Response to ACE announcement
CRAFTS COUNCIL RESPONSE TO ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND ANNOUNCEMENT OF NATIONAL PORTFOLIO ORGANISATIONS AND FUNDING LEVELS FROM 12/13
Following Arts Council England’s announcement today (Wednesday, 30 March), setting out the new roster of National Portfolio Organisations and accompanying funding levels, the Crafts Council has endeavoured to make an initial assessment of the overall outcome for contemporary craft.
From the published information, there is a range of results for the craft organisations that formed part of the previous RFO portfolio. In general, there appears to be a higher level of investment in a smaller number of organisations including significant uplifts to organisations that include craft within their broader visual arts activity. There are some notable new additions whose work is entirely focussed on contemporary craft, but also some organisations that will need to replace former Arts Council funds after 11/12.
Joanna Foster CBE, Chair of the Crafts Council said “Clearly there is mixed news for individual organisations in the sector. But, we are sure that the entrepreneurial spirit of the makers, curators, gallerists, educators and craft professionals that have made the profile of craft so strong in recent years will continue We take this opportunity to applaud the entire sector and the passion and energy which it has invested in craft, to welcome new organisations to the portfolio and to express the hope that organisations that no longer receive regular funding from ACE will find other sources.”
Regarding the future funding level of the Crafts Council, Rosy Greenlees commented
“The settlement we have received allows us to continue with our work to support the contemporary craft sector, working with the Arts Council and in partnership with other organisations. It is a decrease in our funds, and it will have some effect on what we do, but we will ensure that we minimise the impact on the craft sector. We are already working hard to establish alternative sources of income and will continue to do so over the coming months.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
• The Crafts Council Collection was established in 1972 and covers the whole range of contemporary craft practice with 1,400 objects from both established figures and upcoming names. Objects in the Collection are available for loan. For more information on borrowing from the Collection, please visit the Crafts Council website or contact Birgit Dohrendorf, Registrar, Crafts Council, tel: 020 7806 2525, email: b_dohrendorf@craftscouncil.org.uk. Images of all objects can also be viewed in our online image library through Photostore on the website www.craftscouncil.org.uk
• The Crafts Council’s goal is to make the UK the best place to make, see, collect and learn about contemporary craft.
o We believe that craft plays a dynamic and vigorous role in the UK’s social, economic and cultural life.
o We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to make, see, collect and learn about craft.
o We believe that the strength of craft lies in its use of traditional and contemporary techniques, ideas and materials to make extraordinary new work.
o We believe that the future of craft lies in nurturing talent; children and young people must be able to learn about craft at school and have access to excellent teaching throughout their education.
• 12% of the UK population visited a craft exhibition in 2009/10, and 18% participated in craft activity in the same year (DCMS/ACE Taking Part data update August 2010). (Taking Part is an ongoing survey being carried out by Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and Arts Council England (ACE).
• More than 2.8 million visits were made to the Crafts Council website in 2009. To find out everything you need to know about where to make, see, collect and learn about contemporary craft visit www.craftscouncil.org.uk
• Crafts Council Craft Champions are all active supporters of contemporary craft who signed up to the Craft Matters campaign at www.craftmatters.org.uk to say that craft matters to them. Current Craft Champions are; Linda Barker, Priscilla Carluccio, Sir Terence Conran, Siobhan Davies CBE, Duke of Devonshire, Norman Foster, Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, Tricia Guild OBE, Sir Mark Jones, Jude Kelly OBE, Cath Kidston, Corin Mellor, Michelle Ogundehin, Grayson Perry, Jon Snow, Sheila Teague, Sandi Toksvig, Sir John Tusa and Jeanette Winterson OBE and Lola Young, Baroness Young of Hornsey OBE.
• Arts Council England works to get great art to everyone by championing, developing and investing in artistic experiences that enrich people’s lives. We support a range of artistic activities from theatre to music, literature to dance, photography to digital art, and carnival to crafts. Great art inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves, and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2011 and 2015, we will invest £1.4 billion of public money from government and a further £0.85 billion from the National Lottery to create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country.
