Craft Scotland Programme 2022/23 Announcement

As the world emerges from the pandemic, we want to celebrate the talent and successes of Scotland’s craft community and support the sector to flourish in the coming years.  

We are currently working on a new Craft Scotland business plan for 2023-2028 to define our future strategic direction.  

Over the past few months, the Craft Scotland Board and team have been gathering views from the sector to inform our new strategy through meetings, our Advisory Group and sector surveys. We look forward to publishing our new business plan later in the year.

 

Programme 2022/23 

 

As the national development agency for craft, our annual programme creates opportunities for audiences to engage with contemporary craft and supports makers to achieve their ambitions.  

Our programme for 2022/23 features a blend of both physical events and online experiences to connect our vibrant community in Scotland and beyond. Below is more detail about key projects and dates, including application deadlines for your diary.  

Sign-up to our newsletters to receive updates about our programme, including news about future projects and upcoming initiatives.  

We are delighted to return to Collect in 2023, showcasing ambitious work from Scotland on the international stage. Additionally, our learning programme goes from strength to strength with our COMPASS programme focusing on developing talent and equipping individuals with the necessary skills to create a sustainable craft career and business. 

Alongside the fifth edition of COMPASS: Emerging Maker, we are thrilled to return with a new look programme for COMPASS: Next Generation. Previously paused during the pandemic, Next Generation supports makers at the start of their craft career. Next Generation will be made up of two parts, an online learning platform and one-off bursaries.

Together with our COMPASS funders, we have committed a total of £10,000 to support makers who have struggled to set up their craft practice during the pandemic, this could be post-graduation and/or other career routes. Key dates for COVID-19 Bursaries below.  

We will be launching a new COMPASS online learning platform later in the year sharing resources on key aspects of developing your creative and business practice, including Business Model Canvas, an introduction to values, finance and business start-up. To make the programme more widely available and accessible the platform will be open to everyone at no-cost. You will be able to learn from anywhere with online guides and toolkits created in partnership with craft and business experts. COMPASS is supported by William Grant Foundation and Creative Scotland. 

Craft Scotland additionally manages awards schemes for the sector, including the twice-yearly Jorum Craft Award and from 2022, the Inches Carr Awards. Our Advocacy and Research programme continues with year two of Craft Hub and an exciting talks programme for Craft & Cultural Conversations around the UN International Year of Glass. See more info below. 

 

Sector Support & Advocacy  

Promoting the contribution of craft to Scotland’s cultural, economic and social well-being is a large part of Craft Scotland’s sector support and advocacy work.  

Our Sector Survey will return this year, and we want to hear from you. Craft Scotland is interested in examining working models, finances and routes to market for Scottish contemporary craft. Research allows us to target our support and strengthen our advocacy work, championing the needs of the sector.  

We will continue our partnership project MAKE Learn with Panel, and our Director, Irene Kernan, continues to work closely with Creative Scotland and other arts organisations to consider how best the cultural community can be supported. 

Our Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion work continues, and we will soon be launching a Craft Changemaker opportunity. This agent of change role is a key part of our Equalities, Diversity & Inclusion strategy and will support the organisation and sector to take creative action to social issues and implement new approaches. 

 

Our Digital Platforms & Craft Directory 

Our website, Craft Directory and social media platforms are an important part of Craft Scotland’s programme. Updated regularly, our digital platforms are the first port of call for Scottish contemporary craft audiences, providing valuable information and resources. 

Work continues to improve Craft Scotland’s website following delays due to the pandemic. Alongside our busy programme, the Communications & Digital team, together with our web developers, continue to focus on improving the website’s user experience, user forms and signposting, making it easier for you to find what you are looking for.    

We have now launched updated versions of the forms for free listings to our What’s On, Organisations to Know and Opportunities sections. If you have any feedback or experience any issues, please contact hello@craftscotland.org. 

Additionally, to protect makers’ copyright and IP we have disabled the ‘save as images’ functionality from our website.  

We have also been carrying out a thorough review of the Craft Directory internal and external processes. To allow this vital work to take place, we paused new applications for makers and places to the Craft Directory, and applications will reopen in June 2022. Craft Directory renewals will still take place, if you need any support please email mayanne@craftscotland.org.  

 

We want to hear from you  

We understand that this continues to be a challenging time for Scotland’s craft community with uncertainty around cost of living, selling opportunities, studio access and wellbeing. 

Please email Irene and the team if there are specific challenges you are facing, or types of support that would help during this time: hello@craftscotland.org.   

We will be happy to have a chat, offer advice and signpost towards additional resources and support.   
 

Craft Scotland office  

The team continue to work a hybrid model, flexibly working from the Craft Scotland office in Edinburgh and from our homes across Scotland. If you would like to get in touch, please contact us via email: hello@craftscotland.org.   

Please note some of the team work part-time and flexibly, we endeavour to get back to you in a timely fashion.

Stories from Scotland’s Craft Community  

Over 2021/22, we shared over 15 articles and interviews with Makers and Craft Destinations on our Craft Journal on a wide variety of topics including sustainability, community practice and regional craft stories.  

We would love to share even more stories from the sector and promote your creative and business practice. If you have some news or a video for Craft TV that you would be interested in sharing, please get in touch: hello@craftscotland.org. 

 

 

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Key Projects and Dates 

 

AWARDS

 

Jorum Craft Award 2022  

The Jorum Craft Award is supported by Jorum Studio, in association with Craft Scotland. Jorum Studio is a Scottish perfumer who strongly believes in the creative culture of Scotland and continues to support it through grants.  

Learn more about the award and previous recipients including silversmith Scott Smith and maker/designer Florence Dwyer. 

Round 5 

• Applications open: 2 June 2022 
• Applications close: Thursday 30 June 2022 
• Successful applicants notified: mid-July 2022  

 

Round 6 

• Applications open: 1 December 2022 
• Applications close: 5 January 2023 
• Successful applicants notified: end-January 2023 

 

Inches Carr Awards 2022 (Craft Bursaries and Graduate Craft Awards) 

Craft Scotland is delighted to announce that from 2022 we will be managing two prestigious Inches Carr Awards for craft. 

Over the past twenty-five years, the Inches Carr Awards have supported many of Scotland's makers, providing recognition of their talent and support for their craft practice. Learn more about the Inches Carr Awards.

Key dates for both Inches Carr Awards: Craft Bursaries and Graduate Craft Awards 

• Applications open: 1 September 2022 
• Applications close: Thursday 27 October 2022 
• Successful applicants notified: end November 2022 

 

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Key Projects and Dates 

 

EXHIBITIONS 

 

Collect 2023 

Craft Scotland will present a showcase of ambitious work from a selection of Scotland’s makers at the leading international fair for contemporary craft and design, Collect in 2023. 

• Applications open: Late June / Early July
• Applications close: tbc
• Successful applicants notified: tbc
• Show dates: Late-February 2023 (tbc) 

Please note that application opening dates for Craft Scotland's showcase at Collect 2023 will be confirmed in due course. 
 

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Key Projects and Dates 

 

LEARNING PROGRAMME

 

COMPASS: Next Generation Programme 2022 - COVID-19 Bursaries 

Bursaries to support those who have struggled to set up their craft practice during the pandemic this could be post-graduation and/or via other career routes. COMPASS is supported by William Grant Foundation and Creative Scotland. 

• Applications open: 4 August 2022 
• Applications close: end August - early September 2022 
• Successful applicants notified: mid-September 2022  

 

COMPASS: Emerging Maker Programme 2023 (Cohort 5) 

Craft Scotland’s flagship learning and development initiative COMPASS: Emerging Maker Programme focuses on nurturing talent. The programme equips individual makers with the skills they need to create a successful, sustainable, resilient business and creative practice. For makers who are 1-4 years in business. COMPASS is supported by William Grant Foundation and Creative Scotland.  

• Applications open: 1 September 2022 
• Applications close: 6 October 2022 
• Successful applicants notified: late October - early November 2022 
• Programme dates: January – December 2023 

 

Making Spaces 

Making Spaces is Craft Scotland's programme connecting Scotland’s communities with contemporary craft. 

Through the Making Spaces programme, Craft Scotland offers opportunities for people of all ages to engage with contemporary craft and co-create with makers from across Scotland. 

The act of making can actively improve quality of life and promote social inclusion and we work with partners to deliver long-term projects for targeted groups and communities. Current projects include Making History with Historic Environment Scotland and Career-long Professional Learning for teachers focusing on STEAM.  

Making Spaces involves participants in creative learning enabling them to learn new skills from experienced makers and develop their knowledge of craft processes and materials.  

 

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Key Projects and Dates 

 

ADVOCACY

 

MAKE | Learn   

We want every young person to be given the opportunity to learn through craft and to develop material skills. The MAKE Learn campaign continues to advocate for the inclusion of craft within Scotland’s education curriculum. Over the coming year, we will work with a new Steering Group to progress key recommendations from the MAKE Learn report (2021) and co-ordinate events as part of a public advocacy campaign. MAKE Learn is a partnership between Craft Scotland and Panel.  

Learn more about the project.  

 

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Key Projects and Dates 

 

RESEARCH

 

Craft Hub 
 

Now in its second year, Craft Hub aims to explore and promote cultural heritage and contemporary craft practice.  

This year, 10 Scotland-based makers will have participated in residencies across Europe including Edinburgh-based jeweller Cristina Zani and Fife-based ceramicist Jo Walker who will join other European makers at Design School Kolding in Denmark experimenting and developing ideas around colour and surface design.  

Craft Hub will soon launch the Materials Library and Digital Repository where makers can add profiles and material samples to create an open-source archive of craft materials, processes, traditions and research for future generations.  

The Craft Hub Materials Library and Repository will be a European showcase of traditional and contemporary craft skills. It will bring new public and professional audiences to Scottish contemporary craft and providing opportunities for professional networking and knowledge exchange across the continent.  

Craft Hub is a collaborative project involving partners from Ireland, UK, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Greece, Norway and Denmark, co-funded by Creative Europe. 

 

Craft & Cultural Conversations - UN Year of Glass 

2022 was declared the International Year of Glass by the United Nations (UN), celebrating the essential role glass has in society.  

Craft Scotland will present a series of Craft & Cultural Conversations talks for the International Year of Glass.  

Craft & Cultural Conversations, now in its third year, seeks to place craft in a cultural context and explore current social themes with a wide range of speakers.  

We are delighted to welcome new brand sponsor Secret Speyside to Craft & Cultural Conversations 2022. Secret Speyside is a collection of exceptional single malt Scotch whiskies from four of Scotland’s most elusive distilleries in the heart of the iconic Speyside region.  

Craft & Cultural Conversations 2022 is supported by Secret Speyside and Creative Scotland.  

Full programme details announced soon. 

 

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Image credits

Cover image (left to right): Scarlett Cohen French, Heather McDermott, Laura Spring, Carolyn Kinnaird, Beth Lamont, ALM Ceramics, Summer Show 2019 / Photography by Susan Castillo

Bottom image (bottom right to top): Stefanie Cheong, Scarlett Cohen French, ALM Ceramics, Beth Lamont, Summer Show 2019 / Photography by Susan Castillo