Opportunity to feed into a craft standards survey

Hazel Hughson — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:05:10 +0000

This is for all craftmakers in Shetland, do you remember last year’s visit from Jenna from Creative & Cultural Skills ? We met with a group of Shetland makers here at Shetland Arts to review the draft Craft Blueprint and many of you provided online feedback.

The Craft Blueprint is a workforce plan for Craft in the UK, developed in partnership with the Crafts Council and launched on 10th June this year. Images of work from Wendy Inkster at Burra Bears, and Susan and Davey Inkster at Speiliks were selected for the Blueprint and featured in the launch.

Well this is the next stage; Creative & Cultural Skills has brought together a working group of crafts organisations, associations, guilds, livery companies and individuals to design National Occupational Standards for Craft. Shetland Arts has contributed to this process, and now C&C Skills are running an online survey and a series of consultation events to get individuals working in craft to help define what those in the sector need to do, know and understand.

To tell us what you think please visit www.ccskills.org.uk/standards and respond to our online consultation. There will also be a series of consultation events across all four Nations in Belfast, Cardiff, Plymouth, Edinburgh and London. To find out more please email qualifications@ccskills.org.uk.

Why do we need standards?
• Individuals working in craft will use Standards to inform their work

• Employers will use Standards to write job descriptions, appraise employees and identify training needs

• Awarding bodies and educational providers will use Standards to develop qualifications, and professional development courses

• Creative & Cultural Skills will use Standards to approve qualifications.

For more information about Standards and their use please visit: http://www.ccskills.org.uk/Standards/tabid/193/Default.aspx

The need for Standards was identified as part of our Craft Blueprint. For more information visit: http://www.ccskills.org.uk/Industrystrategies/CreativeBlueprint/tabid/81/Default.aspx

Those helping us to develop Standards in Craft include Applied Arts Scotland, British Toy Makers Guild, Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society, Cockpit Arts, Craft Northern Ireland, CraftScotland, The Crafts Council, Devon Guild of Craftsmen, Fforwm Crefft Cymru, Heritage Craft Association, Hi-Arts, National Glass Centre and The Basketmakers’ Association.

What are the next steps?
Once we have compiled results from the consultation we will write detailed units and the final standards will be available once approved at www.ccskills.org.uk

Contemporary Shetland craft in Hometrader at Bonhoga

Hazel Hughson — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:32:11 +0000

There’s a nice group of work by eleven Shetland craftmakers and applied artists in Hometrader, an exhibition of contemporary craft in the Cafe at Bonhoga Gallery. Angela Irvine’s woven panels look precious, they were inspired by personal treasures brought home from family members who were in the merchant navy and travelled around the world. If you buy one of Hilary’s lambswool cushions you get an animated film on DVD. One of Cecil Tait’s wooden creepies, in pine, ash, or oak would make a useful Shetland gift, it could fit into a travel bag, and in Hometrader you’ll see the launch of comfortable, nostalgic, and 60′s inspired candlewick Burra Bears. There’s much more, and you can see it until the 30th August.

ShetlandArts.org » Burra Bears

Opportunity to feed into a craft standards survey

Contemporary Shetland craft in Hometrader at Bonhoga