NEWSLETTER JULY/AUGUST 1978

Thomas Prior House, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 Telephone 01 680764

PUBLIC AWARENESS This edition of the Newsletter coincides with the RDS Horse Show and what is to many the most exciting, if farthest from horses, part of this world famous occasion: the exhibition of the works of the National Crafts Competition winners.

The RDS has always been a body with an interest in promoting crafts and crafts­manship along with its other better known agricultural, scientific and cultural activities. To see the RDS in terms of the Spring Show and Horse Show and concerts is to miss a great deal of what it has done and continues to do for crafts in Ireland. If it had done no more for crafts, however, than carry through the concept of the National Crafts Competition this would have justified everything it stands for. The competition is more than the title would imply for while it undoubt­edly creates an opportunity for the pitting of skills, workmanship, design and creativity against one another over a wide spectrum of disciplines, and from the art student to the established professional, everyone is in effect a winner if only in the judging of themselves and their standards against the chosen ones.

Craft Hunters Pocket Guide

Standards and craftsmanship is very much what it is all about and each year sees a raising of the standard. It is not, there­fore, unexpected to note how many of the established craftsmen and women in this country have been winners of major awards in this competition.

With so many thousands of the general public visiting the Horse Show, the fact that they can see and appreciate good craftsmanship is creating an awareness which can only be valuable in terms of public education and essential when it comes to distinguishing at point of sale the good from the rubbish.

This year Crafts Council of Ireland also takes part in the Horse Show by mounting a promotional exhibition so that the public can be aware of the part it is playing and will play more fully in the interests of the craftworkers and the future of crafts as an increasingly important and contributing sector of the community.

Major Craft Conference for Wexford Crafts Council of Ireland is planning a major Crafts Conference and associated activities for the weekend 10th, 11th and 12th November in Wexford.

The Conference, titled "The Future of Crafts — Ireland", will consider, arising from the present, aspects of not merely survival but growth into the next decade. Craftsmanship in terms of quality, design and workmanship; the dedication and self-discipline required in the practise and completion of a product from concept to the market place; and discernment, in terms of public aware­ness, the media, the retailer, consumer and educationalist will be the main topics.

These and the role of the craftsmen, the Council and the State agencies and the input required from them will be examined by speakers from abroad and at home and ample opportunity will be given to all craftsmen to participate in the dialogue.

Details of time, cost and accommodation will be announced shortly and it is to be hoped that as many craftsmen as possible will attend.

The new edition of the excellent Bord Failte booklet, The Craft Hunters Pocket Guide, is now available. This edition contains many new photographs and more names and locations of crafts studios which welcome visitors and of craft shops. Its popularity may be judged by the fact that each year's edition is sold

out. Crafts Council of Ireland collaborates closely with Bord Failte Visitor Purchases Section on this publication and many of the photographs are from Crafts Council files. At 25p, it is an invaluable reference book for anyone interested in the contempor­ary crafts scene at commercial level.

AUDI-VISUAL PRESENTATION

The audio-visual presentation devised for the Crafts Council of Ireland stand at the RDS Horse Show can be made available to member organisations for use at regional exhibition's and fairs and details of conditions can be had from the Executive Officer.

NAMING YOUR PRICE by Brian V. Mooney

The first thing to be said is that we are talking about craftsmen (I use the word generically) not artists. Not that the two are mutually exclusive; Bernard Leach is an artist; but he is primarily a craftsman and has not sought an artist's return for craftsman's work. I will return to the relationship later on.

The essentials of craftsmanship are repetitiveness and functionality. Obviously, these two relate to each other but for our purposes the important thing is this: because craft is repetitive, it cannot be valued as a one-off. If it is to be functional, its costs must be related equally to the degree and type of its functionality with allowances for market-demand and saturability. Put it another way, in craft terms a Piccasso dish is primarily a dish; not a Piccasso. And, vvere Chagall to start turning out enamels for a living, he could hardly continue to price his work as Chagalls in painting terms.

Titania's palace; an Aran sweater; a Finch pot; the unmistakeable stamp of craft to the buying eye — the cast of hands - is matched by an equally unmistakeable pride in craftsmanship to the working eye. This pride exists at individual and collective craftwork levels. Individual craftwork is a very specific skill acquired after a fairly long apprenticeship; viz. pottery, metalwork. Collective craftwork is a skill acquired after a fairly short apprenticeship; viz. rushwork and knitting.

Pride in craftsmanship is a reflection of craft as a commitment to a way of life. In the case of the individual craftworker, this commitment is total; in the case of the collective craftworker, it is partial. Undoubtedly two of the greatest dangers confronting the craft industry today are:

i Where the part-time collective craft­worker seeks a per-unit return equal to that of the whole-time individual;

ii Where the whole-time individual craftworker seeks a return equal to that of an artist.

Concerning the first, I do not mean to denigrate collective craftwork. On the contrary, a good Aran sweater is

eminently preferable to a poor pot and probably the most distinctive crafts we still have in Ireland belong to the collective craftwork type: vis. rushwork and knitting. But someone enaaaed in part-time work should not expect the return of someone engaged in full-time work. What has happened is this: in the past few years collective craftworkers have been "organised". This means that marketing and administrative costs have been added to the initial cost of the produc The extent and nature of these costs have often not been sufficiently communicated to the craftworker, with consequent dissatisfaction at craftworker level and a raising of their price when they see the ultimate retail price. We are presently merely a hair's breath away from the £50 Aran sweater and the £20 set of rush mats. Can the market bear this sort of thing?

As already explained the repetitive nature of craftwork distinguishes it from art­work. Of course this does not mean that small output automatically warrants compensation in terms of increased return. Individual craftwork is reflective of a total way of life and the craftworker who does not work a full day or who works spasmodically or who works at craft part-time in order to do what he or she may really want to do (vis. paint pictures, sculpt sculptures) can be a serious threat to the image of the craft movement.

On the other hand, nobody is advocating sheer repetitiveness for its own sake; a machine can do that. What, in fact, distinguishes craftwork from artwork is repetitiveness; but equally what distinguishes craft from industrialised products is often the distinctiveness breathed into them by the artistry of design and the freedom of expression not permitted to the mass produced products.

Unfortunately, the often poor quality of design in craft together with the poor image of craftworkers which sometimes results from their artistic lifestyle, are two main factors presently hampering craft acceptability. The fact that this lack of acceptability is not intrinsic to craft as such is seen in the success of small industries which can project a craft image; Irish made crystal and Al O'Dea's

furniture are good examples. If the craft movement is to continue to grow successfully, insistance on standards - of design as well as of work — is of paramount importance.

In the wake of the oil crisis we are all being given to understand that high cost automatically confers status. In the case of craft, this is rendered easier by the general lack of education of the public. Another factor is even more disturbing. The waning of violence in the North has restored tourism to some of the splendours formerly enjoyed in the '60s. Craft shops have no difficulty selling out. The lack of good merchandise with which to stock their shops, however, renders them prone to take any merchandise to stock their shelves. And, as a corollary of this, poor supply also seems to justify higher price demand, the thinking being that the tourists are gullible and the supply inexhaustible. I hardly need to point out the dangers of this, both for the image of craft and the image of Ireland.

The supreme law is the determination of cost and so of its obverse, price, is this, the price of a product must realistically reflect the work which has gone into it. the work is assessed in terms of time and skill. The type of skill, individual or collective, determines whether work be considered whole or part-time, with proportionate price adjustments.

The second law would seem to be this: price must be related to the degree of functionality or otherwise of the product. This, in turn, relates to repetitiveness in that the more functional the article, the more repetitive it will tend to be. Again, with proportionate price adjustments.

In the final analysis, craft is a ritual. It should, thus, be imbued with the attributes of ritual, at once sacred and reoetitive. The sacred is the total philosophy of the craftworker and his design and work skills and these inform the repetitive nature of the work. With both of these operative, craftwork becomes both disciplined and free and labourer is worthy of his hire.

And I am perhaps naive enough to think that he can actually influence, by his work and lifestyle, even the commercial element with which he is forced to deal.

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LIMERICK CRAFTWORKERS LEASE SHOP IN ADARE

The newly formed Limerick Craftworkers Association has leased one of Adare's famed thatched cottages from the joint owners, Limerick County Council and Shannonside Tourism. This will be used as a craft centre and shop and this venture in such an appropriate tourist town is deserving of congratulations and support.

It is yet another indication of the community strength being derived from the formation of craft associations which engender various activities from craft shops to fairs, competitions and exhibitions.

MAYO HANDCRAFTS SUCCESS IN FRANCE

At an industrial commercial exhibition in Brest, to which they were invited, members of Mayo Craftworkers Association set up a stand stocked with their work. The four members who travelled were presented at the end of the exhibition with an award for the best foreign stand and, even more satisfying, brought home orders worth some thousands of pounds.

A market research programme is being developed with the aid of CTT so that the many contacts made can be developed.

IRISH EXHIBITS FOR STRATFORD-ON-AVON

Three members of the Irish Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers will have work in the exhibition of weaving in the Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon in September.

The Irish Guild was invited to submit work for this and the following were chosen: a floor rug by Muriel Beckett, a handspun, handwoven stole by Lillias Mitchell and a wall hanging by Karen Hay-Eadie.

NON-PAYMENT OF ACCOUNTS

Craftsmen will complain from time to time about non-payment of accounts by craft shops. All craft shops tend to get a bad name as payers for the faults of a few.

There need not by anything like the number of complaints if craftsmen would take the easy action open to them by getting in touch with Miss Blanaid Reddin of Bord Failte Visitor Purchases Section, 67 Upper Stephen Street, Dublin 8, letting her know about the particulars of the case and enclosing a copy of the invoice so that that office can take the matter up. In most cases payment is forthcoming.

Craftsmen, however, should make sure that they have kept their part of the contract and that they have made sure that their own credit terms are clear to the shop, that these are stated on the invoice and that all the terms of delivery have been adhered to and products delivered as and when required. Deliveries arriving broken, for instance, can hold up payment while the craft shops wait to see the craftsman about it on his next visit.

If these matters are not right, then the craft shop cannot be blamed and the craftsmen have no real grounds for complaining about non-payment.

North Tipperary Craftworkers Meet

Over a hundred North Tipperary craft­workers met in Nenagh on 26th June to consider the formation of a crafts association. The meeting, which was chaired by the Acting County Manager, Mr Tom Griffin, was addressed by Mr E. F. Sutton, Executive Officer, Crafts Council of Ireland; Mr Peter Hogan, County Development Officer; Mr E. de Stafford of Bord Failte, Shannonside, and Mr Dave Connolly and Mr Tomas 0 Domnhaill of SFADCO.

A Steering Committee of ten led by Mr Peter Hogan will now devise an appropriate constitution which will be for approval at a future meeting.

RDS ADMINISTRATOR'S VISIT TO UNITED STATES

During her recent visit to the United States, as a guest of the U.S. government, Betty Searson, Arts Administrator of the RDS and Honorary Secretary of Crafts Council of Ireland, visited the Headquarters in New York of the World Crafts Council. She was received by Mrs Vanderbilt Webb, Honorary Chairman, Mr Ake H. Huldt, General Secretary and Ms Linda Spencer and brought greetings from the RDS Crafts Committee and the Crafts Council of Ireland.

While in New York, she also visited the offices of the American Crafts Council where she was shown their Library and Research Centre by its Director, Mrs Joanne Polster.

In Washington, Mrs Lee Schlegel, a well-known American weaver and Crafts Administrator, brought Betty to see a most successful Craft Co-operative which was started in 1974 in a disused torpedo factory in Virginia, just outside Washington. Here about 200 artists and craftworkers have set up their studios where they carry out their work and sell directly to the public.

While in San Francisco, Betty saw the exquisitely displayed exhibition "Treasures of Early Irish Art" , where huge crowds are pouring in to see the Ardagh Chalice, the Cross of Cong, the Tara Brooch and many other magnificent masterpieces by Irish craftworkers from a bygone age.

VOCATIONAL SCHOOL SEEKS

CRAFTSMEN

Mr Ganly, of North Strand Vocational School, Dublin, is seeking craftsmen who would be prepared to take evening classes in the coming winter. Among the subjects of particular interest would be prepared to take evening classes in the coming winter. Among the subjects of particular interest would be leather, stained glass and fine needlework but he would like to hear from any craftsman willing to teach.

BASIC BUSINESS KNOWLEDGE IN SMALL CRAFT INDUSTRY

by Beibhin Martin

About eight years ago I attended a day course in Galway for small craft industries. It was on standard of product, how to sell it, how to get on with banks, and so forth. The main speaker was a man called Thompson from the Scottish Highlands and Islands Board who is now the EEC Commissioner for Regional Affairs. It was an inspiration to hear him talking about whiskey distilling and cottage spinning and weaving in everyday terms, and mainly about the requirements for success in industry being the same for giant and dwarf.

Since then there has not, to my know­ledge, been any similar gathering with similar objectives. The IMI does not in practical terms cater for the 'one man band' — most of their courses are on such themes as 'how to manage your transport fleet' and so on and are usually very expensive. Perhaps they should be subsidised to produce a booklet or else regular bulletins for the really small man. It would be of tremendous benefit if the Crafts Council were to make moves in this direction.

Exporting, even in a small way, involves a rot of meticulous paper work and regulation checking if things are to run smoothly and few people are aware of just where help is to be found in this direction. CTT have all the information but it can be difficult for an individual without contacts to get any real advice, it is assumed that you know a bit to start with. The various Chambers of Commerce can be much more approachable as personal contact is easier to achieve. Dealing with country Post Offices can be painful as more often than not the Overseas Postal Regulations are used as teapot stands and geography is hazy. The only system is to get hold of the Regulations oneself and present the thing to the counter as a fait accompli, weighed, stamped, and documentated; this gives relief all round. It is very important to have even a broad plan for each twelve months with regard to production and marketing so that you can buy in raw materials at the favour­able rates. Banks can be a great help here if given a written projection of your activities and financial requirements. With regard to banks and exporting they can, once again, be of great use only if you specifically ask for your queries to be dealt with by their foreign depart­ments. Country branches are often reluctant to admit their ignorance.

Marketing is perhaps the area in which the Crafts Council could best help the individual worker. It is nearly always a painful and time consuming experience that makes away with hard earned money as well. As an individual one has very little weight with buyers who are used to the royal treatment given them by the large manufacturers and one can rarely get loyalty and consideration from the larger customers. These days there is so much talent and expertise in the game of selling that for the professional sales person, products and the people who make them are only pawns in the game and 'may the best seller sell' not the best product. How is the small craftsman to be able to judge the best outlets for his wares when he sells away from his own area? How does he know the credit­worthiness of a new customer — some respected names in the retail trade have caused much hardship to small suppliers and yet 'in the trade' it would have been known to be likely. On the export market CTT will help if you have these problems but at home you are on your own. Perhaps the Crafts Council could produce a sort of cryptic guide of craft-shops and other dealers.

Should one need help in the technical sense it is a very good practice to approach the larger manufacturers in your own field first as they, more often than not, are very interested in what you are doing and are only too glad to help on an informal basis. There is a lot of interest in industry in the small man as many technicians have a yen to be independent themselves, they see it all as a welcome diversion. Never seek technical help from a Government body without at first finding out the cost - the MRS for instance can charge exorbitantly for its 'assistance'.

For the individual to start off in a craft business means living in your work for years and this can place on people strains that were not at first considered. Some help along the lines suggested would free one from a lot of necessary but unproductive toil as well as improving the general craft field in the country. Standards are necessary in everything.

US. Conference Studies Apprenticeship

The Craft Reporter notes a conference which was held in April of this year at New York and, attended by 45 invited participants as well as 35 observers, many of them leaders of key craft organisations in the U.S. and Canada and craft workers in many media, discussed apprenticeship in general.

This pioneering conference examined such themes as the Apprenticeship Concept and Academia, Apprenticeships and the work place, the Governmental Presence and innovative approaches and future directions.

Standards was a matter constantly raised by the various speakers whose concern for this vital aspect ranged from the setting of standards by which craft skills can be judged to determine the successful completion of a master/apprentice relationship to standards for the conditions under which master craftsman and apprentices work together as well as those for minimum wages, safety, insurance and other factors.

The conference was not designed to produce specific answers to all problems but rather to air problems like those mentioned and others such as whether craft skills in future will be learned in academic settings, through apprentice­ships, or a combination of both, and the length of apprenticeship periods.

The conference was sponsored by the American Crafts Council and it is hoped that the paper will be compiled as a book funded by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts.

100 Million Craftsmen!!

Two out of five Americans are now involved in some type of craft as a leisure activity, which means that something like 100 million people express their involve­ment in greater appreciation of fine quality handcrafted items. A claim is made that this market potential has led to increased professionalism within the craft movement.