Craft exports decline
A Creative PEC State of the Nations report shows how crafts had a relatively sharper decline in exports compared to other creative sub-sectors, from around 20% at the beginning of the period (2013) to near 10% by 2022.(Crafts exports are mostly found in ‘goods’ exports - see figure 3 on page 18 of the report and figure 4 on page 19. Crafts export destinations are in figures 8 & 9 on pages 24 & 25 of the report.)
These declines were more marked after the 2016 Brexit referendum. The crafts sub-sector has also seemingly experienced a large drop in export intensity (see page 33 and figure 15B, page 34), particularly post-COVID-19 (although larger firms were disproportionately represented in the sample so note that the report suggests this may not be an indication of the sector as a whole).
In general the UK’s creative service exports had continued to rise over the 2010 – 2021 period in spite of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
A new report from Erskine Analysis and the University of the Arts calls for the introduction of a ‘Soft Power Council’ chaired by the Foreign Secretary. Made up of artists, organisations and businesses who represent the diversity of emerging and established British talent, the council would help 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.