The Crafts Council has launched a major research project into the economic and social value of craft, focusing on portfolio working craft makers who engage with other industry sectors and community and education contexts.
Craft makers who apply their craft skills/knowledge/creativity in other industry sectors (eg fashion, television, carnival, leisure, tourism etc) and/or in community settings (eg youth, older people, criminal justice etc) who would be interested in taking part in this interview based research, are being sought. The findings from this qualitative study will fuel our policy work, create content for our national conference on 22 June 2010 and provide a rounded view of the sector’s impact which can’t be fully captured by statistics.
We’re keen to involve both a wide range of makers and also the organisations they work with, or are supported by, in this research. We hope you will be able to help in one or more ways, such as:
• identifying evaluations of programmes and projects evidencing the economic and/or social impact of makers
• providing information on education programmes and support service agency models aimed at developing makers’ portfolio practices
• suggesting individual makers as interviewees
• helping us to promote the research through your networks, blogs, newsletters and websites
Contact Mary Schwarz, Research Consultant, or Karen Yair, Research & Information Manager at the Crafts Council.
