Arts & Cultural Development
Contemporary craft practice is a central element in the arts and cultural sector in the UK and developing artistic quality is a core objective of the work of Craft NI.
Craft NI understands quality as work that:
- is challenging and extends practice as well as ensuring high standards of technical skill and design;
- does not seek to reproduce or restore but is innovative in its use of materials and aesthetic vision;
- reflects the signature of the individual maker and demonstrates investigation of processes and critical enquiry at a high level.
Craft NI works closely with key partners to advance both artistic practice and promote the value of craft within the arts and cultural worlds. Our key activities include August Craft Month, promoting a programme of exhibitions through fora such as the Craft Exhibitions Group, developing critical writing around craft practice in NI and a series of talks and seminars.
- August Craft Month
- Craft Exhibitions Group
- C3 - Collecting Contemporary Craft
- Exhibition Programme
Programmes
- Business Development Programme 2011 - 2012: Seminar 3
- Lab Craft Residency with Craft Town Scotland
- The David Canter (Crafts) Memorial Fund 2012
- The ART of CRAFT FAIR - Call for Applications
- Arts Sector Trusts and Foundations Symposium
- Artist Residency - French Riviera
- Artspace @ Oxford Island: Call for Residency Proposals
- V&A Ceramics Residency: Call for Proposals
- RDS National Crafts Competition 2012: Deadline Approaching
- Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair at Spinningfields 2012: Call for Entries
- CinBA: Call for Contemporary Makers
- Postgraduate Opportunities: Art & Design
- Belfast City Centre Temporary Art Gallery Space
- European Glass Context 2012: Artist in Residence Programmes
- Join Craft NI’s online Craft Map
- SIAP, Arts Council NI
- Olympic Exhibition: Call for Glassmakers
- Cockpit Arts/Leathersellers’ Award 2012
- Goldsmith’s Fair 2012 and Graduate Bursary Scheme
- Handmade in Britain: Chelsea 2012
- Bio.23 Ljubljana: Call for Entries
- Creative Industries Innovation Fund
- Opportunities for Makers to Produce Quality Trophies
- Thomas Dammann Junior Memorial Trust Awards
- Clore Duffield Foundation Fellowships
- Garden Show Ireland: Call for Exhibitors
- Public Art Commission: Dungiven Library
- Culture Ireland: Next Funding Deadline
- British Glass Biennale 2012: call for entries
- Lost in Lace Conference
- Design Museum: Designers in Residence 2012
- International Competition for a Permanent Memorial to Honour Victims of Slavery
- Made by Hand 2012: Call for Entries
- Awards for All
- UK-wide survey of the craft sector
- World Crafts Council Meeting & Year of Craft Conference
- From Experience: creating objects, interest and interaction, 3-5 March 2011
- Support for Individual Artist Programme - Open Submission Scheme
- The British School at Rome: Residencies 2011–12
- Liberty: Best of British Open Design Competition
- Crafts Council (UK) Making Futures conference: Call for papers
- Craft Rally
- Commission for the MAC development: calls for artists
- Argento Jewellery Design Awards 2011
- Intensive Guitar-Making Course
- The Wellcome Trust Art Awards
- Call for Artists: Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, Limavady
- Creative Graduate Internship Programme
- Funding for Creative and Digital Internships
- The Fred Conlon Contemporary Sculpture Award
- Commission for Permanent Artwork at Banagher College, Offaly
- Curious about Craft – call for volunteers
- SIM Residency Reykjavik - call for applications
- From Experience Workshop
Opportunities
- Arts Council of Northern Ireland
- Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
- University of Ulster
- National Museums NI
Partners
- ABOUT: Artists under Orders
- Craft in an Age of Change
- ABOUT: Derek Wilson
- Crafting Capital - new technologies, new economies
- About: Thirty
- ABOUT: Helen Moore
- About: Holger Lönze
- ABOUT: Deirdre Hawthorne
- About: Collect 2011
- The Festival of Britain in Northern Ireland
- Tactility Factory
- About: Jack Doherty
- About: Anthony Scott
- The Journal of Modern Craft
- Touring Exhibitions Update
- New Technology in Textiles Research
- Crafts Council UK - Curators’ Programme
- Michael Brennand-Wood
- The Slow Movement: Playing With Time
- Touring Exhibitions Group
- Craft Northern Ireland: Strategy and Business Plan: 2008-2011
- Why The Crafts Matter
- Rachel McKnight: from Manchester to Manhattan
- These Artists are Making It
Resources
- RDS Travelling Exhibition Seeks Venues
- NI Maker, Stuart Cairns, featured at Collect 2012
- August Craft Month 2012
- Craft Australia launches National Historic Collection online
- BBC NI House of the Year Awards designed by NI Maker
- Creativity Month 2012 celebrates Creative Connections
- Celebration of Craft at No. 10
- Craft in an Age of Change
- August Craft Month 2012 - Made in Northern Ireland
- Business Dragon Retweet Promotes NI Maker
- Arts Council NI appoints new Chair
- First Heritage Craft Sector analysis announced
- Own Art scheme comes to NI
- London 2012 Festival on its way
- Handmade in Britain: a BBC and V&A Partnership
- Arts Minister Carál Ní Chuilín opens August Craft Month exhibition
- The Queen presents a distinctive gift made by NI Silversmith
- NI glass artist wins prestigious Bullseye award
- Arts set to lose £4.2m in draft budget 2011-2015
- Culture NI publishes series on ‘why the arts matter’
- Arts Council of Northern Ireland developing a Minority Ethnic Arts Strategy
- Derry-Londonderry named UK City of Culture
- Irish Contemporary Ceramic Award Winners 2010
News
- Collect 2012
- Ards Crafts: Art in the Loft 2012
- Raw Craft: fine thinking in contemporary furniture
- Jerwood Makers Open 2012
- Stitching the Legend at Flax Gallery
- Contemporary British Silvermiths at the V&A
- Ards Crafts: Meet the Maker Events 2012
- Craft Workshops at Down Arts Centre
- ELEMENTALS Birds at R-Space Gallery
- New furniture range unveiled for Comber Courtyard’s first birthday
- Made in Clerkenwell: Summer Open Studios
- Craft NI & BMC present ‘The Internet of Things’
- Masterclasses in the Applied Arts
- Precious Metals Workshop: Short Courses
- Commemorate - Craft & Design Collective
- Block Party: inspired by the art of the tailor.
- Heritage Craft Association Spring Conference 2012
- Valentine at Space CRAFT
- Three x 3: Contemporary Studio Glass
- One Day Designers Sale at Craft Central
- Business Development Programme 2011-2012: First Seminar
- Successful Trade Event Planning
- Material Messages
- Christmas Craft Showcase at Flowerfield
- Contemporary Art in Northern Ireland
- Ann Marie Robinson
- Pate de Verre - Alison Lowry Masterclass
- Fragments
- Culture Night Belfast 2011
- Three x 3 Contemporary Glass
- Short evening courses in jewellery and silversmithing
- Exhibitions at Harley Gallery
- Exhibitions at the Ruthin Craft Centre
- Made in the Middle
- Normal Flora
- The Linen Diaspora
- MATERIALpoetry
- Ulster Festival of Art and Design
- Bruce Metcalf
- Craft Exhibitions Group meeting
- Tales of Love, Death and the Weather
- Sculptural Glass Exhibition
- Vessels of Memory
- Short course in ceramics with Peter Beard
- SIDE x SIDE – EDGE>EDGE
- The Semiotics of Silver
- Studio Ceramics Masterclasses
- Cloud Nylon: the Jewellery of Nora Fok
- Exhibitions at the Bluewall Gallery
- Flex + Ply Exhibition
- Crafts Council (UK) Online Gallery
- European Triennial for Ceramics and Glass
- Contemporary Glass Exhibition
- Lab Craft: Digital adventures in contemporary craft
- Crafts & Skills Day
- Causing Chaos Exhibition
- Warp+Weft: from handloom to production
- Jerwood Contemporary Makers 2010
- Taking Time: Craft & The Slow Revolution
- Jewellery Making Course – Advanced
- Flameworked Glass Flowers
- Pharmas Market
- Machi-Screen Prints
- Creative Arts and Crafts Day
- Sculpture In Context 2010
- Art Fair 2010
- In conversation with Jorunn Veiteberg
- In conversation with Mandy McIntosh, Zoë Shearman and Emma Shercliff
- In conversation with Dawn Youll & David Gates
- Ceramics: a practical introduction
- Crafts Council (UK) Craft Rally