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Sir, The UK is a world leader in craft, yet craft education is at serious risk. This is why we support the Education Manifesto for Craft and Making, being launched in the House of Commons today.
Craft generates £3.4 billion for the UK economy, with 150,000 people employed in businesses driven by craft skills, in engineering, science, design, architecture, fashion and film. Making contributes to cognitive development and fosters wellbeing. It develops creativity, inventiveness and problem-solving.
Between 2007 and 2012, following changes in education policies, student participation in craft-related GCSEs fell by 25 per cent. In higher education, craft courses fell by 46 per cent. This comes when elsewhere around the globe investment in creative education and making is rising.
We make five calls for change: put craft and making at the heart of education; build more routes into craft careers; bring the entrepreneurial attitude of makers into education; invest in craft skills throughout careers; and promote higher education and artistic and scientific research in craft.
Rosy Greenlees, executive director, Crafts Council; Professor Geoffrey Crossick, director, AHRC Cultural Value Project and Crafts Council chairman; Kirstie Allsopp, broadcaster; Nigel Carrington, vice-chancellor, University of the Arts London; Edmund de waal, artist and writer; Peter Lord, creative director, Aardman; Kevin McCloud, author, broadcaster and designer; Grayson Perry, artist; Sir Terence Conran, The Conran Foundation; Diana Beeden-Simpson, The City of Leicester College; Jo Bloxham, curator, Collector and Crafts Council Trustee; Jean & John Botts; Professor Andrew Brewerton, Plymouth College of Art; Alison Britton, Royal College of Art; Professor Bruce Brown, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research, University of Brighton (Crafts Council Trustee); Jane Bryant, Artswork; Deborah Bull, King’s College London; Anthony Burrill, designer; Matthew Burt, Furniture Maker; Catherine Bush, City and Guilds UK; James Bustard, director, National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland; Lesley Butterworth, National Society for Education in Art & Design; Jules Campbell, The Middle East Bureau and Crafts Council Trustee; Daniel Charny, professor of design, Kingston University; Tommaso Corvi-Mora, Corvi-Mora Gallery; Professor David Crow, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester School of Art; Matt, Doris, head of community programmes, Etsy.com; Professor Linda Drew, Glasgow School of Art and chairwoman of CHEAD; Julia Rowntree and Duncan Hooson, Clayground Collective; Mark Dunhill, representative board member for the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), dean of academic programmes, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London; Michael Eden, Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design (MIRIAD) and Crafts Council Trustee; Clare Edwards, National Centre for Craft and Design; Nicholas Ford, The Ernest Cook Trust; Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, writer and broadcaster, former rector of the RCA; David Gauntlett, University Of Westminster; Judy Glasman, dean of School of Creative Arts, University of Hertfordshire; Sir Nicholas Goodison, former chairman, Crafts Council; Richard Green, The Design & Technology Association (D&T); Sarah Griffin Curator; Professor Martin Hall, University of Salford; Lindsey Hall, Real Ideas Organisation; Rupert & Robin Hambro, Jo Hambro & Hambro Perks; Barney Hare Duke, British Ceramics Biennial; Andrew Harrison, Spaces that Work Ltd and Crafts Council Trustee; Professor Gavin Henderson CBE, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama; Jan Hodges OBE, The Edge Foundation; Professor Dorothy Hogg MBE, jeweller; Jenny Holloway, Fashion Enter; Amy Hughes; Lisa Jeffery, Hove Park School and Sixth Form College; Corinne Julius, Design and Applied Arts Critic and Chair Visual Art & Architecture Section - The Critic’s Circle; Walter Keeler, ceramicist; Christine Lalumia, Contemporary Applied Arts (CAA); Celine Larose, Vacheron Constantin; Sir Stuart & Lady Lipton ; Billy Lloyd, Maker; Fiona Logue, Craft Scotland; Patricia Lovett MBE, Hernewood Studio; Professor Bill Lucas, professor of learning, University of Winchester; Tina Mabey, Madeline Mabey Trust; Kate Malone, Kate Malone Ceramics; Shonagh Manson, Jerwood Charitable Foundation; John Mathers, Design Council; Mark Miodownik, Institute of Making, UCL; Jennie Moncur, Jennie Moncur Studio; Professor Jeremy Myerson, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art; Lyanne Nicholl, Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST); Peter Nutkins, headmaster, Humphrey Perkins School; Professor Simon Ofield-Kerr, vice-chancellor, University for the Creative Arts; Peter Pearce, West Dean College; David Perry, Comino Foundation; Susanne Rauprich, National Council for Voluntary Youth Services; Alison Richmond, The Institute of Conservation (ICON); Beverley Rider, designer and Crafts Council trustee; Charles Savage, Craft Central; Ros & John Senior, collectors; Richard Slee, artist, Professor Emeritus, University of the Arts, London; Martin Smith ; Brian & Hana Smouha, collectors; John & Lady Sorrell, The Sorrell Foundation; Erica Steer, Devon Guild of Craftsmen; Deyan Sudjic, Design Museum; Sean Sutcliffe, Benchmark; Vanessa Swann, Cockpit Arts; Pauline Tambling, CEO, Creative & Cultural Skills and managing director, National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills; Peter Taylor, director, Goldsmiths’ Centre; Sheila Teague, Wright & Teague; Dr Paul Thompson Rector, Royal College of Art; David Tootill, Southbank Mosaics; Clare Twomey, artist and Crafts Council trustee; Patricia Van Den Akker, The Design Trust; Tamsin van Essen, Artist; Dagmar Walz, cultural consultant; Leigh Willott Emma Bridgewater; Robin Wood MBE, chairman, Heritage Crafts Association
Edit - A letter in the Times today.
Sir, The UK is a world leader in craft, yet craft education is at serious risk. This is why we support the Education Manifesto for Craft and Making, being launched in the House of Commons today.
Craft generates £3.4 billion for the UK economy, with 150,000 people employed in businesses driven by craft skills, in engineering, science, design, architecture, fashion and film. Making contributes to cognitive development and fosters wellbeing. It develops creativity, inventiveness and problem-solving.
Between 2007 and 2012, following changes in education policies, student participation in craft-related GCSEs fell by 25 per cent. In higher education, craft courses fell by 46 per cent. This comes when elsewhere around the globe investment in creative education and making is rising.
We make five calls for change: put craft and making at the heart of education; build more routes into craft careers; bring the entrepreneurial attitude of makers into education; invest in craft skills throughout careers; and promote higher education and artistic and scientific research in craft.
Rosy Greenlees, executive director, Crafts Council; Professor Geoffrey Crossick, director, AHRC Cultural Value Project and Crafts Council chairman; Kirstie Allsopp, broadcaster; Nigel Carrington, vice-chancellor, University of the Arts London; Edmund de waal, artist and writer; Peter Lord, creative director, Aardman; Kevin McCloud, author, broadcaster and designer; Grayson Perry, artist; Sir Terence Conran, The Conran Foundation; Diana Beeden-Simpson, The City of Leicester College; Jo Bloxham, curator, Collector and Crafts Council Trustee; Jean & John Botts; Professor Andrew Brewerton, Plymouth College of Art; Alison Britton, Royal College of Art; Professor Bruce Brown, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research, University of Brighton (Crafts Council Trustee); Jane Bryant, Artswork; Deborah Bull, King’s College London; Anthony Burrill, designer; Matthew Burt, Furniture Maker; Catherine Bush, City and Guilds UK; James Bustard, director, National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland; Lesley Butterworth, National Society for Education in Art & Design; Jules Campbell, The Middle East Bureau and Crafts Council Trustee; Daniel Charny, professor of design, Kingston University; Tommaso Corvi-Mora, Corvi-Mora Gallery; Professor David Crow, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester School of Art; Matt, Doris, head of community programmes, Etsy.com; Professor Linda Drew, Glasgow School of Art and chairwoman of CHEAD; Julia Rowntree and Duncan Hooson, Clayground Collective; Mark Dunhill, representative board member for the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), dean of academic programmes, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London; Michael Eden, Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design (MIRIAD) and Crafts Council Trustee; Clare Edwards, National Centre for Craft and Design; Nicholas Ford, The Ernest Cook Trust; Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, writer and broadcaster, former rector of the RCA; David Gauntlett, University Of Westminster; Judy Glasman, dean of School of Creative Arts, University of Hertfordshire; Sir Nicholas Goodison, former chairman, Crafts Council; Richard Green, The Design & Technology Association (D&T); Sarah Griffin Curator; Professor Martin Hall, University of Salford; Lindsey Hall, Real Ideas Organisation; Rupert & Robin Hambro, Jo Hambro & Hambro Perks; Barney Hare Duke, British Ceramics Biennial; Andrew Harrison, Spaces that Work Ltd and Crafts Council Trustee; Professor Gavin Henderson CBE, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama; Jan Hodges OBE, The Edge Foundation; Professor Dorothy Hogg MBE, jeweller; Jenny Holloway, Fashion Enter; Amy Hughes; Lisa Jeffery, Hove Park School and Sixth Form College; Corinne Julius, Design and Applied Arts Critic and Chair Visual Art & Architecture Section - The Critic’s Circle; Walter Keeler, ceramicist; Christine Lalumia, Contemporary Applied Arts (CAA); Celine Larose, Vacheron Constantin; Sir Stuart & Lady Lipton ; Billy Lloyd, Maker; Fiona Logue, Craft Scotland; Patricia Lovett MBE, Hernewood Studio; Professor Bill Lucas, professor of learning, University of Winchester; Tina Mabey, Madeline Mabey Trust; Kate Malone, Kate Malone Ceramics; Shonagh Manson, Jerwood Charitable Foundation; John Mathers, Design Council; Mark Miodownik, Institute of Making, UCL; Jennie Moncur, Jennie Moncur Studio; Professor Jeremy Myerson, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art; Lyanne Nicholl, Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST); Peter Nutkins, headmaster, Humphrey Perkins School; Professor Simon Ofield-Kerr, vice-chancellor, University for the Creative Arts; Peter Pearce, West Dean College; David Perry, Comino Foundation; Susanne Rauprich, National Council for Voluntary Youth Services; Alison Richmond, The Institute of Conservation (ICON); Beverley Rider, designer and Crafts Council trustee; Charles Savage, Craft Central; Ros & John Senior, collectors; Richard Slee, artist, Professor Emeritus, University of the Arts, London; Martin Smith ; Brian & Hana Smouha, collectors; John & Lady Sorrell, The Sorrell Foundation; Erica Steer, Devon Guild of Craftsmen; Deyan Sudjic, Design Museum; Sean Sutcliffe, Benchmark; Vanessa Swann, Cockpit Arts; Pauline Tambling, CEO, Creative & Cultural Skills and managing director, National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills; Peter Taylor, director, Goldsmiths’ Centre; Sheila Teague, Wright & Teague; Dr Paul Thompson Rector, Royal College of Art; David Tootill, Southbank Mosaics; Clare Twomey, artist and Crafts Council trustee; Patricia Van Den Akker, The Design Trust; Tamsin van Essen, Artist; Dagmar Walz, cultural consultant; Leigh Willott Emma Bridgewater; Robin Wood MBE, chairman, Heritage Crafts Association
Edit - A letter in the Times today.
