What is Craft Hub ?
Craft Hub is a European project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme focused on Craft in the context of cultural heritage and its continuing relevance in contemporary practice.
The project activities involve investigating and documenting craft skills and processes; their differing application in creative practice across Europe; and questions of cultural specificity & individual motivations of practitioners. This will be addressed through a comprehensive and exciting program to allow the creation of new craft work/experimental investigations into process and material supported by 42 transnational maker residencies, 305 days of outreach work, 1 festival, 7 exhibitions and 2 conferences.
The aims and objectives of the EU Craft Hub programme are:
- To build capacity for existing and future craft practitioners by creating new professional opportunities, stimulate the creation of new works, increase and interconnect knowledge on craft making skills and thereby pushing the boundaries of Craft making processes through new experimental ways of making,
- To safeguard Craft knowledge, process, skills through training and education materials, and the digital collection of all knowledge,
- To develop audiences for Craft by creating awareness and understanding for Craft practices and the works of Craft practitioners.
What is a Maker Exchange Residency ?
Maker Exchange Residencies are a central part of the newly funded EU Craft Hub project which will showcase the wealth of European Craft practice and address sector challenges through artist residencies, training workshops, exhibitions, conferences, and a European Festival of Craft.
Between March – July 2022 Craft Hub will run a series of 5 day Maker Exchange Residencies hosted by the project partners:
- Carlow County Council – Ireland
- UWTSD – Wales
- Design School Kolding – Denmark
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa – Portugal
- Glasmalerei Peters – Germany
- Materahub – Italy
Each residency will have a different theme that has been inspired by the local cultural context, craft practices, expertise and techniques and how such practices might be applied across Europe. These residencies are a capacity building opportunity for existing and future craft practitioners to support new professional opportunities, stimulate the creation of new works, increase and interconnect knowledge on craft making skills. They will to push the boundaries of Craft making processes through new experimental ways of making.
Who is it for?
Craft Practitioners: In this context Craft Practitioners are professionals with a career in Craft making, that need tools to develop and refresh their Craft making skills to increase self-expression and self-efficacy.
Why should you participate ?
EU funded Creative Europe aims to foster the professional development of creative careers and their work cross borders and to reach new European audiences and develop innovative artistic models designed to help strengthen and sustain the arts and cultural sectors here in Ireland
What does participating mean ?
Covid-19 has fundamentally altered the pathway for creativity and culture in a way that may not see a return to normal levels of work for some time which has altered the opportunities available to craft practitioners. This re-imagined residency programme offers an opportunity to give craft practitioners the space and time to reflect on how they might test new ideas, research new approaches and make work in a different way, while relating to and supported by peer practitioners, advisors and mentors. The residency programme for 2022 will be physical. A key feature of the Craft Maker Residencies is the opportunity to increase the transnational mobility of Craft Practitioners within and beyond the partnership countries. Participant Craft Practitioners will engage in online workshops, discussion forums and a co-creation process with their peers and through online workshops develop skills that allow them to expand their scope, skills and knowledge for the creation of Craft. The residencies will contribute to capacity building of Craft professionals, by helping them to create expanded skills, develop (new) international networks and make them more engaged with local communities.
Where and when are the residencies happening ?
Full details are on the Craft Hub Website or can be downloaded here.
· ECO-SUSTAINABILITY BETWEEN TRADITIONAL CRAFT PRACTICES AND CONTEMPORARY INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION - Italy (Matera) - 21st-25th March 2022
· BRICKS AND TILES - FORMS OF CONSTRUCTION - Portugal (Caparica and Montemoro-Novo) -5th-9th April 2022
· MODERN GLASS ART DESIGN - Germany (Paderborn) - 28thMarch – 1st April 2022
· COLOR, MATERIAL AND SURFACE DESIGN - Denmark (Kolding) - 25 – 29 April 2022
· DESIGN CRAFTS THROUGH EXPERIMENTATION - Wales (Swansea) - March 2022 (date to be confirmed)
· AN INTRODUCTION TO STAINED GLASS - Wales (Swansea) - 4 – 8 July 2022
· DEVELOPING WOOD CRAFT AND WOODTURNING - Garryhill, Carlow - 28 March – 1 April 2022
· EXPLORING SUSTAINABLE CRAFT PRACTICES IN HARMONY WITH NATURE - Ireland (Borris, Carlow) - 16 – 20 May 202
How will my application be considered ?
Phase 1 is local evaluation / Phase 2 is by selection etc.
Ranked based on suitability etc.
Craft Participants who have been selected for the Maker Exchange Residencies will have the opportunity to participate in all the programme activities of the Craft Hub which includes:
- Work created during the residencies added to the Digital Repository which will capture the creation processes, skills and the narrative behind the work
- Work created during the residencies added to the Materials Library which will be a searchable and openly available resource database to foster craft knowledge and the creation of training and education materials for new craft professionals.
- Works created during the residencies will go forward for selection for the EU Craft Hub Exhibitions which will be held in the different partner cities displaying works by Craft practitioners from across Europe to a wide public audience.
- Craft practitioners participating in the residencies will also be invited to attend the closing Conference to foster the development of networks for craft professionals. The closing Conference will coincide with the final exhibition and the Festival of Craft.
Application Process and Key Criteria
PLEASE NOTE: Craft Participants for the first round of Maker Exchange Residencies will be recruited through this open call.
EU Craft Hub selectors reserve the right to select participants for one residency or dependant on the standard of applicant’s, selection may be recommended for further longer-term residencies as outlined below: Carlow County Council will assign the successful Craft Practitioners to the residencies in the partner countries.
Costs: Please review the residency description which outlines in detail the covered costs for each location. Partners may sponsor participants by way of a grant for the cost of flights, accommodation, materials etc. Participants may be expected to:
· Produce Digital Content as part of the programme for use on Craft Hub
· Produce at least 5 material samples as part of their residency exchange
· Give a guest lecture (where applicable)
· Produce Collective and Individual Work
Assessment Criteria
The following criteria will be used to evaluate applications:
Craft Professional (25%)
Proven track record of commitment to craft including an up-to-date CV (max 3 pages) and supporting material (4 images)
CPD Opportunity (25%)
Ability to demonstrate how CPD training will contribute to your skills development.
Audience Development (25%)
Personal Statement (25%)
Description on how the residency overall will contribute to your overall development as a Craft Maker