Business Plan 2012-2015 abridged - Crafts Council...Crafts Council Business Plan 2012-2015 Section 1-5 3 How we work How we work Our national overview and the depth and breadth of

Crafts Council Business Plan 2012-2015 Section 1-5 1

Crafts Council Crafts Council Crafts Council Crafts Council Business PlanBusiness PlanBusiness PlanBusiness Plan 2012 2012 2012 2012 –––– 2015 2015 2015 2015


1. Mission, Aims and ValuesMission, Aims and ValuesMission, Aims and ValuesMission, Aims and Values Crafts Council is the national development agency for contemporary craft Crafts Council is the national development agency for contemporary craft Crafts Council is the national development agency for contemporary craft Crafts Council is the national development agency for contemporary craft Our goal is:Our goal is:Our goal is:Our goal is: To make the UK the best place to make, see, collect and learn about contemporary craft. Our aims are:Our aims are:Our aims are:Our aims are:

• To build a strong economy and infrastructure for contemporary craft

• To increase and diversify the audience for contemporary craft

• To champion high quality contemporary craft practice nationally and internationally

We deliver our aWe deliver our aWe deliver our aWe deliver our activity ctivity ctivity ctivity through five strategic themes: MakeMakeMakeMake We stimulate and profile creative excellence, innovative

thinking and practice across all craft forms

SeeSeeSeeSee We change people’s perceptions of craft by showing the best of contemporary craft in different physical and conceptual contexts

CollectCollectCollectCollect We support the growth of a robust craft sector in a global marketplace

LearnLearnLearnLearn We promote craft education and skills progression for the economic and cultural health of the sector

Effectiveness Effectiveness Effectiveness Effectiveness We are an effective organisation setting standards and creating opportunities for craft

Our ValuesOur ValuesOur ValuesOur Values

• We believe that craft plays a dynamic and vigorous role in the UK’s social, economic and cultural life.

• We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to make, see, collect and learn about craft.

• We believe that the strength of craft lies in its use of traditional and contemporary techniques, ideas and materials to make extraordinary new work.

• We believe that the future of craft lies in nurturing talent; children and young people must be able to learn about craft at school and have access to excellent teaching throughout their education.


How we workHow we workHow we workHow we work Our national overview and the depth and breadth of our specialist knowledge enable us to take a leadership role in delivering projects that:

• ensure optimum strategic support for the sector at regional, national and international levels, maximising our impact through our collaborations with partners;

• set a gold standard for excellence, driving increased ambition and aspiration through the sector; and

• share our assets, resources and knowledge, including the Crafts Council Collection, through exhibitions, CPD and world-class showcases and events.

We will continue this integrated development/delivery model, ensuring that we support the sector and that contemporary craft remains relevant and resilient. As an organisation we:

• aim to be efficient and enterprising;

• seek to be open minded, vital, confident and creative in our work;

• value diversity as essential to our success and seek to ensure that in all aspects of our work we recognize the differences and contributions of all individuals and sections of society; and

• aim to be sustainable - safeguarding our social, financial and environmental future.

Our AchievementOur AchievementOur AchievementOur Achievementssss t t t to dateo dateo dateo date

Over the last five years the Crafts Council has established

• a clearly-defined leadership and development role;

• strong strategic programmes in all areas;

• a range of gold standard projects that raise ambition and profile;

• a successful track record of working with others; and

• a lean organisation following organisational change


2.2.2.2. Operating ContextOperating ContextOperating ContextOperating Context The Crafts Council undertakes regular qualitative and quantitative research. Since 2010, it has published four reports, most recently Craft in an Age of Change (in partnership with Creative Scotland, the Arts Council of Wales and Craft Northern Ireland, 2012) and digital briefing notes on a range of subjects. This research underpins our own strategy and is available for sector-wide use via our website. Our view of the current operating context for the sector is informed by this research to give an evidence-based snapshot of the current cultural, economic and social value of contemporary craft in England. IntroductionIntroductionIntroductionIntroduction At first sight, the contemporary craft sector seems not to have changed greatly in recent years. Makers are predominantly sole traders - running businesses that are often low in profit and other conventional growth measures, but are also stable and long lasting. However, overall demographics mask a range of business types. Our research reveals a sector where innovation and commercial success is significantly influenced by factors including education and professional experience prior to starting a business and where the application of craft skills in other sectors is gaining currency alongside the production of objects for sale and exhibition. Equally significantly, the sector is operating in a landscape where economic downturn, digitisation, and increasing responsiveness to concerns about environmental sustainability and social equity are all influencing practice. The Value of CraftThe Value of CraftThe Value of CraftThe Value of Craft Economic ValueEconomic ValueEconomic ValueEconomic Value a. Direct Economic Impact

Supply estimates (England):1

• 17,150 makers work in the sector.

• Collectively, these makers produce a turnover of £339m per annum and GVA of £170m per annum.

• Individual turnover averages £23,543 per annum, of which an average of 84% (£19,974) comes from craft-related work - broadly comparable with that of fine artists.2

• 28% of makers export their work.

1 BOP Consulting with Karen Yair (2011). Craft in an Age of Change. London, Crafts Council. 2 Craft in an Age of Change ibid.


Demand estimates (England):3

• 5.6m craft objects are sold in an average year producing combined revenues of £913m.

• 40% of adults say they have purchased a craft object. In England, a further 23% have not yet purchased a craft object but would consider doing so in future.

• Of the 63% of adults in England in the market for craft, 99% would buy contemporary craft, and 90% would buy ‘cutting edge’ work.

b. Wider Economic Impact These statistics are useful, but tell only part of the story: craft’s economic contribution goes far beyond the economy of objects made and sold by individual makers. Making Value4 (2010) presents concrete evidence of UK makers’ collaborations with a range of industries including manufacturing, biotechnology, architecture and construction, tourism, gaming and healthcare. It finds that makers’ businesses are supplying the market with products and providing businesses and consumers with services and intellectual property. It confirms that makers can produce innovations that are scalable in their own right and unlock innovation potential in other businesses. Other reports have shown makers contributing to environmental sustainability through innovation in sustainable materials and systems5; to rural economic development through experiential tourism, the opening up of new markets and stimulus to local trade.6; and extending the capabilities of new digital technologies and the coding behind them. The wider economic significance of craft has been recognised by policy-makers in recent years. The Skills Minister has noted the role of craft in developing a more skilled workforce while the Culture Minister has commented on the “exceptionally talented craftspeople whose work is proving a big hit with collectors” and championed the display of craft in government offices. The Chancellor’s ‘march of the makers’ budget speech in 2011 clearly stated his vision for making – in the broadest sense - at the heart of manufacturing recovery in Britain. Social ValueSocial ValueSocial ValueSocial Value Making Value7 looks beyond craft’s contribution to industry to examine the roles it plays in education and community settings. The report finds makers

3 Morris Hargreaves McIntyre (2010). Consuming Craft. London, Crafts Council. 4 Schwarz M and Yair K (2010). Making Value: Craft & the economic and social contribution of makers. London, Crafts Council. 5 Yair K (2011): Craft and Environmental Sustainability.

http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/about-us/press-room/view/2011/craft-environmental-sustainability-201101261052-4d3ffd03de9c6?from=/about-us/press-room/ 6 http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/about-us/press-room/view/2011/craft-in-rural-

communities?from=/about-us/press-room/ 7 Schwarz M and Yair K. Ibid.


engaging with a wide range of people through contracts with youth services, community centres and health projects, as well as work with schools and in other formal education settings. The extent of amateur participation in craft is regularly assessed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and its partners.8 In 2010-11 18% of the population had engaged with craft making over the previous year. Further Crafts Council research investigates craft’s contribution to wellbeing, finding specific connections with work satisfaction, physical and mental health, relationships, and connectedness to communities. Cultural Value Cultural Value Cultural Value Cultural Value According to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport9, 11.4% of the population visited a craft exhibition in the year 2010-11. Power of Making – a Crafts Council and V&A partnership exhibition - attracted over 300,000 people, becoming the most popular free exhibition in the V&A’s history and sparking critical acclaim as ‘a concrete manifesto for the virtues of hands-on skill.’ (BBC radio 4). The growth of the experience economy has created new opportunities. As consumers have sought ‘authenticity’ and ‘provenance’, many have turned to the handmade – in interiors, in fashion and in design. This has been picked up by major brands,, keen to position their products as acceptable luxuries in a climate of austerity, while the media is producing a wealth of material that both promotes and parodies a culture of ‘make do and mend.’ There is also an increasingly clear role for craft and making in the new relationship between digital and material worlds. A decade ago, craft was seen as a tactile alternative to the digitisation of work and home lives; now, digital fabrication tools and communication technologies are being explored as craft tools and materials in their own right. TTTThe Contemporary Craft Sector he Contemporary Craft Sector he Contemporary Craft Sector he Contemporary Craft Sector

Profile of makers

• The vast majority (88% in 2011) of makers are self-employed.

• 69% are female, and the average age is 49.

• Around 60% of makers have a first degree; around half have had previous careers, primarily in teaching.

• The median number of years makers have been in business is 12.

• Ethnic diversity remains low, but the incidence of foreign-born makers is higher than the national average.

• Reported dyslexia, at 11.5%, is twice the national average.

• 4% of makers consider themselves to be disabled.

8 http://www.takingpartinthearts.com/ 9 Taking Part


Trends Shaping Makers’ BusinessesTrends Shaping Makers’ BusinessesTrends Shaping Makers’ BusinessesTrends Shaping Makers’ Businesses a. Portfolio working and collaboration

Most makers are portfolio workers, earning other income in addition to making and selling objects. These are, with the exception of teaching, relatively small contributors, but working in different ways is creatively stimulating for many makers and pushes innovation in their work. Collaboration between makers and other professionals drives innovation in other sectors, creating the kind of wider economic gains described above. b. Digital technologies 57% of all makers are using digital technologies, the majority ‘often’ or ‘all the time.’ 30% of all makers are using digital technologies for designing, 19% for making and 24% for business purposes (marketing, communication and/or photography). Levels of use differ depending on makers’ career paths. Digital technologies are opening up new opportunities for business development as well as creative practice. Home 3D printers are perceived by some as a threat, but others see opportunities to provide new outlets for makers’ specialist skills. Haptic design tools, remote additive manufacturing and crowd-sourced investment opportunities give potential to extend production scales. Online communication enables the creative collaboration important to innovation and the peer support that is crucial to sole traders. c. Economic climate

Makers’ gross craft-related incomes appeared to decline slightly between 2006 and 2011. Sales through exhibitions, markets, retailers and galleries – fell and the increase in online sales has so far only partially compensated for losses elsewhere. Small decreases in profit have serious implications for sole traders, quickly diminishing resources available for investment in training, equipment and research and development. On the other hand, independence and flexibility can give micro-businesses a degree of resistance from supply chain collapse, bad debtors and other risks. Markets / DemandMarkets / DemandMarkets / DemandMarkets / Demand The impact of economic downturn on the marketplace is difficult to quantify. Values around luxury, gift-giving and personal reward are shifting with lower disposable income, although the highest-spending end of the consumer market seems stable. Ideas of authenticity and provenance have found new significance in more austere times, and craft can take on the quality of an ‘ethical’ luxury. Retailers report relatively steady sales over the past three years but there is recent, anecdotal evidence of spend being influenced by slow economic recovery. On an international scale, retailers are expressing concern at a perceived decline in the number of craft galleries and the relatively small number of serious collectors. They are also considering alternative business


models, at least partly in response to the challenge posed by direct online selling to conventional ‘sale or return’ practices. Imports pose a challenge to the domestic market in many product-focused industries. Globalisation and greater competition suggest that the future market will be increasingly concentrated at the higher end, where originality and aesthetic value can earn a premium. There is latent export potential given the growing interest in the purchase of high quality craft in emerging markets including China and the UAE. This export potential is backed up by digital technology. The percentage of makers selling online has more than doubled since 2004, with nearly 30% selling through their own websites and 13% through third-party sites. Content-rich websites offer the opportunity for makers to connect objects with their place of origin and to convey the stories behind them to consumers. Online review mechanisms enable buyers to seek reassurance from others – a key way of overcoming the barrier to a first purchase10. Brands (rather than direct sales) are starting to be built through social media. The market for craft services – as distinct from objects and products – is threatened by the current economic climate. Public sector cuts are decreasing contract opportunities in the public realm and in statutory and subsidised services. Community and education opportunities are also decreasing as local authorities become less able to afford them. Here, as with craft products and objects, key market opportunities may lie in export. Sector Support Sector Support Sector Support Sector Support a. Primary and Secondary Education

Schools have a crucial role in engaging young people with making and enabling them to consider careers in craft. Craft programmes can also support schools in cross-curricular learning, for example teaching children about mathematics or history through making. Craft based learning programmes can help schools to partner effectively with community organisations, as in the Craft Club partnership between schools, the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, the UK Hand Knitting Association and the Crafts Council. b. Higher Education

The growth of craft teaching and research in Higher Education between the 1970s and 1990s, perhaps combined with under-investment in Further and Adult Education, established Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) as a key part of the contemporary craft infrastructure. Higher Education has produced many of the most innovative and commercially successful makers; teaching at degree level is an important source of income and professional development for many portfolio working craft professionals. The growth of a strong, academic research culture has located HEIs at the forefront of cutting edge craft, through their expertise to undertake critically engaged work and their capacity to invest in equipment and facilities such as

10 Morris Hargreaves McIntyre. Ibid.


digital manufacturing labs. HEIs broker funding for cross-sector academic partnerships and knowledge transfer programmes, engaging the academic scientific community and manufacturing industries. Their role in pushing forward innovative practice benefits the whole sector’s work. However, Higher Education provision is changing. The apparent shift from specialist craft courses to interdisciplinary courses incorporating a craft element has caused controversy, but more radical change is likely as fees rise for university students in England. There are early indications of a 12% overall drop in applications to higher education for the 2012 academic year11 (albeit following a surge in 2011) and of wide-ranging cuts in undergraduate provision.12 c. Continuing Professional Development

Networks (and the infrastructure that enables them) play particularly significant roles in contemporary craft. Makers typically work alone and greatly value opportunities for collaboration and peer support: collectives and networks are as significant for many as membership of formal craft associations and guilds, and peer mentoring is a common form of continuing professional development (CPD). Local and regional craft organisations and networks play important roles in creating these strategic CPD opportunities, brokering partnerships with local industry, schools and community organisations. Venue-based organisations frequently act as hubs, connecting craft to local place-making, economic development and community engagement. These opportunities may be threatened if cultural participation and the creative industries are excluded from new Sustainable Development planning frameworks as well as by funding cuts from local authorities and national agencies.

11 http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/datablog/2011/oct/24/tuition-fees-education 12 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/universities-to-cut-

5000-courses-6265134.html


3.3.3.3. Crafts Council SCrafts Council SCrafts Council SCrafts Council Strategy trategy trategy trategy There have been considerable changes in the operating context including:

• A significant growth in popularity of craft and appropriation of craft values by commercial brands;

• Slow growth in the UK economy with a decrease in public funding and consequent impact on craft organisations;

• Changes in education policy at school and HE level that impact on the potential future of craft.

As BOP Consulting notes in the Executive Summary of Craft in an Age of Change, “some of the above [suggests] contemporary craft may be facing a period of unusual turbulence: there have rarely been so many challenges on so many fronts simultaneously. However, craft has a range of factors in its favour. It uses modern thinking and technology to build on skills, knowledge and experience that have been tested over time, and it speaks to deep-seated human instincts: the value of distinctiveness, a pride in quality and the worth of craftsmanship. Whatever changes may be coming, the history of the sector suggests that craft professionals will find ways to re-think and re-invent their practice to adapt to a changing world and to allow craft to flourish”. The Crafts Council needs to lead the sector in riding these joint waves of popularity and recession. The Crafts Council will:

• give a clear and focussed message about craft and its potential, delivered through the four themes of Make, See, Collect and Learn;

• demonstrate our continued ambition and aspiration for the sector by delivering new initiatives that express our vision and continue to set a gold standard for craft;

• be a hub for contemporary craft - with our organisation and the Collection at the heart – connecting with networks across the UK and beyond; and

• aim to be a resilient, flexible organisation that can thrive in a changed environment with a coherent, cross-organisational approach to our work.

Development areas over the course of this business plan:

• The Crafts Council Collection – continuing to pursue our ambition to maximise the Collection as one of our most important assets in reaching audiences and supporting curatorial development.

• Market development – delivering new routes to market for the sector that reflect the changing practice of makers and draw international aspirations and our national role together.

• Education and Skills - responding to the impact of funding and policy changes and ensuring that career pathways to craft are available and fit-for-purpose.


4.4.4.4. Our Programmes of AOur Programmes of AOur Programmes of AOur Programmes of Activity ctivity ctivity ctivity 1. 1. 1. 1. MAKE: MAKE: MAKE: MAKE: Stimulate and profile creative excellence, innovative thinking and Stimulate and profile creative excellence, innovative thinking and Stimulate and profile creative excellence, innovative thinking and Stimulate and profile creative excellence, innovative thinking and pracpracpracpractice tice tice tice across all craft formsacross all craft formsacross all craft formsacross all craft forms To thrive, contemporary craft must continually reinvent itself, innovate, take risks – and be seen to do so. Using our assets and resources to support makers and craft professionals to be ambitious and take risks in their practice will continue to be one of our main objectives. 1.1 Deliver Collective: a portfolio of continuing professional development

opportunities for makers

Crafts Council Collective is a portfolio of five CPD programmes for makers throughout their careers delivered in partnership with HEIs and regional organisations

• Further develop the Hothouse scheme for emerging makers following successful partnerships in the SE, SW, NE and London; embed with a network of regional partners.

• Following the successful pilot of Creative Catalyst, in partnership with CCE as the inaugural Portfolio strand, continue to create opportunities for makers to work in education contexts;

• Further develop Test Case series, with new partners, enabling makers to extend the use of their skills beyond studio practice through action research in a broad range of contexts including architecture, science and technology/digital technology and health.

• Pilot Injection: a mid-career business development programme.

• Develop Craft Rally as an online resource and Artistic Licence as part of our innovation and skills programme linked to New Routes to Market.

In addition to Collective we continue to support professional and student makers through our knowledge transfer programmes including training days, lectures, seminars, showcasing, exhibitions and online promotion. 1.2 Create a diverse programme of initiatives that generate critical debate

Critical debate is essential to ensure that craft practice is intellectually and creatively robust. We will provide high-profile opportunities for debate through conferences, seminars and symposia associated with major exhibitions and events and through stand-alone events designed to lead debate and engage policy-makers, media and funders with the sector.

• Produce Crafts Magazine as a forum to explore the wider context of craft maintaining a strong, independent editorial voice.

• Present two national conferences in 2012 and 2014; and host the World Crafts Council General Assembly in spring 2012.

• Work in partnership with craft organisations to deliver an annual programme of regional events across the country.


2. 2. 2. 2. SEE: SEE: SEE: SEE: Change people’s perceptions of craft by showing the best of Change people’s perceptions of craft by showing the best of Change people’s perceptions of craft by showing the best of Change people’s perceptions of craft by showing the best of contemporary craft in different physical and conceptual contextscontemporary craft in different physical and conceptual contextscontemporary craft in different physical and conceptual contextscontemporary craft in different physical and conceptual contexts 2.1 Deliver a programme of high profile projects that present craft in new

physical and conceptual contexts

The Crafts Council has an international reputation for high-quality exhibitions and events. We will continue to work with the most significant museums, galleries and other cultural organisations, delivering high-profile partnership exhibitions and projects that challenge common perceptions of craft and promote British contemporary craft nationally and internationally: Following a survey of our current network of touring venues in early 2012, we will develop a touring offer of up to four touring exhibitions/ products per annum working with regional venues to profile the highest quality contemporary craft and being mindful that their own resources may be declining. We will aim, where practicable, to promote touring of large-scale product from London and regional partnership exhibitions with partner venues e.g. outcomes from the V&A Triennial and the Fifty:Fifty programme.

• Work with the V&A to deliver a third triennial exhibition that leads critical debate, raises the national profile of the sector and delivers excellent visitor numbers.

• Deliver the second iteration of our biennial Fifty:Fifty scheme to co-fund and co-curate major regional exhibitions delivering both national and regional profile for excellent craft; second selection due in 2012 with resulting exhibition in 2014 and launch for third round in spring 2015.

• Deliver a touring offer of up to four touring exhibitions/ products working with up to eight venues for each tour supported by commissioned interpretation materials in a variety of forms including film and digital elements.

• Produce two digital exhibitions per annum developing new ways of profiling contemporary craft online.

2.2 Develop the Crafts Council Collection as a rich resource

The Crafts Council Collection is the country’s only fully representative collection of contemporary craft, comprising 1400+ objects across all disciplines and featuring the most important makers of the last forty years. It provides a distinctive, authoritative, consistently updated view of contemporary craft and is a vital research resource for makers, curators and other craft professionals. All works are represented online. We will promote the Collection for short and long term loans to regional venues and as part of the Crafts Council’s curated touring exhibitions. We will also use the Collection as a resource to develop a new curatorial development programme building on the success of our previous scheme, Sparkplug, and providing opportunities for craft, design and visual arts curators


to deepen their understanding and professional knowledge of contemporary craft. This programme will be launched in 2013-14 and rolled out 2014-15. We will seek funds to increase the profile and use of the Collection in particular aiming to:

• Develop rich and dynamic archive and documentation of the Crafts Council Collection and a world class research resource linked to regional Collections.

• Extend our loans portfolio including bespoke packages for regional venues and increasing opportunities for curators to access the Collection.

• Deliver a programme of curatorial development linked to the Collection. We also aim to expand our acquisitions and, thereby, loans programme aiming to:

• Retrospectively acquire iconic objects that are instrumental in illuminating makers’ journeys and/or significant developments in craft materials or process.

• Acquire work that is not plinth-based including large-scale, performative and digital craft and creating and disseminating the methodology for the acquisition and re-display of such work by public collections.


3. 3. 3. 3. COLLECT: COLLECT: COLLECT: COLLECT: Support the growth of a robust craft sector in a global Support the growth of a robust craft sector in a global Support the growth of a robust craft sector in a global Support the growth of a robust craft sector in a global marketplacemarketplacemarketplacemarketplace The Crafts Council is the acknowledged national organisation representing the UK craft sector and has an international reputation as a leader in events with Collect and Origin known as gold standards for the sector to date, However, the operating context is changing. Personalisation, authenticity, ethical consumption, the experience economy and new ways of signalling connoisseurship are influencing the evolution of the market for craft. We are witnessing a fascination with provenance which is driving consumer desire for direct contact with producers. British excellence in creativity and innovation, resulting in cutting edge products and processes, is providing a rationale for international investment into the UK. British brands are defying the downturn, boosting manufacturing and bringing in the tourists, particularly to London. However, to date, a limited number of makers are embracing export and international exposure meaning that there is latent potential particularly in export to emerging markets such as UAE and Hong Kong. Over the next three years, we will reposition our work in this area to capitalise on current trends and provide new platforms for makers, refreshing Collect and developing new platforms to further broaden audiences for contemporary craft and generate sales for makers. 3.1 Develop the audience and collectors market

• Continue to deliver Collect as a celebration of high end contemporary craft for audiences and collectors in 2012 and 2013.

• Consider options for Collect’s future development with re-launch in 2015.

• Continue to deliver marketing and communications promoting UK craft.

3.2 Deliver a new routes to market programme

• Develop an ambitious showcase reflecting the innovation, creativity, ideas and skills of contemporary craft practice and connecting with current economic and education agendas for launch in 2014.

• Establish international relationships and partnerships to increase exposure and export potential of UK contemporary craft focusing on new markets in the Middle East and SE Asia.

• Develop CC branded e-retail initiative supporting makers to promote and sell their work in partnership with an established e-retail brand.


4. 4. 4. 4. LEARN: LEARN: LEARN: LEARN: Promote craft education and skills progression for the economic Promote craft education and skills progression for the economic Promote craft education and skills progression for the economic Promote craft education and skills progression for the economic and cultural health of the sectorand cultural health of the sectorand cultural health of the sectorand cultural health of the sector We believe that craft will thrive if its benefits are clearly stated within formal education, enabling new generations of makers, collectors and enthusiasts to develop. We are committed to ensuring that children, young people and their families have access to great work, excellent teaching, creative opportunities and information about the richness of opportunity that craft offers as a professional and a cultural product. 4.1 Provide information and resources for craft education and skills

development

• Work with organisations including, UKADIA, CHEAD, NSEAD, OFSTED, Trinity Guildhall London and Engage to raise the profile of craft in education and with HE partners to promote the role of craft in education and as a viable and sustainable career.

• Collaborate with Creative & Cultural Skills/ National Skills Academy on the development of the craft skills agenda including further work on apprenticeships, artist educators and on links to government policy and opportunities.

• Continue to build Craft Action Network as an online information and exchange network for craft educators.

• Promote the Handling Collection as a valuable resource for schools and community groups and as an additional resource for Crafts Council programmes;

• Research the opportunities to develop new forms of digital resources for craft professionals.

4.2 Deliver a programme of national participation and learning projects

We will continue to focus our work on national projects that can deliver outputs and build capacity locally, delivering two major initiatives at any one time.

• Deliver final year of Firing Up in 2012-13, evaluate the impact of the three year programme and secure its legacy.

• Continue to grow and establish Craft Club seeking further funding to secure its legacy in 2012-13.

• Establish a further three year national initiative linked to Arts Award commencing 2012-13 alongside support to the Artsmark scheme as it develops.

• Work with Creative & Cultural Skills and National Skills Academy to develop a craft apprenticeship framework subject to funding. Research and development in 2012-13 with pilot in 2013 onwards.


4.3 Implement our strategy for research, policy and advocacy of

contemporary craft

Use our resources to provide leadership for the sector through research, advocacy and policy programmes.

• Commission and disseminate robust research continuing the Crafting Capital science & technology project in 2012/13.

• Publish a regular series of briefing notes to address issues raised in the 2012 report, Craft in an Age of Change and other areas of interest.

• Profile research and significant programme outputs/outcomes through conferences and symposia, enabling the sector to debate and contribute to learning.

• Provide information to the sector through monthly policy briefings as a “one-stop shop” for policy information relevant to the sector; ensure that contemporary craft is represented in responses to consultations and that information is shared with the sector and available for others to use.

• Collaborate with regional craft organisations, building on the craft leadership network; work with partners and enable them to take advantage of advocacy opportunities provided through e.g. regional exhibitions.

• Seek collaborations with Higher Education as a non-academic partner on AHRC and EU bids and projects including completion of CinBA project with HERA funds via EU in 12/13 and collaboration on the AHRC funded programme to research online/offline craft communities with a consortium led by University of Exeter.


5.5.5.5. EFFECTIVENESS: EFFECTIVENESS: EFFECTIVENESS: EFFECTIVENESS: an effective organisation setting standards and creating an effective organisation setting standards and creating an effective organisation setting standards and creating an effective organisation setting standards and creating opopopopportunities for craftportunities for craftportunities for craftportunities for craft We aim to ensure that the contemporary craft sector is sustainable, resilient and innovative, and that the Crafts Council is an effective organisation with the capacity to lead, support and develop the sector. 5.1 Provide effective leadership offering partnership and network

opportunities for the sector As the national development agency, we advocate for, promote and support the sector in dialogue with the network of regional craft organisations with whom we have relationships. In doing this, we focus on both the economic and cultural value of craft creating programmes for makers and craft organisations that develop and sustain their practices and businesses and the sector as a whole. We develop programmes designed to work with a broad range of partners in several sectors, with the specific aims of:

• knowledge transfer and mutual sharing of expertise to raise standards and creating new work e.g. Fifty:Fifty programme;

• efficiency and minimising duplication e.g. CPD programmes in particular Hothouse;

• scaling projects and ensuring sustainable regional delivery of national projects e.g. Firing Up and Craft Club; and

• taking craft into new sectors and business contexts e.g. Portfolio test cases with architecture and STEM/digital industries.

We will continue to develop and expand partnerships to deliver our programmes, seeking new partners to promote craft organisations and activities across England.

• Lead specialist networks for makers, curators and educators providing professional development and opportunities for knowledge exchange, dialogue and debate through events, online information and digital platforms e.g. Craft Rally, Craft Action Network, Craftnet.

• Build on current contacts with HEIs in programmes including curatorial development, professional practice, research and course development. In particular, work with HEIs on the delivery of Collective – maker CPD and to advocate for the value of craft in education.

• Position contemporary craft effectively in the visual art context through membership of Visual Arts UK and contributing to Turning Point networks promoting the distinctive values of craft and its importance within the broader visual arts context.

• Act as the UK representative for the World Crafts Council via WCC-Europe; host the UK Committee and organise annual meetings at COLLECT; mount the 2012 WCC-Europe General Assembly, profiling contemporary craft in the UK to a Europe-wide audience.


5.2 Build Crafts Council as an efficient and learning organisation

Crafts Council staff are a key contributor to the effective and successful delivery of our programmes and our main source of knowledge and expertise to support the sector. In the last year, we have reduced our overall staff complement and restructured the “back office” to ensure it continues to work effectively within current finances. The Crafts Council Trustees including four Maker Trustees ensures we have a well-governed, strategically focussed organisation. Following recruitment in 2007 and 2009 we will be seeking to add new Trustees in 2012-13.

• Recruit new Trustees to the Board in 2012/13 reflecting the changed needs of the organisation.

• Continue to implement a staff development programme that ensures staff have the corporate and individual skills and competencies to deliver effectively; research option of securing Investors in People accreditation.

• Develop Crafts Council internship and work experience programmes to create opportunities for new entrants into the sector.

• Establish further use of Pentonville Road offices by summer 2012.

• Ensure the organisation has up to date and appropriate policies and procedures in governance, HR, finance, IT, health and safety and risk.

• Deliver and monitor CC diversity plan and implement changes that ensure CC is a sustainable organisation producing a sustainability strategy by 2013/14.


5. Our Audiences Our Audiences Our Audiences Our Audiences The audience for craft has transformed over the last six years with a new passion for making and “do-it yourself”, The Crafts Council engages a wide range of audiences, both public and professional. Our reach has extended across the country through a menu of projects and initiatives which have delivered up to 2 million visitors and seen major programmes extend into each of the regions over a three-year period. EngEngEngEngagementagementagementagement The Crafts Council reports ’Consuming Craft’ (2010) and Craft in an Age of Change (2012) show that large-scale events such as COLLECT (and previously Origin) are still the most popular way for many people to see, buy and learn about craft. The Crafts Council’s international reputation and its provision of the national “gold standard” in this field create important profile for the sector. This, coupled with a rising interest in craft, means that there is an increasingly engaged audience for craft. Crafts Council exhibitions Power of Making and Lab Craft in 2010 and 2011 demonstrated the public’s hunger for innovative and intriguing craft exhibitions. We will

• Develop a new routes to market programme during the course of this plan which reflects this growing interest.

• Continue to develop programmes that respond to this interest through touring, 50-50 and the V&A Triennial.

• Connect with an interested audience through Crafts magazine, high-profile marketing campaigns and digital initiatives

• Survey our existing database of 35,000 to identify the potential opportunities for professional or public membership schemes.

We will use the Active People Survey, Arts Audiences Insight and other sources to target audiences identified as having lower engagement with the arts but exhibiting an existing disposition to participating in craft.

• Focus audience development on high-impact elements of the programme including partnership exhibitions and presence at wider cultural events alongside work with regional venues to bring new audiences to touring exhibitions and to the high-quality craft loaned to regional museums.

• Engage children, young people and their families through national participation and learning programmes including completion of Firing Up and Craft Club, their successors, and links through the Bridge organisations, Artsmark and Arts Award.

ReachReachReachReach The Crafts Council has established a programme of national projects that have reach across the country.


This is demonstrated through partnership programmes such as Collective working with regional organisations to deliver national CPD programmes e.g. Hothouse and through our collaboration with CraftNet on regional networking events. We have achieved considerable success particularly in touring, working with mid scale venues in cities and towns such as Worcester, Leamington Spa, and Bury St Edmunds. Through our participation and learning programmes we have established reach at a local level working through schools and community groups to establish 400+ Craft Clubs across the country. We will offer Crafts Council programmes including touring exhibitions, Collection and Handling Collection loan opportunities and Participation & Learning projects across England, targeting areas of least engagement as currently identified by Crafts Council and cross-referencing with “areas of least engagement” identified through the Arts Council’s interpretation of the Active People Survey, Insight segmentation data and through other deprivation indices. We will

• Complete a mapping exercise to identify ‘areas of least engagement’ in CC reach.

• Survey our network of touring venues to further develop our touring exhibition offer.

• Target existing infrastructure (venues and partners) in areas of least engagement and seek to work with a broader range of organisations that have potential to put craft into new contexts in these areas.

• Build on the legacy of Craft Club expanding into community settings nationally.

Crafts Council has been particularly effective in developing audiences through its digital activity. Our strategy is to broaden, deepen and enrich experiences of craft in the digital environment; keeping at the forefront of visual arts’ engagement with new digital developments and collaborating with the new maker and tech-led organisations that are developing practice in these areas

• Use social networking and other emerging platforms to reach new audiences for contemporary craft.

• Produce rich digital interpretation and digital components for the Collection and touring exhibitions.

• Create opportunities for the public creation of content alongside the professional offer.

• Integrate our digital activity seamlessly across the programme and offering leadership to the sector in this field.


Documents

Business Plan 2012-2015 abridged - Crafts Council...Crafts Council Business Plan 2012-2015 Section 1-5 3 How we work How we work Our national overview and the depth and breadth of