Craft & Cultural Conversations

23 September – 28 October 2021

Online

Free

.Craft Scotland

Craft & Cultural Conversations returns this autumn with five online talks on the theme of craft and community. Curated by Dr Catharine Rossi.

Join Craft Scotland this autumn for insightful conversations placing craft in a cultural context. Talks will explore current social themes including isolation, inequality, digital access and the craft economy.

Communities have long been at the centre of craft; from guilds to communes, makerspaces to knitting circles. Craft makes communities and communities make craft, and strong craft communities can help tackle issues from a local to a societal level.

We are in a time when the idea of community is being challenged: increasing social and political divides see communities based on opposition rather than unity, and digital culture engenders isolation as much it brings people together.

Within craft, socio-economic barriers and the challenges facing craft education only serve to heighten the lack of diversity in the profession, and there are questions around the power relations at play in working with craft communities near and far.

We need to discuss what community means for craft now, in order to ensure strong, vibrant and inclusive craft communities in the future.

Programme

Please click the links below to find out more about each talk and our guest speakers...

Keynote: Community vs. Network - Thurs 23 Sept, 11am

Hear from Professor Daniel Charny in this opening keynote about things he has learnt and unlearnt about communities and making over the last 20 years.

Researching Craft & Communities - Thurs 7 Oct, 11am

Academics Dr Karen Patel, Dr Stephen Knott, and Dr Justin Marshall share their insights into craft communities in UK, China and India in this panel discussion. Discover a range of perspectives including the impacts of inequalities, digital tools in craft and social media/entrepreneurism.

Engaging Communities through Craft - Thurs 21 Oct, 11am

Hear from Deirdre Figueiredo MBE in conversation with Professor Fiona Hackney, and moderated by Dr Justin Marshall, followed by an audience Q&A.

Empowering Communities - Thurs 28 Oct, 11am

Edmund Le Brun, co-founder of ISHKAR, and artist/maker Deirdre Nelson in conversation with Dr Stephen Knott, discuss different approaches to working with and empowering communities, in the UK and beyond, that are facing challenges. This panel will be followed by an audience Q&A.

Final Keynote & Curator's Review - Thurs 28 Oct, 5pm

For our final event, we are delighted to welcome our closing Keynote speaker Namita Gupta Wiggers to discuss communities in craft from her perspective as a curator and educator.

How to book

View the full programme and book your place now via Eventbrite.

To ensure Craft Scotland events are as accessible as possible for the Scottish craft community, you can now choose what you pay using our sliding scale.

About Craft Scotland

Craft Scotland is the national development agency supporting makers and promoting crafts in Scotland. We put makers at the heart of all we do, championing diverse and high-quality contemporary craft. We help people learn about, appreciate and buy craft, promoting the contribution of craft to Scotland’s cultural, economic and social wellbeing.

About Dr Catharine Rossi

Dr Catharine Rossi is the Associate Professor in Design History at Kingston School of Art, Kingston University, London and her research interests include histories and theories of design and craft, past and present. Most recently Catharine co-curated Night Fever: Designing Club Culture 1960 - Today (Vitra Design Museum, 2018) which you can visit at the V&A Dundee until Sunday 9 January 2022. Find out more.