In our main interview, Peggy Byrne discusses the 15th anniversary of Bowerbird Design Market, exploring the tension between consumerism and thoughtful acquisition while showcasing how handmade and thoughtfully-designed items can add value without contributing to clutter.

In the SA Drink Of The Week, we taste Victor Harbor Gin from Heaps Good Spirits, featuring local coastal daisy bush botanicals that create a unique savory profile.

And in the Musical Pilgrimage, we finish with a festive splash of song, with Dino Jag’s uplifting Christmas track, celebrating South Australian musical talent.

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Running Sheet: Bowerbird Design Market 2024: A Guide to Meaningful Gift-Giving

00:00:00 Intro

Introduction

00:03:36 SA Drink Of The Week

The South Australian Drink Of The Week this week is the Victor Harbor Gin from Heaps Good Spirits.

A tasting of Heaps Good Spirits’ Victor Harbor Gin revealed complex flavors including coastal daisy bush botanicals, creating a unique savoury profile that captures the essence of the region. The gin demonstrated careful craftsmanship and local ingredient selection. Peggy and Steve both agreed it is perfect for drinking neat, such is its elegance.

00:11:47 Peggy Byrne, Bowerbird Design Market

Throughout human history, the act of gift-giving has undergone remarkable transformations. In prehistoric times, people exchanged food and tools not as commodities, but as ways to strengthen social bonds and build alliances. Ancient civilisations like Egypt and Rome elevated gifting into elaborate diplomatic and religious practices, where gifts carried deep symbolic meaning. During the Middle Ages, gifts – often food-based – became powerful symbols of status and authority between nobles and their subjects.
But perhaps the most dramatic shift came with the rise of modern consumerism. Gift-giving transformed from something that cost the giver primarily time and care – like a handwoven blanket or carefully preserved foods – into something that primarily costs money. Instead of gifts emerging from hours of careful labour, they now typically emerge from shopping bags.
Today, we face a fascinating paradox. While neuroscience shows that gift-giving activates pleasure centres in our brains, many people feel overwhelmed by receiving yet another item that adds to their household clutter. This tension between the joy of giving and the stress of accumulation makes this conversation particularly timely.
Today we’re speaking with Peggy Byrne, owner of Adelaide’s Bowerbird Design Market, which for 15 years has been creating a space where handmade crafts and artisanal products can find their place in our modern gift-giving culture.

The Bowerbird Design Market runs November 22-24, 2024, at the Wayville Pavilion, Adelaide Showground. Friday night runs 4-9pm with a special 2-for-1 entry offer, while Saturday and Sunday run 10am-5pm. Entry is $6 for adults, with children under 13 free. The event features golden ticket prizes all weekend, workshops for both adults and children, and even a visit from Santa supporting Catherine House with gold coin donations.

Peggy Byrne, entering her fifth year at the helm of Bowerbird Design Market, provided several profound insights.

On Quality vs Quantity: She shared a personal journey from filling her first apartment with mass-produced items to later choosing fewer, more meaningful pieces: “I bought one really good knife and I kept the teacups my grandmother gave me because they meant something to me.” This philosophy underpins Bowerbird’s approach to modern consumption.

On Curation and Selection: Byrne revealed the complex balancing act of curating the market, explaining how she manages categories like jewellery: “I need a bit of silver, and I need a little bit of ceramic, and I need a little bit of polymer… But as a whole, I still have 20 jewellers.” Her careful consideration extends to price points within each category, ensuring accessibility alongside exclusivity.

On Maker-Customer Connection: The market mandates that designers must be present at least one day, fostering genuine connections. As Byrne emphasised, “They don’t mind if you approach and don’t end up buying. They love to tell their story.”

15th Anniversary Highlights: The upcoming market (November 22-24 at Adelaide Showground) features exciting new additions including:

• George the Slug: Whimsical ceramic creations that “make you happy”
• Hey Lady: Traditional braided guitar straps with contemporary colours
• Dog Boy Knives: Recycled steel transformed into premium kitchen tools
• Emma Clow Glass: Hand-blown stemless glasses that marry function with art

Workshop Innovation: The market offers hands-on experiences including:

• Natural silk dyeing with Garden to Gallery
• Polymer clay jewellery making with Berry Beret
• Silver ring casting with Claire Brooks
• Children’s art workshops with Little Picassos

Environmental Consciousness: Byrne discussed how makers increasingly incorporate sustainability, from using offcuts for smaller items to choosing environmentally responsible packaging. The market encourages thoughtful consumption rather than mass acquisition.

The interview concluded with Steve, who was initially resistant to acquiring more possessions, finding himself convinced of the value in choosing fewer, better items that carry meaning and story. As Byrne noted, “It’s not necessarily volume… it’s about what’s behind it. Once you learn what’s behind it, it just becomes special.”

01:07:02 Musical Pilgrimage

In the Musical Pilgrimage, we feature You Don’t Have To Wait For Christmas Day by Dino Jag.

The episode concludes with a celebration of South Australian musical talent, featuring an uplifting holiday song that embodies local creative spirit, first featured in episode 174 back in 2016.

However, in recent years, Dino created a video to go with the song, so get this ready for your Christmas playlists!