Making Changes in Craft (2021) is part of Dr Karen Patel's Craft Expertise project, an Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) funded UKRI/RCUK Innovation Fellowship led by Dr Karen Patel of Birmingham City University, in collaboration with Crafts Council UK.
The research in this report is the first to highlight the lived experiences of women makers of colour in contemporary UK craft. Women makers from ethnically diverse backgrounds were the primary research participants here because of the stark gender, ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities in the UK craft sector, as highlighted in industry data.
Making Changes in Craft reveals challenges to women of colour that include racism and microaggressions in craft spaces and on social media, and the issues with gaining recognition as expert makers.