XL – £12.75
2XL & 3XL – £13.40
4XL – £14.20
If you wish to participate in any forging, historical or modern, please bring your hand tools and your own PPE, especially safety glasses and stout working boots.
Any questions contact BABA Chairwoman - Shona Johnson chairwoman@baba.org.uk
TICKET COSTS
BABA MEMBER £100.00
NON BABA MEMBER £125.00
SPOUSE/PARTNER £50.00
STUDENT/APPRENTICE £50.00
STUDENT STEWARDS £25.00.