Craftspace
Rowenna Davis’ article ‘Can crafts close the gender gap?’ in the Independent, 1 October, focused on the excellent new pilot scheme Craftspace (www.craftspace.co.uk) have developed to teach underachieving boys craft skills.
Working with one’s hands is crucial for full cognitive development as it develops a sense of understanding of materials and processes and enables us to understand abstract concepts. Computers are increasingly becoming the creative tool of choice and usurping hands-on learning, resulting in a decline in the ability of young engineers to conceptualise mechanical problems and a decreased dexterity in young surgeons. This isn’t to say that hands-on skills and computer skills are mutually exclusive, indeed 3D learning actually enhances people’s ability to use computers. However with craft‘s profile in the curriculum declining and craft courses in Higher Education institutions losing out to less resource-intensive options – urgent action is needed to ensure that young people are given the opportunity to learn how to make things with their hands. As Ian Middleton rightly points out – the move back to learning craft skills doesn’t have to be in order to set certain young people on a vocational path. Although craft certainly provides a viable career option with 88,250 creative practitioners working in the craft sector and contributing £3 billion GVA to the UK economy each year (The Craft Blueprint, 2009) – craft in education is more about how haptic skills can further the potential of young people in all other areas of their lives.
The Crafts Council, like Craftspace, is on a mission to bring craft back into classrooms. We aim to do this through a range of work including leading on robust research into craft’s value to learning and the curriculum and nation-wide projects to promote craft in schools. Such projects include our recently launched Craft Club initiative (www.craftclub.org.uk) to introduce craft to children via after-school clubs run by teachers and volunteers from local communities. Craft Club aims to engage young people with working by hand while helping to bring communities together to achieve a shared goal.
We hope that everyone can get behind this new scheme by Craftspace and indeed sign up to our campaign to Make Craft Count in order to ensure that all children are given the opportunity to learn life-long skills.
Rosy Greenlees
Executive Director
