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New website to focus on Scottish crafts
The Scottish Arts Council has launched a new website devoted to the nation’s craft industries at the Challenging Craft conference, attended by leading craft professionals from throughout the world. The website - www.craftscotland.org – is designed to function as a virtual showcase promoting the best of Scottish craft nationally and internationally. Initiated and funded by the Scottish Arts Council, the website will enable visitors to access and experience the best contemporary work and provide a gateway to all crafts-based activities in Scotland. At the heart of the site is a searchable database which gives every maker and craft outlet in Scotland their own webpage, while the site will also provide information about crafts news and events across the country. There are more than 3,000 crafts-based businesses across Scotland, estimated to be worth almost £150 million to the Scottish economy. The need for a focal point for Scottish crafts has been widely accepted in the crafts community for some time and the new website will create a online portal for makers can exchange information, access opportunities and improve professional and entrepreneurial skills. In celebration of the launch, a selection of designers from across Scotland was commissioned to recreate the new logo. ‘The website and the brand have the potential to make a real difference to the future of crafts in Scotland both by promoting the skills and creativity of our world-class makers, and by establishing a focal point for the crafts community,’ said Professor Ian Pirie, Chair of the craftscotland Board. Dr Helen Bennett MBE, Head of Crafts at the Scottish Arts Council, added: “www.craftscotland.org gives every maker in Scotland the opportunity to promote and sell their work nationally and internationally and will make their work visible to everyone interested in Scottish craft. The new site demonstrates the quality and professionalism of the crafts sector here and we are proud to be launching it at the Challenging Craft international conference in the presence of craft professionals and policy makers from around the world.’ Visit the new website online at www.craftscotland.org
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