The Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) is the Australian Government's principal source of independent advice on issues in science, engineering and innovation. PMSEIC has chosen The Role of Creativity in the Innovation Economy as a major topic for presentation at its 14th meeting scheduled for late 2005.

In developing its report and presentation the PMSEIC Working Group consulted with key stakeholders inviting the Council for the Humanities Social Sciences and the Arts (CHASS) to submit a paper for consideration. This created an excellent oppotrunity to highlight to the government how the creative arts and social sciences sectors can intersect and enhance the science, engineering and technology sectors.

Craft Australia drew together material from accross the contemporary craft and design sector in response to The Role of Creativity in the Innovation Economy. This report was presented as part of the Australia Council submission to PMSEIC.

The following material is drawn together in response to the request to supply information to encourage the development of a creative industries infrastructure in Australia, but also to broaden the definitions of what constitutes this area of work. Currently the Australian focus has been predominantly in the digital, film and music areas to the exclusion of design, fashion and visual art craft. This quickly needs to be redressed as the craft/design industry is a dynamic player in this arena. It is interesting to note that the New Zealand Government have targeted the following industries as relevant in their New Zealand 'creative sector' strategy: screen production, fashion, textiles and apparel, digital media, music and visual culture.

Innovative commercialisation opportunities

The contemporary craft sector in Australia has for many years been leading innovation in the application and commercialisation of designs resulting from research undertaken by crafts people. The Craft Organisations of Australia (COA) have been lobbying over the past 4 years to see greater resources going towards programs that better link the outcomes of this research with manufacturing and market opportunities. Despite poor resources, many of the State and Territory based craft organisations have forged innovative industry development programs to assist craft/design practitioners. These programs have included establishing cross sector clusters that support broad application outcomes, hence increasing viability for the makers both creatively and commercially. The COA bulletin #1 highlight examples of innovative programs by Craft Queensland, Form; Contemporary Craft and Design Centre and Craft Victoria.

The set mix with creative industries

The connection between contemporary craft/design and the SET area also has a strong tradition of many years of fruitful cross disciplinary collaboration. These links have been developed by the tertiary training sector in university art schools, (that have media specific training programs such as furniture design, textiles, ceramics) with relevant science and technology disciplines. The example attached is only one of many that demonstrate the link between craft and design with the forestry and manufacturing industries. In this example, Swinburne Design School has, as part of their training program, undertaken a research project funded through the Cooperative Research Centre to explore new technological applications for the design and manufacture of furniture using untested raw materials developed by the forestry industry.

Many other furniture design departments at university art schools have undertaken similar projects that link directly with forestry where the students test new timber materials for their suitability to use for furniture production. This collaboration by forestry with the creative industry has been critical to assess the viability of new timber materials being developed as alternative timbers sources to old growth forests. The positive testing of these materials results in information being passed on to manufacturers who then have access to new raw materials for production thereby increasing the viability of Australian forests. In the Swinburne case the result of design testing and product development has also led to participation in the Milan Furniture Design Fair at Sallone Satellite. This fair is for emerging designers. The outcomes of the furniture design research undertaken by Swinburne is exported to the world's most prestigious furniture design fair with the potential outcome of engaging international manufacturing agreements.

Although no examples are currently attached with this brief, the textile training areas in university art schools have a similar story. In particular the connection has been with the Australian wool industry to test the manufacturing viability of new wool staples developed as a result of scientific research into sheep breeding.

Because of the practical materials knowledge that craft people develop through their university training they are in a perfect position to work in collaboration with the science sector to not only test the viability of new raw materials being produced, but to also assist the scientists to develop new raw materials. Craft people are in a lead position to demonstrate the viability of the creative interface with the SET industries. Their creative sensibility combined with their knowledge of materials and manufacturing processes are a great working methodology for developing innovative outcomes. The attached example of ceramicist Rod Bamford working with Manfredi Enterprises is a good example of the positive outcomes resulting when engaging craft/deign people in the creative industries.

Catrina Vignando, General Manager, Craft Australia
August 2005