The Market for Craft report - some fascinating findings

Shop Talk
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Have you all had a chance to read the Craft Council’s Market for Craft Report yet? There are some really interesting things to pull out.

https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/articles/market-for-craft-report-launched

For example, the report found that the market for craft has expanded hugely since 2006 and also become more egalitarian since Folksy (and other online platforms :wink:) launched, giving people a ready-made platform and removing the barriers and gatekeepers to selling craft.

However, although the market for craft has grown, makers’ average income has not, and less than half of all crafts people make a living from craft alone. Most craftspeople also earn less than the median annual salary in the UK of £30,000.

There are also some interesting statistics in there around diversity, particularly that a quarter of makers in 2020 have a disability, while the proportion of BAME makers is the same as in 2006 at only 2-4%, and three-quarters of makers are female.

What are your thoughts? Is any of this surprising or does it reflect your own experiences?

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I haven’t read the report but everything you’ve summarised rings bells! It’s fantastic to know that the craft market has grown, I think the public in general is starting to shift away from mass produced goods and toward local or independantly-made goods, at least when it comes to buying gifts for loved ones or personal luxury items.

There’s a way to go to ensure craftspeople make the income they deserve from their skills, and the lack of diversity is quite disheartening (I’d love to see more male crafters at events. I think a lot of arts and craft stuff is still seen as a bit effeminate and domestic, so maybe men don’t realise how fun and skilled different crafts can be, even as a hobby?).

I will bookmark the report and have a proper read when I’ve got a minute.