Crafts Council Collective: announced
The Crafts Council announced its most ambitious programme of support for craft makers on 30 September 2009.
Crafts Council Collective is for all makers working in contemporary craft – from start-up businesses to makers who have been working for decades – and has the potential to strengthen thousands of contemporary craft businesses each year through a range of on-line and event-based programmes for makers throughout their careers.
Rosy Greenlees, Executive Director, Crafts Council and Stephen Dixon, ceramicist and a Maker Trustee of the Crafts Council announced the scheme and highlighted the importance of professional development support for makers at all stages.
Hilary Carty, Director of the Cultural Leadership Programme (CLP) then spoke eloquently of the importance of leadership, professional development and partnership in the creative industries. She said:
“I very much appreciate the opportunity to join you at the launch of Craft Council Collective. It really is terrific to see the Craft Sector pulling together in this way and harnessing its energies around the critical workforce – the Makers in this industry.
The Crafts Council has responded sensitively and strategically to the agenda set by its earlier research and created a dynamic set of opportunities that really will build the capacity of Craft Makers, whilst strengthening the infrastructure of the sector as a whole. And partnership working with key sector organisations, the critical CPD agencies, HE and FE institutions is key to making this a sustainable development and a success.
The CLP was launched in June 2006 with a mission to ‘nurture world-class, dynamic and diverse leaders for the 21st century cultural and creative industries’. 21st Century leadership is really the key. In this fast –changing environment it is essential that we have leaders who are skilled and flexible, with an eclectic range of skills and a dynamic toolkit of leadership styles and options – to equip them for the variety of leadership roles that are now on offer and the variety of leadership capacities that we now consider to be the norm – far more than was the case 10-15 years ago.
With the deepest recession in public memory and talks of cuts in public spending, it is an unsettling time – but, I believe, a critical time to invest in the leaders of our industries. If we do not have good leadership of organisations and activities that help us through these times of challenge – our instititutions and people will not survive to see whatever new political dawn awaits us next May.
Like other industries we face new challenges as the pace of societal, cultural and economic change continues to increase – not least ensuring that, as we grow, we maintain our commitment to, and reputation for, excellence. And UK Crafts contributes significantly to that reputation.
As our industries multiply and diversify, then so too do we need to strengthen our systems and processes for leadership development – to proactively catch new talent, mature ideas and innovative thinking, and enable these leaders to define and select the leadership activities that fits best with their circumstances – one size does not fit all. So the Collective offer being launched today fits perfectly with the needs of the industry.
One of the real tangible successes of the CLP has been our partnership working with sector organisations and institutions – and that is one of the reasons I think Crafts Council Collective will really work. Partnership is really an essential ingredient in today’s climate. It uses shared expertise, creates new perspectives, builds and facilitates knowledge transfer and ensures that the work that is developed is relevant. Critically, it also establishes creates vital networks that create longevity.
I do encourage you to support the Crafts Council in making Collective a real success.”
You can find out all about Crafts Council Collective here and about the Cultural Leadership Programme and its work here
1 October 2009
