Business Spotlight: First of March

Based in Gower, Swansea, First Of March is a company dedicated to promoting world-class Welsh craftspeople and their work to a global audience.

First Of March joined GlobalWelsh’s Business membership programme in 2023. We caught up with founder, Ruth Davies, to talk about how the company was borne out of a childhood passion for all things arts and crafts…

Tell us what First Of March does...

Essentially First Of March is an online gallery showcasing the extraordinary world class work of leading craftspeople living and working in Wales. We showcase Makers who are working in wood, ceramics, textiles, glass, metal and jewellery.

The ‘'Makers'’, as we call them, are literally at the peak of their craft. We also provide a route to market for emerging Makers, who have already been recognised by an internationally renowned gallery within the UK or have won a UK national award or even already started to work abroad.

We operate very much on a cooperative type basis but we are a limited company. I want art and craftsmanship to be seen as something more than just something in receipt of public funding and philanthropic exercise, it’s business. It's at the heart of manufacturing. If you go back to medieval times, the guilds were the heart of manufacturing.

"First Of March is an online gallery showcasing the extraordinary world class work of leading craftspeople living and working in Wales. We showcase Makers who are working in wood, ceramics, textiles, glass, metal and jewellery."

What inspired you to start First Of March?

Unusually I did not have a professional arts background, but I’d had an absolute passion for this kind of work ever since I was a child. I was the kid dragging my parents into the world of museums and woollen mills, the potteries, etcetera, not the other way around. Growing up in the south east of England and then coming home to Wales I quickly realised that there was this amazing body of work being created by some incredible Makers in Wales which was not widely known or appreciated outside their own professional sphere and craft discipline. These world-class craftspeople needed a collective voice.

So when I had the opportunity, having taken redundancy from the public sector, back in 2014, I spent some time working out what I might do and spoke with some of the Makers I knew. I asked them if an emerging idea for a platform to showcase their unique community was needed or did they think I was being absolutely crazy? Bless them, they agreed it was a great idea. So I went off and did a lot more research and then in 2019, we created and opened our first online gallery.

"Who better to showcase the best of Welsh craftsmanship to than passionate Welsh people scattered around the world who might be in the market for a piece of home, beautifully crafted just for themselves, or for someone else as a very special gift."

What’s your mission at First Of March? 

Wales is producing some truly world-class pieces so it’s my mission for the world to know this! We want to shift the perception of the Welsh craft industry by showcasing the best of Wales. Hopefully now when people search for Welsh craft, they don't find what we did -  a tea towel with a Welsh Corgi on it made in China sitting next to a Welsh gold necklace. I really hope we're addressing that issue, if nothing else.

Tell us about your customers and how you work…

Our customers tend to be people who have a particular love for a particular discipline be it glass, ceramics or even gold. But some just love this high end craft! Individually and collectively our customer base is growing and we are gaining more international traction. 

And this is where the Welsh diaspora come in. Who better to showcase the best of Welsh craftsmanship to than passionate Welsh people scattered around the world who might be in the market for a piece of home, beautifully crafted just for themselves, or for someone else as a very special gift.

We understand these are often investment pieces and we always aim to work collaboratively with customers to produce meaningful items that work for everyone. Last year we had a lovely commission which was completed just before Christmas. A London based interior designer purchased the commission on behalf of her client - a beautiful interior window inspired by a poem with deep connection to her client’s home yet influenced by sketches from Oxwich Bay! 

"Wales is producing some truly world-class pieces so it’s my mission for the world to know this! We want to shift the perception of the Welsh craft industry by showcasing the best of Wales."

What’s in the pipeline for First Of March?

This year, on St. David's Day, we launched our first black and gold collection - black and gold because they are the colours of St. David, St. David's Day and of course, First Of March. It made sense for us to launch the collection in March and during Wales Week London 2024. It was a great way for us to work collaboratively with our Makers, curating existing, new and limited edition pieces into one collection that epitomises our brand. The collection can be found on our website at the moment.

I am passionate about First Of March being a vehicle for investment into the Welsh craft industry and the communities it supports. But I am also passionate about supporting Welsh causes. So I am delighted to say that we will be working with some very special Welsh organisations over the next twelve months with some announcements to follow very soon so watch this space!

Connect with Ruth on GlobalWelsh Connect >>