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It all started with a free table at the side of the road. Well, everything didn’t start there, but the studio definitely did. I had gotten approval for Knotting Together from Arts Council of England and was worried about getting a studio together in time for Hampshire Open Studios. The plan we had come up with was that I would launch the project then and do the exhibition of the project the following year, at the next Hampshire Open Studios. That all seemed logical, and I was on board. Now what do I need for a macrame studio? More importantly, what would I need for a studio where I would regularly be hosting workshops with Black adults as we created something together and talked? That is where the table came in. A table or worktop seemed like the first step, so I mentioned it to my people. (I keep wanting to sing Kes the Band’s My People here. Many of my Caribbean people would know what I mean but let me make sure no one else is offended. When I say “my people”, I mean my crew/team. That supportive team of people that I know I can turn to when I have a problem to either listen, help or guide me when I don’t have the experience to pull on. I have an awesome team! My people 😊 just feels more affectionate and puts a great song in my head. But, I digress – listen to the song after) One of my people told me she saw a table for free that might work for me. So, we went to have a look, figured it would work, picked it up and put it in the back of her larger vehicle to bring it back to Making Space. Then, I, Tara Goddard, who should not be trusted with power tools or complicated DIY, decided I would sand it and wax it myself. It felt like the right way to get my studio started. Like I would have had a hand in it as they say. Another of my people lent me a sander and gave me some directions. Yet another person gave me some wax. Off I went. I forgot to cover my hair, my feet were covered in dust, but I did it. I sanded it. I waxed it. And was so pleased that I managed to do that without hurting myself. It didn’t look too bad in the end either. Another of my people joked that I would make someone a good husband someday… LOL. They had clearly NEVER seen me draw a straight line with a ruler. But I had a table! It was a start. The table is now an integral part of my setup in Studio 17 at Making Space. And over the next year, I hope lots of people will sit around it, learn macramé, talk, laugh, create and contribute to what we're making together. There is a lot more in the studio now than that table. That's another story. 😊 But that table is where it started. 
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