17 Scottish Craft Organisations to Know

Scotland is home to a rich and interconnected craft ecosystem of talented makers, collectives, craft venues and destinations, craft organisations and curators.  

For Craft Week Scotland 2021, we want to shine a light on 17 organisations and initiatives working behind the scenes in Scottish contemporary craft alongside Craft Scotland.  

Passionate and dedicated teams across Scotland are crafting exciting programmes to share contemporary craft for audiences locally and internationally. Exploring the questions of the day and supporting makers to achieve their ambitions wherever that may lead them, here is a selection of 17 organisations that are putting Scotland on the global craft map.  

Discover even more details of 50-plus craft organisations and initiatives that exist to directly support makers at all stages of their careers, based in Scotland and beyond, with our Organisations to Know page.

Read more about Scottish regional craft stories with our Crafting Scotland series with Focus on Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire and Focus on Glasgow.

Fife Contemporary 

Fife Contemporary is a long-established visual art and craft organisation based in St Andrews, Fife.  

Free from the restrictions of a venue, Fife Contemporary works through partnerships to create a programme of exhibitions which features both local and international makers, as well as engagement projects open to a wide public.  

Declaring a Climate Emergency in 2019, they are committed to exploring the dialogue between visual art and craft along a concern for the environment and equality. Their unique programme includes Craft Pods, a project that takes high-quality work into the local community via libraries and schools.  

Plus, Fife Contemporary significant support for craft and visual artists is provided through a dedicated information network, training and opportunities such as residencies.  

Fife Contemporary see their website as a “virtual venue” hosting numerous showcases, including the Materialise series of online exhibitions, which supports new makers who are working hard to start out their craft career in the face of exceptional circumstances. 

Launching soon is Materialise 4, an online exhibition presenting a selection of last years' graduates. Visit the website in November to explore the emerging maker's practice and purchase a selection of their work.  

Fife Contemporary will also be sharing new jewellery works created with Fife-based carers that received jewellery tool kits during the pandemic. The CARE initiative started during lockdown, the carers received Jewellery kits as a way to keep them creative continuing Fife Contemporary’s CARE project launched in 2019.  

And in further exciting news, Fife Contemporary have been selected as one of the Youth Arts Bursary recipients, which will let them work closely with a young maker based in Fife providing them with a bursary and mentoring opportunities. A call out will launch soon.

Visit www.fcac.co.uk

Conversations in Wood exhibition at Marchmont House in 2019 / Photographer unknown

Marchmont House  

Revamped in 2018, Marchmont House is fast becoming a key venue for the Scottish art, craft and design community.  

Situated at the heart of the Marchmont Estate, Marchmont House lies to the east of the village of Greenlaw in the Scottish Borders. The goal of the current owners is to make Marchmont usable in a practical way, “stately yet homely”.  

A comprehensive, yet sensitive six-year restoration was carried out that has been the catalyst for an inspiring and passionate appreciation for craft and design tradition. Through their sister initiatives Marchmont Ventures and Marchmont Makers Foundation, Marchmont House supports investments and creativity in business, arts, crafts, heritage protection and land management for the long term. 

Hugo Burge, Director to Scottish Field in 2020:

“Artists and craft makers are facing incredibly tough times at the moment, but we believe it’s essential for our culture, society and economy to support them so they can rebuild and flourish. By having a new centre where the highest quality arts and craft are created and celebrated we hope to help promote some of the finest talent from across Scotland and the rest of the UK.” 

In 2019, Marchmont House collaborated with Visual Arts Scotland, The Scottish Gallery and Craft Scotland for a vibrant exhibition, Conversations in Wood. The venue is also host to makers, artists and designers in their artist studios, and they recently supported two emerging woodworkers to set up The Marchmont Workshop   
 

Visit marchmonthouse.com 

Applied Arts Scotland 

Run by makers for makers, Applied Arts Scotland is a membership organisation that delivers tangible benefits by connecting the making community through events, projects and discussions, building skills and encouraging self-sufficiency and confidence.  

Their current projects include Meet Make Collaborate, a touring exhibition of new works created by Scotland-based makers and international participants from Mexico, Thailand and Canada who took part in the Applied Arts Scotland International Exchanges Project launched in 2019. The project themes explore identity, sustainability and collaboration and the objects on show cover a range of disciplines including textiles, weaving, ceramics, jewellery and basketry.  

Visit www.appliedartsscotland.org.uk 

Dovecot Studios 

Dovecot Studios is a world-renowned tapestry studio in the heart of Edinburgh. Established in 1912, Dovecot continues a century-long heritage of collaboration with international artists to make exceptional handwoven tapestries and gun-tufted rugs.  

Alongside the tapestry studio, Dovecot run an exciting programme of craft and design exhibitions, shopping experiences, workshops and events. It has become a landmark centre for contemporary art, craft and design. 

For this season, Dovecot presents a new partnership with Japan House London and the Centre for Heritage Art & Textiles in Hong Kong, with the launch of an innovative exhibition of works by critically acclaimed textile designer Sudō Reiko.  

MAKING NUNO: Japanese Textile Innovation from Sudō Reiko runs until 8 January 2022 (10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LT). 

Visit dovecotstudios.com 

Jean Simon Trottier for ​Scottish Glass Society Exhibition A Celebration of Scottish Glass in 2016 / Photographer unknown

Scottish Glass Society 

Since 1979, the mission of the Scottish Glass Society is to promote the appreciation, understanding and development of contemporary Scottish glass. 

Their membership boasts some of the most innovative and skilled glass artists working to the highest professional standards in contemporary glass today, as well as students, historians, curators, and interested organisations and individuals.  

The Scottish Glass Society encourages excellence, and promotes and raises the profile of their members’ work through their exhibitions, catalogues, and events. They work to expand, engage and educate their public in Scotland and beyond about contemporary Scottish glass.

Recent projects include Journey, an online glass exhibition focusing on the variety of responses Scottish glass artists had to the pandemic.  

Visit scottishglasssociety.com 

Scottish Goldsmiths Trust 

The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust launched in 2000, and builds on the legacy of exciting programming from The Incorporation of Goldsmiths of the City of Edinburgh.  

The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust has a dynamic programme of opportunities, exhibitions and awards. The Trust curates the Millennium Silver collection, Silver of the Stars and the historical archives of The Incorporation of Goldsmiths. The work of the Trust focuses on promoting and supporting the education, art and craft of Scotland’s gold and silversmithing heritage and trade. In particular, the Ethical Making Programme supports the adoption of responsible and sustainable practices in Jewellery and Silversmithing. 

Their flagship event, Elements: A Festival of Jewellery, Silver and Gold, brings together the finest UK-based designer-makers for a selling fair, an exhibition and a series of events in partnership with Lyon & Turnbull and other key partners. For 2021, they are touring Elements: A Festival of Jewellery, Silver and Gold in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and London.  

Visit scottishgoldsmithstrust.org 

London's Kitchen project by Panel / Photography by Angus Mill

Panel & MAKE 

Based in Glasgow, Panel is a curatorial arts organisation led by Catriona Duffy and Lucy McEachan. They create projects about design and making in relation to specific histories, archives and collections.  

Panel commissions and collaborates with artists, designers and makers to produce new work -  often in partnership with local industry -  which frames design and making as integral parts of the broader social, political and cultural landscape.  

Recent projects include London's Kitchen,a limited-edition collection of six products connected to and inspired by Park Royal, an industrial zone in north-west London.  

Panel are currently working with independent craft specialist Helen Voce as the custodians of MAKE. MAKE aims to positively influence the perception of craft in Scotland through a co-created manifesto and do so from the “ground-up”. MAKE recently collaborated with Craft Scotland on MAKE Learn, a new project designed to strengthen Scotland’s craft sector, and a new research and report was published, Craft and Making Education in Scotland Today.  

Visit www.wearepanel.co.uk 

The Barn 

Up in Aberdeenshire, The Barn presents a varied programme of events, including performances, films, talks, visual arts and other projects that offer shared experiences, create open dialogue and cause for reflection.  

With a focus on environmental awareness, The Barn collaborates with artists, makers and audiences to research and create learning experiences. Visitors can also explore the best in contemporary Scottish craft and design from both established and emerging designer-makers in retail space, FOLD, and with FLOCK, a programme of seasonal markets.  

Recently they commissioned textiles designers Sarah Diver Lang and Rebecca Jane Kaye of Ploterre, to create another edition of their Hamewares collection, exclusive to The Barn. 

Visit www.thebarnarts.co.uk 

Dumfries & Galloway has become one of the most well-known Scottish craft travel destinations due to the hard work and passion of the team at Upland.  

Upland is a bold, ambitious, rurally-based visual art, design and craft development organisation that evolved from the open studio network Spring Fling. They are a membership organisation that works to create opportunities that connect artists and makers with audiences, communities and each other. With a strong sense of place, they aim to highlight and celebrate the unique region of Dumfries & Galloway and its creative community.  

Spring Fling Open Studios continues as their flagship event attracting audiences to the area to go behind the scenes of makers and artists’ studios.  

Upland also offer a year-round programme delivering a range of projects, events and exhibitions working with young people, emerging and established artists and makers.  

Visit www.weareupland.com 

Scottish Furniture Makers Association Adjust/Adapt exhibition / Photography by Gabriela Silveira

Scottish Furniture Makers Association  

Scotland has a rich and evolving history of furniture design and making. As a membership body, the Scottish Furniture Makers Association (SFMA) promotes and supports independent furniture designers and makers across Scotland, celebrating their art, craft and creativity. 

Their members blend traditional and contemporary techniques, using a wide range of materials including Scottish hardwoods to metal and glass. 

Current projects include a digital exhibition Adjust / Adapt, which features five individual “still life” compositions captured by photographer Gabriela Silveira. Created by Scottish Furniture Makers Association in partnership with Visual Arts Scotland, this exhibition explores how domestic interiors are being modified and enhanced in light of the pandemic, with home-working and home-schooling becoming the norm.  

Visit  www.scottishfurnituremakers.org.uk 

Design Exhibition Scotland  

Design Exhibition Scotland (DES) showcases exceptional objects and ideas for the everyday.  

Launched in 2018 by Susanna Beaumont, DES celebrates and supports experimentation, excellence and exploration in craft and design. They focus on making visible the energetic brilliance of contemporary designers, makers and artists working across Scotland today through their vibrant programming 

Last month, DES installed a new drinking fountain, entitled Dixon in collaboration with Mirrl a new Scottish company manufacturing based in Glasgow.  

The drinking fountain was installed as part of the London Design Festival 2021, with the Brompton Design District. The fountain sat outside South Kensington tube, just a stone’s throw from cultural hotspot the V&A. As to the future, DES plans to take Dixon into full production. 

Visit www.designexhibitionscotland.co.uk