Curiousa & Curiousa’s Design Director Esther Patterson is pictured here on the left who’s studio is located in Wirksworth, Paula Moss & Maxine Hall of Blackpop are pictured right, who have also made the Derbyshire market town their home. Photo credits - Esther by Jack Bridgland. Max & Paula by Chris Webb.
In our opinion Wirksworth is a hidden gem, a great place to live and work. Esther Patterson, founder of Curiousa & Curiousa, has lived and worked here for twenty four years and loves it. Esther says, "I'm a country bumpkin at heart and wouldn't be able to exist without fresh air, hills and nature all around me. It's what makes me tick."
Esther set up Curiousa in Wirksworth in 2010 and really appreciated the support and great sense of community it offered. "It's been a difficult time for many of us during the COVID 19 pandemic but being here has been a real blessing and we've all really pulled together through this."
Wirksworth itself, an old lead mining town, has lots of hidden and magical features of which Esther first fully discovered twenty odd years ago at the Wirksworth Art and Architecture Trail - a two week annual arts festival where art is displayed in people's houses, gardens and other public spaces.
Click here for 'Made in Wirksworth' curated by Denis O'Connor, photographs by Chris Webb
Blackpop, also having visited the festival many times and already with many friends and colleagues in Wirksworth, moved to the town just over a year ago from Derby City. They were attracted by its' rural arts scene and came up with the idea that Wirksworth could be a great hub for not just artists but designers too. Maxine says, “We think Wirksworth has a lot to offer, it has a Dickensian aesthetic alongside a contemporary mindset, with hidden quirks and lashings of love vibes. After we moved in we instantly got the feeling that Wirksworth was continually transitioning and Blackpop was a part of this. It's a great place for more designers, so come and join us and help make Wirksworth a go-to Derbyshire Design District!"
If your imagination is piqued, get in touch and we can help you find the perfect place to relocate your design business.
Alice Moylan of Beauvamp, pictured right, creates hand-made silk lampshades and printmaker Bernie Rutter, pictured left, each work from their Wirksworth based studios. Photo credits - Alice by Fiona Walker Arnott. Bernie by Chris Webb.
If you would like to talk to us about a bespoke lighting commission then get in touch with us on +44(0) 1629 826284 or email us on studio@curiousa.co.uk. You can download the new brochure to see our full range or take a look at our range right here on the website.