MAKERS CLUB

Founders of Makers Club, Nadia and Anna

A permanent home for Cardiff’s creative community 

Through the windows of Makers Club, visitors to High Street Arcade can see a small cross-section of South Wales’s creative talent: jewellery, prints, ceramics, textiles and other pieces made by independent artists and designers. But behind the colourful displays is a bigger ambition - to give local makers a permanent platform in the heart of Cardiff. 

The shop brings together work from more than 60 makers, creating a place where customers can discover original pieces while learning about the people who made them. It is also the latest stage in a story that began long before the permanent premises opened. 

Co-founder Anna had been running Anna Palamar Designs for around 11 years before opening in the arcades, building relationships with artists and designers through markets, events and pop-up shops. But when co-founder, Nadia made the significant decision to leave a career in IT and data engineering, together the sisters were able to bring the Maker’s Club to life. 

The pair knew makers across Cardiff, Swansea, Barry, Newport and the surrounding area. Bringing their work together under one roof felt like a natural next step, but the chosen location also held a personal connection. 

The extensive windows and historic details in their unit, was part of the attraction. But in 2017, the same unit hosted one of their earliest collective pop-up shops, featuring around 35 local makers. The temporary space became a lively meeting point, with displays, gatherings and even small musical performances upstairs. For the people taking part, it offered more than a sales opportunity: it gave them somewhere to meet, collaborate and direct customers. 

When the chance came to return permanently, the founders recognised both the scale of the work involved and the potential. They signed for the unit in December and opened Makers Club the following February.  

For an artist, the architectural details are difficult to ignore. The patterns in the glass roof, the proportions of the passageway and the glimpses of hidden rooms above the shops all contribute to the experience. Anna describes the arcades as a distinctive and precious part of Cardiff’s history, somewhere visitors should make a point of exploring. 

The windows also play a practical role. Because so much of the shop is visible from the passageway, passers-by can discover a product even when the doors are closed.  

Other purchases carry connections much further afield. The founders recall a Welsh-themed jewellery piece being sent to Australia, allowing someone living overseas to maintain a small link with home. Stories like that help explain why handmade goods matter: the objects often carry personal meanings that extend beyond their immediate use. 

Makers Club attracts customers through the individual networks of its makers, as well as tourists and local shoppers who wander in out of curiosity. Each participating artist brings their own followers, friends and family, creating a wider community around the shop. 

The plans do not stop at retail. The upstairs space is being developed for workshops and creative sessions, offering opportunities for customers to learn directly from the people whose work is sold downstairs - bringing the unit back towards the collaborative spirit of the original pop-up. 

For the founders, supporting independent makers is about sustaining skills, creativity and local livelihoods. It also adds something distinctive to the city centre, giving shoppers an alternative to products found in every large chain. 

“There's always a person or a family behind an independent business, and they care so much. They pour their soul, their energy and their time into what they do. You'll never experience anything quite like that in a chain store. The human factor is such a huge part of it,” says Anna. 

Makers Club’s story captures the arcades at their most dynamic: a historic space being used to showcase new work, a temporary experiment growing into a permanent business, and a network of independent creatives finding strength in working together.  

The arcade has stood through generations of change; its latest chapter is being written by the makers of today.