Ellie Birkhead is a designer, maker and facilitator who uses the power of craft and creativity to bring about social change. Ellie is passionate about passing on hand skills to people of all ages to build confidence and a deeper understanding and appreciation for natural materials and crafted objects.
Ellie’s broad background in making spans from creating props for film and tv, designing for the luxury craft sector, through to facilitating family workshops - but the thread that runs through it all is a love for making, for conversation and connection across the workbench, and a desire to be surrounded by beautifully made objects.
Ellie graduated in 2018 with an MA in Social Design from the Design Academy Eindhoven and her work has been exhibited internationally and featured in publications such as Dezeen, Crafts Magazine and LS:N Global.
Born 1992, based in Cornwall
Contact: ellie@elliebirkhead.com
Publications
2021 Little Inventors Mission Oceans! Words, Ellie Birkhead. Illustrations, Dominic Wilcox. Harper Collins
2020 Social Matter Social Design, Humble beginnings: earth, clay and minerals. Featured essay. Valiz Publishers
Workshops and Talks
2023 Argal Farm Autumn Workshop Series
2021 Thinking Like a Child Workshop, Edinburgh Napier University
2021 Climate Champions Workshop, V&A, Little Inventors
2021 The Great Imagining Workshop, Tate Modern, Little Inventors
2018 Brush Making and Exploring Place Workshop, Unit Twelve Gallery
2016 Brush Making Workshop, The Grasp Project, in partnership with Oh Comely Magazine
2015 & 2016 Design & Craft Talk, The University of Brighton
Exhibitions and Awards
2019 Haute Innovation, Disruptive Materials, Cologne
2018 Design Academy Eindhoven, Best Thesis Award
2018 Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven
2018 Hotel Droog, Amsterdam
2018 Is It Useful?, Unit Twelve Gallery, Stafford
2017 Dead on Arrival, The Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Bovey Tracey
2017 Color Geographies, Atelier LUMA, Arles
2016 Hothouse Collective, Craft Central, London
2015 Twisting Tradition, The London Design Festival, Mint Shop
2015 New Designers, London
2015 University of Brighton Degree Show, Brighton
2015 Rising Stars, New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham
Featured
