I’m Cass, a thirty something raised in the North of England, now based in Edinburgh – I am passionate about creativity, community and re-purposing everyday materials to create unique and usable books.
I have a background in Fine Art Sculpture, which is were I first discovered bookbinding – making my own sketchbooks out of whatever was to hand so I could get the sculptures I wanted to make out of my head, onto paper and into the world.
Driven by a desire to help people explore their own creativity I went on to complete a Masters in Art Museum & Gallery Education, which led to me working as an Art Educator at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Artist in Residence at the Girvan Lantern Festival and taking on the role of Development Officer with Voluntary Arts Scotland, supporting community groups of all shapes and sizes to develop and deliver creative activities – all the while teaching myself bookbinding and running bookbinding workshops.
In January 2019 I took the leap and went fully freelance and set up Bookbinding with Cass, which enabled me to put together a dynamic programme of creative classes and work in partnership with some fantastic community organisations, sharing my love of bookbinding with people from a range of backgrounds.
There is something ever so satisfying about re-imagining materials, such as leather and textile remnants, paper made from coffee cups, old envelopes, maps and buttons into one-of-a-kind books that go on to have a life of their own, be this as a sketchbook, diary, travel journal or memory book.
My aim is to create a welcoming environment where you can learn new skills, be inspired and take some time out to be creative. My workshops and classes currently take place in a number of ways –
- Online workshops – I have developed a dynamic programme of Upcyled Bookbinding workshops which I deliver both independently and in collaboration, with community organisations, schools and artists from a range of disciplines. For more on my online workshops and kits click here.
- In-person workshops – I teach bookbinding workshops at a range of inspiring venues across Scotland. To see a list of upcoming workshops, click here.
- Private workshops – I love creating tailored workshops for groups of friends, community groups and businesses/organisations. These can take place in-person or online, find out more here.
- Community projects – I feel passionately about the many ways that creativity can positively impact both individuals and communities, from boosting our mental health to helping cultivate a sense of place and respect for each other the environment. I love working with groups to devise and deliver creative projects, some highlights include my role as Creative in Residence at Granton Castle Walled Garden – devising and delivering creative workshops to engage people with this urban greenspace, Lead Practitioner on the Experiencing Collections project with the National Trust for Scotland – working with volunteers to develop a series of ‘touch books’ inspired by the collection, and most recently running community workshops as part of Children’s Art Week and Book Week Scotland. If you would like to discuss working together please get in touch.
Alongside devising and delivering bookbinding workshops, I also make my own Artist Books and take on special commissions –
- Artist Books – largely inspired by my connection with nature, my books have been featured in a number of exhibitions and events but I mostly make these for myself and find the process of doing so very therapeutic. I am in the process of adding a gallery to this website that will share my Artists’ Book so please do check back.
- Commissions – I make one-of-a-kind books on a commission basis, which include, wedding guest books, travel journals, memory books and photo albums. These make great gifts and can be personalised to your requirements, more information here.
