Craft: hand made items, aesthetically designed using contemporary or traditional craft skills in any of the following industries:

Craft Blueprint: Share your thoughts

Within the UK, the craft sector is vibrant, innovative, and growing in size and turnover. In order to fulfil its potential to increase the domestic and international market share we need to ensure that the craft workforce is diverse, developed, and at the forefront of technical breakthroughs in best practice and skills. This is vital both for the future of the industry and ultimately for the economic strength and prosperity of the UK.

The UK Craft Skills Panel (2006 – 2008) identified a number of skills gaps in the craft sector and actions required to address these skills gaps and these are summarised in the draft Craft Blueprint, open for consultation from 1st August to 31st October. We would like to hear a range of views on this workforce development plan, from craft organisations and makers, to business owners, sole traders, craft retailers and anyone who works to support the development of the craft sector or craft makers. We are looking for strategic insight and your support for the action and change set out in this document which will be jointly delivered by industry, education and stakeholders.

Download the UK Craft Blueprint Workforce Development Plan [PDF]. Please submit your feedback directly online.

For further information please feel free to contact Jenna-Lea Philpott, Industry Engagement Advisor at Creative & Cultural Skills at jenna-lea.philpott@ccskills.org.uk or phone (0)20 7015 1844.

Where to source craft research statistics:

A great deal of Crafts research has taken place across the UK during the past decade, however it has been difficult to obtain statistics that are comparable with other sectors. Creative & Cultural Skills are working closely with other organisations within the sector in order to develop appropriate methodologies for gathering and presenting such data. Information regarding skills issues and specific craft data has been derived directly from our work on the Creative Blueprint, through primary research. Demographic information has been derived from:

• A Future in the Making: A Socio-Economic Study of Makers in Northern Ireland (2006), by Craft Northern Ireland.
• Craft Businesses in Scotland: A Study (2002), by the Arts Council: Scotland.
• Making it in the 21st Century (2004), published by the Crafts Council
• Making it to Market: Developing the Market for Contemporary Craft (2007), by the Arts Council.

Getting into Craft:

Creative Choices° is the first online service to provide the tools, knowledge and networks to support every individual and business to get in, and get on, in the creative industries and cultural sector.

Information:

Arts Council England
Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society
Cockpit Arts
Cornwall Crafts
Craft Northern Ireland
Craft Scotland
Craftspace
Cultural Enterprise Office
Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru (The Arts Council of Wales)
Devon Guild of Craftsmen
Embroiders’ Guild
Fforwm Crefft Cymru
Highland and Islands Arts
Scottish Arts Council
The Basketmakers Association
The Bluecoat Display Centre
The Goldsmiths Company