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how do we take wood turning i to the future

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Peter Einig:
Perhaps there is a need to look back at what the AWGB has done/improved/put in place since the beginning. Bearing in mind that although the AAW is only one year older than us, I think, the mind set of galleries and collectors is very different.

I was the Hon Sec of the AWGB for a few years in the late 90's and can definately see an Assoc that has moved forward positively in various ways.

I have tried for my part to try and demo turning in local secondary schools having just retired from a support role within a secondary school. Not easy to even find a space for a demo even. The emphasis is now mainly on plastics and electronics due to modern needs of production. However, that is not to say that they have blinkers on. One pupil from school decided to design a USB lamp and wanted to turn same. Needless to say when I became aware I offered some help, got him to join our club and AWGB, gave him some basic instruction with a loaned club lathe and tools, and await his GCSE results next week. H&S in school was not an issue, I was the H&S officer. It is the appreciation/understanding of what can be achieved by staff and pupils.

So local is not necessarily easy but we have had input with our local scout group. All we can do is to make 'locals' aware that we are available.

As has been said previously, there needs to be a national priority to show /exhibit what can be created on a lathe.

We have come a long way and those who offer their time at national or club level are to be congratulated. As Reg has said, there is a lot going on. Perhaps the question should be:

How can we get this to the wider audience? This would include the collector/gallery owners/future turners.

woody:
When I do village craft fairs I always take a small lathe and I can guarantee with Mum or Dads consent that quite a few children get realty excited and want to have a go and they always take a bit of wood away with then and a grin from ear to ear  and most of them come back year after year some even bring friends so I think one to one is also another way forward at the moment I am teaching one of our grandchildren he is 8 years old and he always takes a turned bit of wood home with him another thing I think is important so we can all do our bit in a small but very important way now I'm going and I will shut the door behind me

thebowlerhattedturner:
In answer to the question first posed about bringing WY into the future I think in the last 24hrs this has been achieved. Twitter and facebook accounts that should attract younger participants. Well done Andy you have achieved when the rest of us were just discussing!
Regards
John BHT

Turners cabin:
my Question was simply a way of getting a discusion started
and i feel i have acheved that the work that the team from the awgb are doing is first class but
there are always other idears out there some times people need a push to let the idears out
take the last 24 hour some one sugested the awgb had a face book page and that idear was taken on board and in fack expanded apon

David Buskell:
Well,, we do have to bring the AWGB into the social media fold.

The Facebook, Twitter and YouTube situation arose because a DVD was sent to all clubs. I suggested using SM to get the contents to both Club members and to a wider audience (than just AWGB members) and Andy has set up the various accounts.

We might get the younger generation clicking on to AWGB and perhaps seeing something they like - but the key issue is that we are now reaching out to the younger market in a way they understand.

I agree with other postings, trying to get the Scouts interested (or even find the mention of woodturning on their site) is not easy.In any case, what happened to the tentative links with The Princes' Trust - another good contact that could be exploited.
This then leaves a larger target market which is being ignored - the mid/late 20's to whatever. How do we reach them?
The young professionals will come on board when we have a desirable "brand" they can buy into.

We probably need to lose the "r'n'b" (round and brown) image we have and the Seminar photos will help this along. More support from Galleries would be great - turners are having to create their own galleries to get work seen and sold.

The demise of woodwork in schools hasn't helped. Those schools that still teach woodwork as part of D & T are notoriously difficult to get into to help them expand this area of their tuition. Our club managed a couple of demos at a local school but haven't been able to follow up. Shame as both the students ther and our members could learn something from each other.

Probably lots more things we can do - at least Ian's posting has got a discussion going!

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