"Wow, I did this!" Making meaning through craft: disrupting the craft canon

Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas, Julia Bennett, Maher Anjum, Candace Currie, Ana Roncha

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Abstract

Craft can boost wellbeing, celebrate culture and help build communities, according to a new report produced by academics from Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) London working with the Crafts Council, the national charity for craft. However, more needs to be done to ensure racially minoritised and excluded communities have access to creative resources.

Professor Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas, of the British School of Fashion, based at GCU London, worked with colleagues and a team from the Crafts Council led by Julia Bennett to measure the cultural value and wellbeing attached to craft after securing funding from the Centre for Cultural Value.

Inspired by objects from the Crafts Council’s collection, researchers held focus groups with makers of colour in craft-making workshops in East London and Birmingham to gather insight on what craft means and explore the value craft brings to individuals and communities.

The Living Lab method of Making Meaning through Craft brought together academics, cultural partners, and communities in cross-cultural, cross-generational research that better reflects the diverse range of experiences and craft practices present in our communities and the impact of immigration, migration and displacement on cultural production and making.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationLondon
PublisherCrafts Council London
Number of pages50
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2023

Keywords

  • crafting
  • race and ethnicity
  • cultural heritage
  • living lab
  • cultural value
  • inequalities
  • gender

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