Craft AustraliaCraft Australia: working smart for Australian contemporary craft nationally and internationallyCraft Australia, the national peak industry body for the professional contemporary craft sector, has been celebrating and promoting Australian contemporary craft practice nationally and internationally for over 30 years. In that time the environment has diversified enormously. Drawing on strong relationships and partnerships, Craft Australia has devised ambitious strategies for communication and debate; advocacy, research and market growth. "Craft Australia will conduct three major initiatives in 2006, all of them driven by solid and positive feedback about Craft Australia's strategic leadership role to support and advance all stakeholders in the Australian craft and design sector" says General Manager, Catrina Vignando. "The Craft Australia website, /basement.craftaustralia/public.com.au, is continuously evolving as the portal for information on all matters relating to Australian contemporary craft and design. Our vision for the 2006 VACS funding is to expand Craft Australia's on-line services to provide relevant information about the sector that can be accessed globally."
Cover of Interact publication, published 2005 Craft Galleries Online is an example of an online initiative that will expand in 2006 through VACS funding. This online directory promotes Australian contemporary craft by focusing on commercial and public galleries that specialise in Australian craft and design. This specialist craft gallery directory is available through the Craft Australia website and has unique active links to the featured galleries. "This is a tremendous online resource for makers, collectors, agents, retailers, researchers and the interested public, and it is long overdue. Craft Galleries Online features exhibitions and sales opportunities and shows how innovative, vibrant and divers the sector is" concludes Ms Vignando. Contributing to the current debate about Australia's skills shortages, Craft Australia will conduct a youth and emerging practitioner research project, plus on-line forum, entitled Youth@craft.design. The craft and design sector needs constant renewal with young people taking up training in craft and design disciplines, gaining the skills to express their creativity, learning to work with traditional and new technologies as well as materials. They need to establish avenues for getting their work to the local, national and international marketplaces, and to express an Australian identity that can withstand imported competition. Attracting and retaining young talent are serious matters for training institutions, funding programs, government policy, market growth and Australia's long term creativity. |
Craft Galleries Online postcard, 2005 Youth@craft.design will commission research from all areas of the craft and design industry to assist talented young people, as well as the commonwealth, state governments, and training institutions, to come to grips with future training needs and opportunities that will directly influence the sustainability of craft and design careers in Australia. "In 2004 we conducted an online forum, Interact: Contemporary craft in a digital future. We published the illustrated research papers and teachers' notes (on line and in hard copy) to keep the debate alive. Youth@craft.design will repeat the best features of the Interact project, kicking off with an online debate in August this year." Having successfully promoted Australian contemporary craft through export programs for over ten years, Craft Australia has realigned its role in this area to assist and train others. Craft Australia will work with AusTrade, DFAT, the Craft Organisations of Australia and relevant agencies to provide export focused information that assists the sector become more globally competitive. "It will be a site for case studies, standard procedural matters, listings of major international opportunities and trade fairs, FAQs, advice and warnings. The new service, Makers Export Online, will give Australian craft exporters the best chances for success. Australian craft is highly distinctive and is eagerly sought by international collectors and specialist retailers. We need to make it easy for Australian practitioners and their agents to extend their profile and markets overseas" explains Catrina Vignando.
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Member organisation of Craft Organisation Australia are supported by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, State and Territory Governments