CRAFTS COUNCII OF IRELAND.,. Thomas Prior House, Merrion Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 Telephone 01 680764
PRODUCTION The market for good quality craft products is at present strong. Craft shops are being set up at an increasing rate and the interest in craft and hand crafted products has never been so bouyant, not only among tourists, creating seasonal business, but also among the discerning Irish public seeking products which are well designed and made. Despite this, the market is not satisfied and many shops cannot get the variety of products which they need. The potential of the export market is largely untapped because production is not there to meet the demand which could be created. The hand to mouth delivery situation inhibits any marketing planning on a coordinated basis. The production of good handcrafts is not something which can be controlled to the same degree as factory production. The producers are not automatic machines which can be set to run at a higher speed, nor are they grouped together in one workplace so that neither incentive nor productivity schemes can be introduced and overtime and shift work cannot be used to increase output.
The craftworker often is an individual, working at his or her own pace which is keyed to their own needs or restricted by their own skills or the limitations of time, materials, equipment or money. One answer to the production problem is more craftworkers and more small craft based enterprises, and this raises its own problems in terms of education and training, product design, grants, raw materials, equipment, places in which to live and work, and capital. Craftwork is not something into which an aspirant may go without skills and training. Today greater professionalism is sought, higher standards of design and workmanship consistent with the demands of the market place and the need to earn a living, for the craftworkers, like all other producers, require an income and deserve a standard of living at least to their own satisfaction, if not as high as many industrial workers. Production by itself is, however, out of context. Production is one of the parts of the total marketing complex, one of the contributing factors in a series of activities which also include research, design, raw materials, promotion and
Initiative Projects Scheme The initiative project scheme announced in the last issue of the Newsletter is to be administered by a committee which will meet quarterly. Applications for ex gratia payments under the scheme should be made to the Executive Officer,.Crafts Council of Ireland, outlining the project and what it is intended to achieve, and with detailed costings. It should be noted that the scheme applies to projects which would not otherwise be aided by grants from other appropriate semi-state bodies, and must, of course, have a craft basis.
KWD Board Appointment Among the elections to the Board of the now independent semi-state body Kilkenny Design Workshops, was that of Mr E. F. SUtton, Executive Officer of Crafts Council of Ireland. This is not only a tribute to Crafts Council of Ireland but also a confirmation of the close co operation which has existed between KDW and the Council and which contributed to the development of the Council from its earliest days.
others which commences with the identification of a market need and ends with the satisfaction of that need — the satisfied customer. Over the next months the Crafts Council will be examining these various inter dependent complexities and hopes that it may be possible to organise a seminar devoted to marketing in its widest aspects with professional speakers and at which craftworkers will be able to participate and contribute towards practical conclusions and future action.
SEPTEMBER INFORMAL GENERAL MEETING It has been decided that an informal general meeting of member organisations of Crafts Council of Ireland will be held in late September. The agenda and other details of the programme which it is hoped will include an interesting craft film will be issued in August.
Index of Craftworkers The index of craftworkers is now complete, as much as any continuous reference such as this can be complete. Addresses change, telephone numbers change, and it will require constant revision. Craftworkers are invited to send in their names, addresses, telephone numbers, the craft they practise and details such as whether, if they are potters, they work in earthenware stoneware or porcelain, throw or build, how they fire, what general glazes are used and other information which will build up a complete reference. The index, which contains over 450 cards, is concerned with professional craftworkers, mainly those working fulltime and is available for reference during normal office hours which are 9—1, and 2—5, Monday to Fridays inclusive.