Make It At Market - a Contributor’s Tale
Author’s Bio - Angela Benjamin of Ange B Designs, is a jewellery making physiotherapist based in West London. She recently featured in the BBC One programme ‘Make It At Market’ Series 2.
In addition to designing and making her own unique brand of jewellery, she teaches one-day jewellery making workshops for beginners from the comfort of her cute garden studio.
I’ve been asked several times how I feel about being on TV and what the process was like - my first words are usually ‘surreal’, ‘intense’ and ‘fun’. These adjectives don’t seem sufficient to describe something that was verging on life-changing, so I thought I’d take some time to reflect on the process and some of the ‘behind the scenes’ happenings.
Taking the plunge
I came across the contributor callout post via a WhatsApp group and deliberated for a few weeks, before submitting my application at the ‘11th hour’. As someone who doesn’t enjoy being photographed or speaking in public, signing up for a primetime television programme, might seem like as strange act. However, I’m never one to shy away from a challenge: “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, “what’s the worst thing that can happen” , “face your fears” - these are all hackneyed mantras that I often call on to motive myself.
It was the final term of my year-long DeBeers jewellery scholarship at Morley College and I was busy completing pieces for my end of year show, whilst still working part-time as a physiotherapist. I assumed there would be hundreds of other applicants and that my chances of being successful were slim to none. So when I got an email saying that one of the show’s producers wanted to arrange a phone call with me, I was blown away but still thought of myself as unlikely contender. The call was very informal and friendly, then nothing for few weeks.
I then received another email from the producer saying that she’d enjoyed out chat and would like to schedule a further conversation via zoom. I came away from the zoom ‘interview’ feeling that I’d done my best but if nothing came of it, so be it! There were over 800 applicants, I’d got this far and honestly I thought that was the end of it. A few weeks later, I accidentally found an email from the producer in my spam file, asking for images of pieces I would make if selected - it was 8.45pm on a Friday evening and the images needed to have been sent by the end of that day! I hurriedly selected some photos from my phone and sent them off with an apologetic email. I really thought that the universe was telling me that I wasn’t meant to do this!
A month later I got a call from the producer to say I’d been selected for the show…two weeks before filming was scheduled to start!
Embrace the process
Although we were sworn to secrecy, I was in no hurry to tell anyone that I would be appearing on national television. Aside from my partner and boss, no one knew about my trip to Waterperry in Oxfordshire for two days of filming. Up until very recently I was half expecting the production team to call me to say that I’d been cut or that my segment wasn’t needed.
Lights, camera, action!
Travelling to the film set at Waterperry felt like a bit of a holiday - life had been very busy up to that point and I’d also suffered a major bereavement, so I welcomed two days of ‘space’ from my usual environment. My greatest anxiety at that stage was that all my tools and kit had arrived on set in time, and that everything would be in working order for filming.
Arriving at the hotel where I’d be staying for two nights and meeting some of the other creative contributors taking part on the show, made things start to feel ‘real’. Everyone seemed to be experiencing similar degrees of nerves which was reassuring. It was also lovely meeting such a variety of creatives who were also juggling other careers and challenges. Among my favourites were leatherworker Jo Gill and print designer Jennifer of Jennie Fynn.
We had an early start for the first day of filming and it was a gloriously sunny day. I shared a ride to Waterperry Gardens with Rachel Taylor of Rebel & Rogues, who was to be my jewellery bench buddy for the duration of the shoot (and lovely new friend). I was so relieved to be with someone who had a sense of humour, something which I think helped us both get through the two days. It was also at Waterperry that we met our brilliant mentor jewellery Rachel Jeffrey.
Jewellery making in the wild
Doing something I love for a living is the dream, but making jewellery ‘al fresco’ in the stunning Waterperry Gardens was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I had a lovely vintage workbench, all my kit (well, most of it - my pickle pot failed the on-site pat test!) and great company. It was a bit intimidating having my every move filmed and giving detailed explanations of my making processes. As makers, we don’t often have to explain what we’re doing as we do it. Our cameraman Odin was amazingly patient and had a knack for getting us to open up in a way that felt genuine, and I hope this comes across on the show.
The only downside was the heat and the wasps - don’t be surprised to see me randomly swatting the air on camera!
Hit the Ground Running
The real work started once we left Waterperry: we had action plans to follow AND were under instruction to film as much of our activities as possible. From trips to the post office, to pop-up events and chats with influencers - everything counts as UGC (user generated content)!
Over the two month period, I also had weekly zoom meetings with my mentor Rachel. She was a great sounding board for any new ideas and technical issues, as well as helping to keep me on track with my action plan. Being a small business owner can be lonely, so being able to pick the brain of someone with extensive experience in the same industry was priceless.
Probably the most stressful part of those two months were the weekly phone calls from producer Lauren, who was tasked with checking progress with action plans and our earnings. Although the show’s makers emphasised that the focus was not about how much money we made, I wanted to give it my best shot and prove to myself that I could make my little business a viable source of income.
Something else that I found challenging was contacting galleries to see if they’d be interested in showing my work. I HATE cold calling but realise that sometimes you have to make yourself a little uncomfortable, in order to achieve certain goals. What’s the worst that could happen? They say ‘no thanks’!
After a summer of hard slog, it was time to head back to Waterperry in September, to film the ‘reveal’ segment of the show. I was on my final day of open studios and had to leave my partner in charge of my stand, so that I could get to Oxford on time. He texted me my final sales tally an hour before I filmed my last scene.
I was less nervous than the first time and it helped to be ‘reunited’ with my jewellery bench buddy Rachel Taylor. I was the last person to film their ‘reveal’ scene, the light was fading and the film crew were getting anxious. On set my mentor Rachel was unaware of my final sales tally, so it was great to see her genuine reaction (which has been shown as part of the trailer for most of the episodes in the series) when I announce it.
It was a relief that the filming was over but then came the anticipation of the show airing. I’ve had two months of intense making in preparation of my episode. With it being December and the associated Christmas rush, it’s meant that I’ve been very busy. Looking back on the earlier part of the year when I first submitted my application, I’m feeling more confident in myself as a maker. I’ve met some wonderful humans who I know I will remain in contact with.
I also feel more open to trying new things and seeking different opportunities, both for myself and my little business.