Support the Makers

Passionately championing, discovering and exhibiting makers, creatives & independents

About Us

Support The Makers was born from owner Carmen’s love of of colour, textiles and accessories all handmade by local makers in her native county of South Africa.   Moving to Edinburgh I wanted to fill my home with colour and things that I loved and this started my journey into discovering local makers.

I hosted my first market in Portobello in 2018 and it was this first market that pushed me to create a platform to give local makers the chance to have their work shared to a wider audience whilst highlighting the need for makers to be sustainable, eco friendly and making use of deadstock.  

Since then I have worked with many wonderful makers, creatives and independents hosting markets, collaborating on exciting projects and running a makers retail space.  I have attended festivals,  and worked with venues to host markers markets, initiated makers meets and facilitated creative workshops.                                   

I will always look for new opportunities to give makers and I am very proud to have grown my love of handmade to where it is today.

As retail manager at  Leith Makers I am exited to work  with over 50 local makers in the retail space and with the community of artists and creatives within the gallery to highlight and exhibit local arts and craft.  

Porty Festival -The idea of a festival has been around for some time and after attending various festivals both as trader, organiser and attendee the festival was born. 

As a Festival Founder Carmen is passionate about creating opportunities for the creative maker community. 

For regular updates please subscribe to our newsletter here.

A word from our makers

Carmen is, as her business name suggests, truly passionate about supporting makers. I have been lucky to work with her since early in my small business journey, and Carmen has been very generous with her experience and advice. I have taken part in a lot of Support the Makers markets and they are always fun and well organised. Carmen really cares about her makers and that everyone has a good day of trading. What's more, I have met a great, supportive community of other makers through my involvement with STM. Being self employed can be lonely, so it has been wonderful to make these important connections.
Kirsty Simpson Simpson & Co
Support the Makers is full of heart and passion for the hand-crafted, locally made, independent businesses. At the core of STM is a desire to promote makers like me, and give us a strong platform from which to go from strength to strength. The physical markets are busy events, well organised, promoted and diverse. It’s all down to a single person who drives this community with enthusiasm, love and commitment. Carmen is always on fire and I love her excitement for makers like me.
Kiki Blum
End Of Terrace Trading
I did my very first market with Carmen as one of her young makers. I was really nervous but Carmen was amazing and helped me before and on the day. The other makers kept checking in on me too and I had a great time. Because of the confidence she gave me I went on to do other events in 2023, and I'm excited to be doing lots more in 2024. The only bad thing was I ended up spending lots of my money at the other stalls because they were amazing!!
Dylan Naylor Leafy Lad
I have been participating in craft fairs organised by Support the Makers for the last two or three years, and my overall experience has been great. Support the Makers truly lives up to the name as Carmen provides unwavering support to makers like me. Carmen’s dedication to promoting and nurturing the maker community is evident in every aspect of the craft fairs. One aspect that stands out is the transparency. From the application process to the event organization, Support the Makers ensures clarity and openness, making it easy for artisans to understand and navigate. This transparency fosters trust and confidence among participants, which is invaluable in the creative community. Moreover, Support the Makers goes above and beyond in providing assistance and resources to help makers thrive. Whether it's through promotional efforts, or creating a welcoming atmosphere at the fairs, Carmen consistently demonstrates her commitment to the success of artisans. Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend Support the Makers to fellow makers seeking opportunities to showcase their craft. The genuine support, transparency, and dedication to the maker community make them stand out as a top-notch supplier in the industry."
Jane Gray
Jane Gray Designs