What requirements are there to apply to be a vendor at a Found market?
Vendors who want to sell their work at one of our markets must:
Have a shop with listings, that is active and not in vacation mode Be based in Alberta, though preferably in Southern Alberta Sell items that adhere to our policies about appropriate items for our markets (see below)
What constitutes handmade, designed, or vintage products? What about crafting supplies?
Handmade is an item that is made by your own hand. This includes artwork, bath & body goods, home decor, and much more. This does not include repackaging pre-made items purchased in bulk with your own branding or mass-market items made with your logo.
Designed items are ones that have been completely designed by you, but fabricated using a manufacturing partner. These items are unique to your brand and feature your own artwork and improvisations.
Vintage is anything that is between 20 and 100 years old. Items older than 100 years are classified as antiques. Items newer than 20 years old would be “vintage-inspired,” but then also need to be either handmade or designed by you to be an eligible product for display at one of our markets.
Additionally, we accept vendors who curate craft supplies in the form of individual pieces and kits. As any of our vendors can attest, quality crafting supplies are a cornerstone of any handmade business.
What commitments do you make to inclusivity?
Found does not discriminate against our vendors or shoppers on the basis of race, skin colour, gender or gender identity / expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, or religion. We believe a strong community is an inclusive one and we firmly commit to running a market where representation & equality are top priorities.
Why do you ask us if we are a member of a “visibly diverse or under-represented group” on the vendor application form?
In the handmade community, products aren’t just a means to make sales. Often, a maker’s products are a part of themselves, a reflection of not just their personality & skills, but can also be of important things like their culture, skin colour, beliefs, ethnicity, orientation and so much more. In short: their life experience.
Our goal is to better know and support our community of vendors. This question will always be entirely optional on our forms but serves as an opportunity for us to maintain diversity in our markets and be inclusive of BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, and other under-represented groups.
What is Found’s stance on cultural appropriation?
To be explicitly clear, products that have been culturally appropriated are not allowed at our markets. Applications that include products, business names, and terms that are culturally appropriative will not be successful. Should products be on display at our market that were not on a vendor’s original application that fall into this classification, the vendor will be asked to remove those items from display.
If as a vendor you aren’t sure if this applies to you, we are happy to offer guidance where we can, but a helpful start is to read the resources linked below. It is very important to research the history of the item you’re intending to sell and to avoid making items that have a cultural significance to a group you don’t have a personal connection with. There can be confusion sometimes between appropriation versus appreciation, and it’s a good practice for all of us to educate ourselves on the difference.
Please also note sometimes cultural appropriation finds its way into business names instead. We encourage our vendors to be mindful of how they use cultural terms in their business and product names. It is just as important to do your research on terms as it is on items.
Further reading:
Think Before You Appropriate: a guide for creators and designers from Simon Fraser University
Native by Design by Lindsay M. Montgomery
Why You Shouldn’t Use the “G” Word by Naomi P.
What health & safety measures are in place / will be in place at Found markets?
COVID-19 has deeply impacted the way we do business. Now more than ever, we commit to running safe, healthy markets that adhere to the standards outlined by Alberta Health Services and Health Canada.
At this time, our health & safety policy regarding infectious disease includes:
Encouraging the normalization of masks in public. If you are more comfortable wearing a mask in public, we encourage you to do so and thank you for looking out for your community. Encouraging cashless payments for our vendors and for our door fee entries. Restricting the number of people in our venue spaces to give shoppers enough room to spread out. Working with our venues to ensure appropriate and timely sanitization and cleaning practices throughout the market. Familiarizing our vendors and volunteers on good practices for hand-sanitization and ways to help prevent the spread of infections. Floor plans and layouts that ensure wide aisles and good freedom of movement.
For other Health & Safety concerns, we will have:
Dedicated spaces for nursing mothers, those needing mental health breaks in the face of crowds, and other situations where an individual may need a degree of privacy. Anyone can ask our volunteers or market organizers for access to this space at any time. Chairs and rest areas positioned throughout the market for those who need to sit down here and there. Food vendors who are licensed / permitted through the Alberta Health Services to provide food at events like ours (mobile health permits). Selecting venues with adequate wheelchair access to the market space and appropriate associated parking spaces.