Hole & Corner | RefocusHere we are, at an unprecedented moment in time, when our lives have been challenged in ways that this time last year would have been almost unimaginable. These challenges have been considerable, each experience personal to every one of us. But out of this time has come a desire, a willingness, a need almost, to adjust our mindsets; to realign our values; to reflect and refocus on what is really important. At Hole & Corner, we know all about slowing down and making space for the things that matter most in life. For our 20th issue, we are celebrating this ethos at a time when many more of us are discovering the therapeutic nature of making things, or the true worth of something that has been made by hand, every detail considered. One of the most notable impacts of the pandemic has been an increase in appreciation of nature and the environment, at the same time as an increasing awareness of the urgent need to take action to change our behaviour if we are to combatthe effects of the climate crisis. It is clear that the world has changed, which is why we are highlighting some of the people who are helping to shift perspectives. For our Selects section, we interview Miritte Ben Yitzchak, the animator behind the latest film for Extinction Rebellion; the materials developer Alice Potts on her relentless quest to find alternatives to plastic from plants and seaweed; and the activist and politician Magid Magid on the new programme he is leading for the transnational University of the Underground, exploring how we use popular culture to create social change. Before we rewire our lives, many of us need to do a bit of digital housekeeping. Mark Hooper takes some time away from his smart phone to find smarter ways toachieve greater focus and lead less distracted lives with the founder of digitally minimal low-tech brand Punkt., Petter Neby. It’s all about staying focused. 
As Alison Lloyd, founder of Ally Capellino tells Bethan Ryder, staying true to what she believes in has allowed her to weather many a storm and stood her in good stead – 40 years on.
Founder and creative director Sam Walton celebrates 20 issues by getting as far away from it all as possible, to the Lofoten archipelago on the coast of Søvågen, in the company of four chefs and a couple of blacksmiths. His story is almost as magical as the portfolio of photographs he shares. We also accompany Nell Card as she goes on a nature trail at Old-Lands in Monmouthshire with environmentalist Sam Bosanquet, and learn a few lessons about the secret lives of moths and the incredible biodiversity he is cultivating there. And just to be sure we are on the right track, we get a really good night’s sleep, essential if we are to have the clear heads we need for the challenges ahead. Jude Rogers talks to the composer Max Richter and his collaborator Yulia Mahr about his epic eight-hour work, Sleep, and the recently released film they worked on together, documenting the beautifully somnambulant all-night performances. Robin Broadbent’s forensic photographs of the components of the world’s most comfortable bed complete the picture. Our creative and thoughtful community has a lot to teach us. We revisit Craig Sams, who we interviewed in our first issue. Sams has understood the need to refocus how we do business since launching Whole Earth Foods in the late Sixties. We can learn a lot from his experience. The past six months have given us the chance to pause, be still and rethink. Sometimes, it’s just about shifting the way we look at the world and changing our perspective slightly. Then, hopefully, it will all start to make sense.