Our work

Founded in 1972, the Crafts Council is the national charity for craft

Snuff boxes by Romilly Saumarez Smith for the Woman's Hour Craft Prize. Photo: Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

We inspire making, empower learning and nurture craft businesses. We believe craft skills and knowledge enrich and uplift us as individuals, and, in doing so, will change our world for the better.

We do this through a variety of activities:

We support craft makers and businesses to help them grow in the UK and overseas, through training, mentoring, advice and by showcasing makers through our directory.
We hold the national Crafts Council Collection, acquired over our 50-year history.
We run learning and participation programmes for all age groups.
We present exhibitions – in our own gallery in London and in partnership with venues around the UK.
We publish a magazine – Crafts, featuring inspiring stories about craft and making across the globe.
We present Collect: the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design annually in London, with leading craft galleries from across the globe participating.
We celebrate, promote and share the work of the wider craft sector through our communications channels – helping more people learn and discover craft in all its many facets – from everyday making through to museum exhibitions and shows.
We undertake research and advocacy, building a rigorous evidence base for the sector and for policy makers, helping people understand the social, economic, and cultural value of craft, and advocating for policy changes that support the growth and development of the sector.
Finally, we convene Craft UK – a network of organisations with an interest in craft. It’s a forum to share best practice, tackle challenges, and forge new partnerships for collaboration.

Woven textile designer-maker Dalia James on our business development programme, Hothouse, in 2019
Hey Clay! participants in 2019
Collect: International art fair for modern craft and design 2020

These activities serve many audiences, and shift and adapt over time to respond to emerging needs and priorities. However, our activities are supported by a set of principals that underpin the way in which we work:

We connect with the craft community to identify priorities and gaps
We invest in research and development to test new ideas, evaluate and reflect
We share our assets with the sector – our staff, our collection, our gallery, our archive, insight, communications channels and reach
We scale in partnership to deliver projects of real impact
We build dynamic relationships beyond the craft world to amplify crafts’ visibility

Our work is funded through a combination of government support via the Arts Council, our own income generating activities, and the generous contributions of a number of companies, trusts and foundations and individuals who support our work.