Author: Haywood

Founder Profile: Robert Haywood
Founder and visionary behind The Souk UK creative support platform..

With over four decades immersed in the creative world, I’ve worked alongside talented artisans, makers, and artists across the UK, Europe, and northern India—collaborating in workshops, studios, factories, and rural communities.

My lifelong passion has been preserving traditional skills and know-how, while helping creative people adapt to modern markets and meet the expectations of today’s buyers and retailers.

One of my greatest joys has been personally representing these remarkable artisans, as their agent, importer, and online retailer, helping their work reach appreciative audiences around the world.

Though my hands-on experience spans woods, textiles, ceramics, metals, paints, fashion and print, I’ve also embraced technology. Since first encountering computers and spreadsheets in the early 1980s and launching my own online retail site in 2003, I’ve built a deep understanding of digital marketing and e-commerce. I’m proud to bring this expertise to The Souk UK, helping to bridge authentic creativity with new opportunities and audiences.