Our future is in the making - an education manifesto for craft and making
Participation in craft-related GCSEs and the number of higher education craft courses is falling, yet craft contributes £3.4 billion to the UK economy and employs over 150,000 people in industries including fashion, film, medicine and engineering. An education in craft develops creativity, inventiveness, problem-solving and practical intelligence. It also produces the makers of the future.
It is why the Crafts Council along with partners, developed Our future is in the making: an education manifesto for craft and making, which launched on the 10 November 2014 at the House of Commons. With five calls for change forming a unified plan of action the manifesto aims to secure the future of craft education.
Since its launch the manifesto has attracted great attention, raising awareness of the crisis in craft education and inspiring the sector to put in place actions to create a new environment to improve craft education and training.
Our work on Make Your Future responds to the manifesto and brings together expert partners, secondary schools, and makers to reignite a passion for making in schools and tackle some of the challenges faced by craft education.
As the sector leader for craft education, the Crafts Council continues to work on initiatives and advocacy activities to bring about more improvements.
Crafts Council, England
PROFILE
Founded in 1972, the Crafts Council is the national charity for craft.
We inspire making, empower learning and nurture craft businesses. We believe craft skills and knowledge enrich and uplift us as individuals, and, in doing so, will change our world for the better.
Main Research Source
What have we learnt?In a nutshell, the manifesto is calling for not just schools, colleges and universities to raise awareness in an attempt to influence governmental policy but also small businesses, local makers and employees whose work is based in craft to shout about how important their skills are. How what we do as makers supports growth and development at all ages, encourages creative thinking and problem solving, is entrepreneurial and ingenious, engaging, provides important material experience and understanding of the world around us… and I haven’t mentioned the historic and cultural relevance of craft.