To someone passing by, unfamiliar with By Our Hands We Make Our Way, perhaps just peering through the shop window as I did, it would easy to assume that this was a craft or woodwork shop of some kind.

Upon entering, I was roused by sounds coming from above the shop floor. Calling out, I was then invited up to what I later learnt was a Taiwanese Tea Ceremony, held once a fortnight as a space for conversation, music listening, or simply just a place to sit in the quiet.

​In the 8 years Martin has held his space in Sneinton, By Our Hands operates as a place for artistic and creative expression, covering a wide range of practices, meaning the shops function can change on any given day. From running weekly grief support sessions through clay sculpting, exhibits and screenings for media and filmmakers, tea ceremonies, open mic nights that celebrate music, film & poetry.

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Walking through the entrance,  you are met with the sound of tubes from an organ that has been repurposed as a bell, creating a sound similar to a steam train. As I walked around the shop and chatted with Martin, I learned about his background as a games designer/developer for PS1 games in London, and his love for music, art, design and nature, and his journey which led him to own and set up By Our Hands.

After spending around 1-2 hours on the shop floor, recording the sounds of small sculptures, tree bark, sanding machines and even acoustic instruments Martin himself had built, Martin informed me of a folk gig he was hosting on the shop floor on the weekend. 

I came back three days later for the show, where a gathering of 30-40 people all sat on stools and enjoyed an evening performance from local folk songwriter Clark.