Crafts Council (UK)

Crafts Council (UK)
Name	Crafts Council (UK)
Formation	1971
Type	Charity; arts organisation
Headquarters	London
Region served	United Kingdom
Leader title	Director

Crafts Council (UK) The Crafts Council (UK) is a national organisation for contemporary craft based in London that supports makers, promotes Victoria and Albert Museum, engages with galleries such as Tate Modern, and works alongside institutions including British Council, Arts Council England, and National Trust to develop public programmes. It collaborates with higher education institutions such as Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, and Ravensbourne University London while liaising with bodies like House of Commons committees and cultural festivals including Cheltenham Festival. The organisation connects craft fairs such as Collect Art Fair, auction houses like Christie's, and museums such as Museum of London to spotlight makers and craft heritage.

History

The Crafts Council (UK) was established in 1971 amid cultural debates involving figures from National Gallery trustees, policy makers associated with Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and curators from Victoria and Albert Museum, reflecting influences from arts producers linked to Glasgow School of Art and Edinburgh College of Art. Early programmes involved partnerships with regional museums such as Manchester Art Gallery, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, and Leeds Art Gallery and collaborations with festivals including Brighton Festival and Edinburgh Festival Fringe. During the 1980s and 1990s the organisation worked with international partners like Design Museum curators, exchanges with Cooper Hewitt, engagements with British Council tours to venues in Smithsonian Institution, and relationships with craft guilds including Guildhall School of Music and Drama alumni networks. In the 2000s it developed national initiatives with Arts Council England, entered publishing arrangements with Thames & Hudson, and mounted exhibitions with Barbican Centre and Royal Academy of Arts; recent decades have seen conferences with think tanks such as Nesta and policy dialogues involving City of London Corporation.

Mission and Activities

The organisation's mission aligns with strategic aims promoted by Arts Council England and policy frameworks debated in House of Lords committees, emphasizing support for makers associated with studios in Shoreditch, workshops in Bristol, and craft businesses on routes linked to Great Western Railway. Its activities include professional development schemes in partnership with institutions like British Library business services, mentoring networks linked to Nesta innovation funds, and market-readiness programmes intersecting with trade events such as London Craft Week and Designjunction. The Crafts Council (UK) also advocates at parliamentary inquiries alongside campaign groups including Crafts Council of Ireland counterparts and cultural NGOs such as Creative Scotland and Arts Council Northern Ireland.

Exhibitions and Events

The organisation stages touring exhibitions that have visited venues including V&A Dundee, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and York Art Gallery and has produced major shows comparable to those at Royal Academy of Arts and Tate Britain. It runs public-facing events at locations such as Somerset House, pop-ups during London Design Festival, and market stalls at Spitalfields Market while commissioning artists with residencies linked to institutions such as Riverside Studios and RCA. Collaborations with curators from Serpentine Galleries and partnerships with international biennales like Venice Biennale and Biennale of Sydney have featured in programme strands, and the organisation presents awards scrutinised by juries including members from Crafts Council of Ireland, Design Museum, and academic panels from University of the Arts London.

Education and Outreach

Education work has included partnerships with schools participating in schemes connected to Artsmark and teacher training links with Institute of Education programmes; outreach extends to community projects in areas served by Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Glasgow City Council. The organisation has run workshops alongside makers from studios affiliated with City & Guilds of London Art School and vocational courses intersecting with apprenticeship frameworks administered by bodies such as Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Public programmes have featured collaborations with broadcasters such as BBC Proms spin-offs and digital learning produced with media partners including Channel 4 and cultural streaming services connected to British Library collections.

Collections and Publications

The Crafts Council (UK) curates and manages collections that have been lent to institutions including Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum of London Docklands, and regional museums such as Bristol Museum & Art Gallery; these collections feature work by makers associated with guilds like Worshipful Company of Woolmen and studios related to Royal Society of Arts. Its publishing output has included catalogues and books produced in collaboration with publishers such as Thames & Hudson, exhibition catalogues akin to those at Tate Publishing, and monographs on makers who exhibit at fairs like Collect Art Fair; it has also produced research reports used by universities such as Goldsmiths, University of London and think tanks like Nesta.

Governance and Funding

Governance structures include trustees drawn from sectors represented by Royal Society of Arts, British Council, and university advisors from University of Cambridge and University of Oxford; boards have worked with legal advisers similar to those advising National Theatre and financial auditors used by institutions such as Imperial College London. Funding has historically combined grants from Arts Council England, project funding from Heritage Lottery Fund, sponsorship from companies including those in the Hang Seng Bank and private philanthropy connected to foundations like Paul Hamlyn Foundation, alongside earned income from ticket sales at events reminiscent of London Design Festival and commercial partnerships with retailers such as Liberty (department store). Procurement and commissioning have followed procedures consistent with trusts operating within guidance from Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Category:Arts organisations based in London Category:Charities based in London