Every 2 years the BFA run a 3 day workshop with some of the most exciting designers from around the globe. We find the best of the best to come and inspire you. This workshop is aimed at professional florists who want to spend creative days with their peers and learn in small groups from international amazing floral superstars. It’s an event not to be missed and everyone goes away with fresh inspiration.
We run our school from Moreton Morrell College with their fabulous support and always enjoy an optional meal out together as a group on one of the nights. There are plenty of hotels around but we give out all the info you’ll need to attend, lunches are included as well so you can come and simply enjoy the creativity. You need only yourself and a workbox!
Our next workshop will be on 23rd, 24th and 25th June 2024
- 3 full days with each designer for BFA/IPF members £895.00
- 3 full days with each designer for non members £980.00
- Single day with your chosen designer £355.00
- All prices are plus VAT
OUR DESIGNERS ARE:
Pirjo Koppi from Finland
Pirjo is a passionate spokesperson for floristry and, having graduated as a florist in 1995, her bespoke designs have delighted clients and floral fans the world over for more than 25 years now.
She took her Master Florist Exam in 2000 and became a teacher of floristry for the Finnish Florists’ Association in 2005. Pirjo is rightly lauded in her home country and was awarded the FFA Gold Medal of Honour in 2016 and also became Master of the Year for the Master Guild of Helsinki in 2017.
Whilst shop work is time-consuming, Pirjo is a seasoned competitor too having entered her very first competition back in 1996, and she has achieved numerous first places as well as other top rankings, including third place in the World Cup in 2015 (Berlin) and third place in the Europa Cup in 2016 (Genoa). As she says; “Competing is very important to learn more… not just about floristry but also about yourself and how to work under pressure.” And she readily admits that clinching that third place in the World Cup truly changed her life and opened up so many new avenues.
For Pirjo, floristry is not just a job, it’s her whole life and her warmth and energy spills into demonstrations and workshops too. Not only does she hold these at home but also in other European countries including Belgium, Italy and Spain, as well as further afield like Canada, USA, Australia, Singapore and South Korea.
As far as Pirlo is concerned, flowers and floristry are positive things and the pandemic really showed the healing properties of them and the joy they bring. And she practises what she preaches filling her own home with flowers in every room, including the bedroom, to simply let them do their magic.
And her work sure brings magic to so, so many…
Tomasz Max Kuczyński from Poland
As a boy Tomasz Max decided that flowers would be the major part of his private and professional life. He completed the first course in floristry when he was 16 and ever since that time has been seriously involved with floristry.
Tomasz studied fine arts and interior decoration and having taken part in many competitions and organized many exhibitions he continues to be enthusiastic about teaching good floristry techniques. He has done many courses and demonstrations all over the world, which gives a lot of pleasure and satisfaction. Now Tomasz is the CEO of International Institute of Floral Design in Poland.
He said ”Now the most important thing for me is to show my school -International Institute of floral design and my students to the floral world. I devote most of my time to do demos, courses, and workshops. I am inspired by many artists. I like to watch interesting forms, color combinations, new techniques but I never copy… I want to present my own vision of floristry!”
Tor Gundersen from Norway
Tor has a wealth of experience and after he couldn’t make it in 2022 due to a Covid infection days before his flight, how could we not ask him again. Tor has participated in numerous national and international competitions and is the winner of 20 medals in Norway.
5 times Oslo champion, Tor also represented Norway in the World-cup, Tokyo, then again in Japan in 1995 achieving European champion.
His work involves head-designer of the Royal wedding, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. He is involved in the Norwegian product-development, is a showroom designer, international teacher, judge and instructor and has just recently opened his garden so that we can all admire his skills with design and construction.
In 2022 the materials list for Tor was exciting and different, we cant wait to see what he’s planning this time.
