Before coming to the Academy Marc completed a degree in Building Surveying. He worked for 8 years as a Building Surveyor and Project Manager for a variety of new build and refurbishment projects. Joining the 12 week Woodworking Skills course meant that he learned practical joinery skills to combine with his previous work experience. Marc says “My proudest moment so far has been creating my walnut armchair at the BBA. It was the first real thing that I made and I was happy to learn that I had latent potential in the art of making wooden things!” After graduating from the Boat Building Academy in 2015 Marc visited all makers within a 20 mile radius of his home in West Sussex. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, he didn’t get work from any of them. However, he did get offered a bench to rent. Deciding it was worth the risk he started out on his own. Things were slow to start but Marc reports that business is picking up. He created his website and set up social media feeds, but finds many of his clients come through word of mouth at organic community smallholding where he volunteers every week. Marc says “The work is varied which keeps things interesting.” Marc builds furniture speculatively to sell, offers shelving and storage solutions and also has subcontract work with a local joinery workshop & exhibition company. In the pipeline he has an order for a bespoke Japanese inspired pergola to be made from locally sourced douglas fir, a bicycle rack combined with a bench and possibly designing and making a partition wall system. Visit Marc’s website www.dvswoodcraft.com Instagram account @marc_davies_woodcraft
