Crafts Council launches Take Stock
Take Stock is a new initiative launched by the Crafts Council to help independent contemporary craft retailers. It aims to explore how contemporary craft is currently sold and raise awareness of high quality independent craft retailers in the UK.
Take Stock will encourage retailers to experiment with their current model of retailing and work on innovative and forward-thinking projects that will develop new ways in which to engage consumers in contemporary craft.
The scheme is an annual initiative that will provide between three and five retailers with business-to-business support in the form of mentoring for a proposed project over an 18-month period. Applicants for the first round of Take Stock, that will run over 2009/2011, have been asked to focus on one of the following topics;
• Branding and identity development
• In-store presentation and design development
• Website and e-commerce development
The first cohort of Take Stock retailers will start their projects in October 2009.
Take Stock will stimulate retailers to think differently about the presentation and sale of contemporary craft. Take Stock case studies will be up on the Crafts Council website as projects develop. For more information visit http://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/learning-and-support/buying-and-selling-craft/
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For more information and please contact Jill Read in the Crafts Council Press Office on Tel: +44 (0) 20 7806 2549, Email: media@craftscouncil.org.uk
Notes to Editors
• The Crafts Council is the national development agency for contemporary crafts. It aims to position the UK as the best place in the world for making, seeing and collecting contemporary craft.
• For further information about the Crafts Council visit www.craftscouncil.org.uk
• The Crafts Council is supported by Arts Council England. Arts Council England works to get great art to everyone by championing, developing and investing in artistic experiences that enrich people’s lives. As the national development agency for the arts, it supports a range of artistic activities from theatre to music, literature to dance, photography to digital art, and carnival to crafts. Between 2008 and 2011, Arts Council England will invest £1.3 billion of public money from government and a further £0.3 billion from the National Lottery to create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.
