Craft exports decline
A recent report by Creative PEC State of the Nations has shown a decline in craft exports compared to other creative sub-sectors, falling from 20% in 2013 to nearly 10% by 2022. Unsurprisingly the report cites both the 2016 Brexit referendum and the post-pandemic period as events which contributed to sharp declines.* However, this falls within a backdrop which has seen an increase elsewhere, with creative service exports improving between 2010-2021, despite the huge changes that we might have seen otherwise.
*Larger firms were disproportionately represented in the sample so the report suggests this may not be an indication of the sector as a whole.
A new report released by Erskine Analysis and the University of the Arts has called for the introduction of a ‘Soft Power Council’ chaired by the Foreign Secretary. Comprising artists, organisations and business that represent the diversity of making across the UK, the council would convene with the aim to boost creative exports and solidify the UK’s soft power advantage.
The Scottish Government has published its first International Culture Strategy to help reach new audiences and markets. It describes how the export of textiles, crafts, visual art and physical copies of literature and music provide vital revenue for much of the sector. It calls for free movement of creative professionals between the UK and EU and for the UK to rejoin European programmes like Creative Europe.
For help with selling and showcasing work overseas see Crafts Council’s guidance.