The Arts Society Scarborough is pleased to have been a stepping stone for a New Art Design Agency: Buttercrumble

In 2012 The Arts Society Scarborough held a workshop on a cold Saturday afternoon for seven young people who loved art but did not have the opportunity of practising with a live model and working on an easel in order to produce very large scale charcoal drawings with an established artist.  At the end of the workshop we presented each young person with a certificate of merit, a copy of the very colourful quarterly REVIEW magazine with its many inspiring illustrations, and a ten pound W H Smith voucher for art materials or books.  Our artist, Ken Wood, selected two drawings which he felt were of greatest merit and we awarded as joint first prize a book on drawing with a presentation gift plate from The Arts Society Scarborough to twins Abigail and Chloe Baldwin because their work was really outstanding. 
 
Now six years later the twins have started their own Design Agency and this is what they have to say about their transition from our workshop students to running their own successful business:
 
“We are co-founders of Buttercrumble, a creative studio. We grew up together in the seaside town of Scarborough where we dreamt of joining forces to produce illustration and design with an ethos of making others smile.  We are now based in Leeds and are fulfilling our joint dream and vision.   Our adventures began in Scarborough, where we were born and our family still lives.  For us, drawing has been a life-long love affair. Ever since we could pick up a pencil, we've drawn whatever our imagination allowed. As identical twins, we have spent many days playing, studying and working together to become the super-synced team we are today. We wholeheartedly believe in collaboration, strong design foundations and the power of creativity.
 
“In 2012, we won a Young Arts Prize at The Arts Society’s drawing workshop. This same year, we had formed our studio’s name, Buttercrumble.  This would mark the beginning of our exciting business journey.   After studying Fine Art and Graphic Communication at Scarborough Sixth Form College, we decided to further our education in the vibrant city of Leeds.  It was here that we both graduated in 2016, with a degree in Graphic & Communication Design.  Six months later, in January 2017, we had grown a large enough client base to take the business full-time.
 
“We knew that turning our dream into a reality would be no easy feat.  We are two young women, and the first in the family to attend university or seek an entrepreneurial career path.  At first, we had no one to turn to for business advice.  Although, where we lacked in knowledge, we made up for in enthusiasm.  We believe that our attention to detail and ‘can do’ attitude has enabled us to collaborate with many playful and like-minded brands.  In our first 12 months of running the business full-time, we have worked with names such as The Royal Armouries, John Lewis, Anthropologie and Kid O Toys.   

“Launching Buttercrumble has been a steep learning curve but there are no regrets (yet)!  2018 has already seen us nominated for a Yorkshire Choice Award.  We are looking forward to working hard in 2018 and collaborating with both local and global brands.”
 
The Arts Society Scarborough
www.theartssocietyscarborough.org.uk