Craft Club (with UKHKA)

A new craft learning resource package for schools and community groups to start their own creative club.

We have developed this initiative in response to the amount of interest from teachers who need only minimal support in order to set up clubs in their schools during extended hours, at lunch or after school. However, schools are not the only benefactors of this exciting scheme which has the potential to increase participation in craft learning in a range of other educational and cultural venues.

Knit 1, Pass It On
Initially, the club will use a discipline-based model, commencing its pilot year with knitting. In this pilot, knitters are asked to teach at least one other young person to knit. Knit 1, Pass It On is scheduled to launch in the autumn term, 2009.

Get involved
Visit our Craft Club website and register your interest in Craft Club to keep informed of any developments.

Craft Club Partners
We are working closely with the UK Handknitting Association (UKHKA) to promote a national ‘learn to knit’ scheme.

• 

  About UKHKA:
  The UKHKA’s main aim is to raise the profile of hand knitting. It does this through ‘Learn to Knit’ classes held throughout the UK, ‘Relax and Knit’ stands at all the main Knitting and Sewing shows and by the introduction of National Competitions.
  For more information, visit the UKHKA site

Background to Craft Club

Significant impetus from this scheme has come from the government’s ‘extended services’ for schools initiative. The core offer of extended services, which all schools are expected to provide by 2010, is made up of five elements.

In the table below we have matched these with the principles of Craft Club:

DCSF: Extended Services Offer	Craft Club Offer
1. Childcare (in primary and special schools)	A safe, supportive and fun place for young people to go to in their lunch or after school
2. A varied menu of activities including study support, sport and music clubs	A rolling programme of craft forms and creative projects for enrichment
3. Swift and easy access to targeted and specialist services	A network of specialist makers, craftspeople and skilled volunteers to present a high quality learning experience
4. Parenting support including family learning	‘Cascade’ learning (passing on of skills between groups, e.g. generations of a family)
5. Community access to facilities including adult and family learning, ICT and sports facilities.	An invitation for a wider pool of participants to visit a school or cultural venue to access its facilities and resources and engage in craft learning.

Summary:
The focus is on making craft accessible and practicable by as many learners as possible, and we believe knitting and other yarn-based crafts offer an economical, adaptable and fun starting point. As the club’s network grows, other crafts will be added to build up to an online library of resources for club leaders to tap into.