CCI-newsletter-1986-58-July-August

JULY/AUGUST 1986

Crafts Council of Ireland Thomas Prior House Merrion Road Dublin 4

Telephone 680764 / 603070

MINISTER MIXES PRAISE WITH WARNING

Michael McCrory, Faculty of Art and Design, University of Ulster, speaking at the Annual General Meeting in Thomas Prior House.

AGM The ninth Annual General Meeting of the Crafts Council of Ireland was held at Thomas Prior House, Dublin 4, on 9 July. There was a larger than usual attendance and in addition to the official business, there was the usual informal brief reports by the many delegates on the activities, past and current, of the guilds and associations.

There were three statutory retirements from the Management Committee and in the election, Allie Kay of the Clare Craftworkers Association, Liam O'Neill of the Irish Woodturners Guild and Barry Hurley of the Spiddal Craft Centre replaced Alison Erridge, Jim O'Donnell and Rudolf Heltzel.

The delegates were taken on a tour of the National Museum after lunch, ably guided by Mairead Reynolds.

Speaking at the official presentation of certificates to participants at the Kilworth Craft Workshops on 27 June, Mr Eddie Collins, Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Commerce said: "Home grown entrepreneurs are the most welcome feature of all in our attempts to boost economic growth. Unfortunately far too few entrepreneurs emerge from our society and of those who do, many are ill-equipped for entering the world of business. The Crafts Council, AnCO and the Kilworth Community Council, through the Kilworth Craft Workshop, whose main aim is to help young craftsmen of talent who have completed their formal studies to develop their entrepreneural skills to a stage where they can confidently set up their own workshops, are addressing this need insofar as craft workers are concerned."

The Minister went on to say that the best efforts of the Government and the State Agencies cannot of themselves create the jobs needed in getting to grips with the unemployment situation in this country. More and more the ideas must come from entrepreneurs themselves who are willing with the support of the State to take the risks which are necessary for either the establishment of new enterprises or the expansion of existing ones. The involvement of continued on next page

BURREN IV Burren IV is on if...

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local communities he believed to be an important factor.

"This presentation of certificates", he continued, "marks the ending of another very successful year in the short life of Kilworth Craft Workshops. In terms of overall achievement it has been probably its most successful year. Eleven young crafts people have graduated and are already beginning their working lives."

"Kilworth 4, the exhibition of work representing the first 4 years of the workshops was well received critically and accepted as being one of the best small exhibitions of mixed media craftwork in recent years, reflecting the high quality of craftsmanship of those participating. It was mounted in Dublin, Cork, Kilworth and two venues in London. While it was about the work of the graduates of the first 4 years of Kilworth, it was well laced with work from this year's participants. The fact that such an exhibition of fine work can be mounted and can travel to so many centres and be so well received underscores the maturity of the young crafts people taking part and of the level of design quality they have achieved, an important factor in the marketing of craft today."

The Minister drew attention to another innovation in the field of design training and skills acquisition. With the active encouragement and financial help from AnCO an intensive practical design workshop was undertaken at Kilworth in co-operation with the Royal College of Art in London. The workshop involved 3 final year MA graduates from the college working in Kilworth with its own participants. They were able to bring here their own very wide experience of design influences from all over the world and it was generally accepted by the RCA itself, by the Crafts Council and by those who took part as being of enormous benefit in stimulating new design thinking and new products eventually. "I am happy to hear that it will be repeated again this year," said the Minister.

He continued: "While Kilworth may in terms of numbers seem small in relation to the immense problem of job creation, what it is doing and what it has achieved is of solid worth. Past graduates are working and are also employing others and are offering good quality products for the market. It is important that 2

they all reflect a positive attitude to the market demands, not being merely content to hope that what they make will sell, but actually making for the market, being aware of the fashions and trends. Crafts people no more than industrialists cannot afford to ignore the market place."

The Minister warned against complacency saying that while the National Crafts Trade Fair held in Dublin earlier this year which was organised by the Crafts Council of Ireland, and showed a 30% increase of sales to £7.5m, and despite a less buoyant dollar export sales rose from £3.2m to £4.2m, a CTT study of buyers' reactions made at the Fair showed clearly that many buyers were very conscious of what they were looking for in terms of colour, fabric and so forth. They were also conscious, however, of the fact that both Scotland and Wales were also good markets. "These areas" he said "are now beginning to offer a lot of competition, especially in fashion goods in the textile field.

They have also found their supplies to be very professional to deal with.

Mr Eddie Collins TD, Minister of State at the Department of Industry and Commerce, at the recent presentation of certificates in Kilworth Craft Workshops. With the Minister are Julia Cooke, weaver; Peadar O'Loughlin, instrument make, with one of his 'cellos; Eithne Twomey, ceramicist. (Photo Cork Examiner)

At the same time, those buyers have many harsh things to say about some Irish suppliers. The document makes sobering reading and its findings should be taken to heart by every Irish craft person, for it covers not merely design, but also packaging, invoicing, labelling, quality control and all the small details which can in a short time ruin our reputation and set back what has already been so hard won. Kilworth Craft Workshops set out to put our young crafts person on a correct course, conscious of these requirements. What is learned must be practised if we are to succeed."

E E C GROUP VISITS KILWORTH

IRISH G L A S S B L O W E R S IN JAPAN

A study group from the European Economic and Social Community recently visited Kilworth Craft Workshops and the reaction of the group was, it is understood, one of being highly impressed, not only by the workshops and the standard of product being made by the participants, but by the philosophy behind the project.

Roisi Phelan and Roisin de Buitlear both majored in blown glass from the National College of Art and Design and for the past two years have worked abroad as freelance glass designers/makers in studios in the UK and the Channel Islands.

They have been recipients of three awards from the British Northern Arts Council. In addition to the experience of working as a team they have been involved in setting up "The Factory", a hot glass studio in Switzerland. This has, of course, given them extensive knowledge of the technical aspect of building and running a hot glass studio.

The group included social service directors, trade union represen­ tatives, employers and EEC officials. Since its interest was in seeing how local and community based groups help to generate a climate of self reliance and community commitment for the launching of local employment initiatives, Kilworth was of special interest.

The group will report its findings to the Economic and Social Committee of the EEC. Bill Poeton, writing subsequently for The Guardian, did so in glowing terms.

"If I were to have any time over again, after my apprenticeship, I would have spent nine months at Kilworth Craft Workshop" he writes. "I was delighted to stumble on a real business training workshop for entrepreneurial craftsmen in the course of my work in the European Community... The Kilworth Craft Workshop is now a proven success and should be copied and developed en masse in the UK by the Manpower Services Commission... It is a positive operation in which Government and the market can work together...

A colleague on the EEC Mission was Mr John Eversley, the director of the Tyne & Weir Enterprise Trust — leading UK enterprise agency.

He was over the moon about the project".

Bill Poeton is President of the Union of Independent Companies.

EXHIBITION The Handweavers Guild of Cork will be holding their exhibition at the Cork Arts Society Gallery from 1 to 4 September. This should be an interesting show — one room of weaving, one of spun or dyed work and a fairly strict observance of hand work which may be drawn from the fact that knitted articles may not be accepted for exhibition unless the yarn is handspun and hand dyed.

Needless to say, their intention is to set up a hot glass studio in Dublin; to provide a design resource for industry; to promote glass as an art form in this country.

Not content, however, w i t h their experience to date they have headed off to Japan to lecture, demonstrate, work and exhibit until September. They will be working w i t h Japanese craftsmen Seiki Tanagawa, Makoto Kojima and Makoto Ito in their studios. They will be at the Tokyo Glass Art Institute, the Tokyo University of Arts, the Osaka Glass University, Hiroshima Glass Studio and the Aichi Prefectural University of Arts.

Two very experienced studio glass workers are going to come back to Ireland in September or October and they will deserve recognition.

They have learned the hard way; they have learned the practical way. It is to be earnestly hoped that w h e n they do come back it can be to a country that will recognise the value of what they have learned, the potential that is there for a studio glass movement, for young glass blowers to develop a range of fine work, and not come back to find a dispiriting experience. They deserve the best encouragement this country can give them and it would be the price of us if, w h e n they come back, they found so little interest in what they have to offer that they took it elsewhere. It could happen, dedicated and all as they are to this country.

IN ME MORI AM Isa Corcoran Isa Corcoran's recent death is to be greatly regretted because she was so young and because her obvious talents were never fully to be exploited by her. She was one of the first year participants at Kilworth Craft Workshops and her small beautifully thrown and glazed pots were immediately popular.

Though her production has been erratic down the years because of frequent illness, the quality always remained and those of us who own even the small pots she used to turn out so easily will treasure them. She would undoubtedly have gone far.

F.S. Joan Norman It is hard to imagine the Irish craft world without Joan Norman's larger than life presence: enthusing, chivvying, progressing, understanding, champing at the bit, but always in the most positive way. She was an amateur in a true sense, but she was a perfectionist To her, being an amateur was no excuse for being slipshod or the " A h sure ' t w i l l d o " syndrome. I will always remember my first major connection w i t h the craft scene: the exhibition mounted in the Trinity Library to mark the World Crafts Council's General Assembly in Dublin in 1970 and the delight of Joan Norman at being one of the prizewinners not only that, but the other craftsmen's delight at her achievement. Rushwork was her field and what a fitting one, in that there are almost no ways that it can be approached mechanically, from cutting to the final basket. Her going takes a dimension from the craft scene, w e are all diminished by it as we were enhanced by her presence.

F.S

NEW G U I L D The recently formed Guild of Jewellers and Metalworkers includes among its proposed activities the holding of a seminar in the autumn to w h i c h it is hoped •will come some well-known craftworkers from abroad.

The annual subscription for membership of the Guild is £10.00 and application should be made to Linda Uhlemann, 1 Eaton Place, Monkstown, Co. Dublin.

The Guild is a member organisation of the Crafts Council of Ireland and it is the first time that jewellers and metalworkers have a representative organisation.

CLARE CRAFT GALLERY Where can you always see and buy high quality craftwork? Where can you buy presentation pieces, wedding gifts, that all-important 'present to self? Where, in year long progression, can you find such pieces in exhibitions on a blue and white theme, a tea parties theme, an earrings theme, a drawing theme?

The answer is at Ballycasey Craft Centre, Shannon, where there is an exhibition gallery run by the Clare Craftworkers Association which shows selected work from craftworkers throughout Ireland.

This enormous venture for a small voluntary association has been helped with a grant from the Crafts Council of Ireland towards its running costs, but the expense of setting up has been met from its own funds.

Its opening exhibition — the Members own Spring Show with support from the Guild of Irish Woodturners ran until 31 May. It was followed by the very successful Blue and White Exhibition (7 June) and a Teapots and Teaparties Exhibition (5 July).

The Summer Show (2 August) is next and an Earrings Show (6 September) follows. Further exhibitions are already planned.

A non-profit making organisation, the Clare Craftworkers hope to put the best of Irish craftwork before the public for the lowest possible price. It's varied and ambitious programme has aroused interest from craftworkers nationwide and it hopes not only to sell direct from the exhibitions, but to put interested individuals in touch with exhibitors who could make them specially commissioned pieces as well.

You find the exhibitions at Ballycasey Craft Centre, next door to the Coffee Shop. The Craftworkers Gallery will be open Monday to Saturday, 10am — 5pm.

O'ROURKES Glenasmole Crafts Restaurant Dublin (Mountains) 24 For reservations Phone Esm<§ at 513620

CERAMIC WORKSHOP WEEKEND The weekend workshop held at the School of Art in Cork in November 1985 with Mick Casson and Colin Pearson was such a success that the School has decided to organise a second workshop to be held on the weekend of 4 and 5 October 1986.

The guests are Ewen Henderson, Takashi Yasuda and Sandy Brown.

Michael Robinson from the Ulster Museum who has established one of the best collections of contemporary ceramics in Europe will also be giving two lectures during the weekend.

The format of the weekend will be as before with the guests giving a slide-show on their work as well as demonstrating processes and techniques involved in- its production. Catering will again be managed by Adele Connor of Schull, which is in itself an excellent reason for attending!

Ewen Henderson is one of Britain's leading 'vessel' makers as his retrospective exhibition at the British Crafts Centre in February amply demonstrated. Hand-building with laminates of stained clays which often include glaze materials, he works in a fascinating area that has been little explored by others, indeed there are few of us who could attempt to master the stresses that the process involves, but what is achieved is a huge range of rich surface qualities. The themes of bowl and vase predominate his work, but with a great variety of conclusions.

Sandy Brown has rapidly come to the forefront of those British potters who have re-discovered the

use of colour on domestic-ware and she was a contributor to the major Anglo-American exhibition "Especially for the Table". Her apprenticeship in Japan has ensured that the form of her work is fluid and vigorous and takes the gestural, painterly decoration well.

The colour reproduction of a lasagne dish in the current Ceramic Review shows how successful her work can be.

Takashi Yasuda was an apprentice at the Daisei Pottery in Mashiko, Japan, from 1963 to 1966 after which he established his own workshop there. He moved to Britain in 1973, where he has made a significant contribution to the development of a new impetus in British functional ware. The fluid forms and the assurance of added detail in his pots give a positively sensual visual pleasure. Not only a great potter in the Anglo-Japanese tradition but also an articulate demonstrator who we are fortunate to be able to see in Ireland.

Application forms are available from: Crawford Municipal School of Art, Sharman-Crawford St., Cork.

The fee will be £35.00 with a student reduction to £27.50, although there will only be a limited number of places allocated to students. The fee includes meals.

This page: bowl by Takashi Yasuda.

Facing page: Sandy Brown with some of her work and below right, typical Sandy Brown pieces.

(Photos George Tucker). Below left, handled pot by Takashi Yasuda.

FORM 46G RETURNS Form 46G is sent by the Revenue Commissioners to knitting companies using outworkers. It requests details of payment made to outworkers.

The Craft Council's professional advisors tells it that anyone in receipt of a 46G Form is legally obliged to complete it and return it.

Whether the Revenue, on receipt of the form will follow up a particular case will be a matter for the local inspector and it will probably depend on the size of the amounts involved.

The Council believes that knitting companies would be well advised to include on the form all payments of more than ÂŁ1,000 with a covering letter explaining the prohibitive cost in time and labour of extracting details of all smaller payments.

There is, of course, one way to lessen the impact of this on outworkers and that is to sell the Wool to the workers and repurchase it in the form of the finished garment. It would avoid making payments for services which must be included in the 46G. Knitting companies would have to charge VAT at 10% on the sale of the wool and knitters would not recover it so the cost of the garment increases by about 5%.

This may be no great advantage as knitting companies would have to keep a VAT record. It may be a useful initiative, however, especially where agents are concerned.

Knitters (outworkers) should be regarded as self-employed so no PAYE returns need by made by knitting companies. However, it is understood that there is a PRSI responsibility.

COUNTRY MARKET QUILTS The Country Markets national quilting competition winners and a selection of sixty-eight of the one hundred and thirty-eight entries were shown in an exhibition which commenced on 7 July. This competition, which had a small financial backing from the Crafts Council, was for handmade quilts made by Country Market or ICA groups of not less than six quilters.

The jury of Ms Shower, Ms Harvey and Ms McMillan was obviously meticulous in its work and this was evident in that every one of the quilts on show had a jury comment 6

so that the makers and, indeed, everyone else could be quite sure why it did or did not merit commendation.

While the quilts on show did not reflect the artistry evident at the Irish Patchwork Society's exhibition, where the works were the creation of one person, there were many pleasing examples or attempts at things beyond the ordinary.

The winning guilds were Gorey for patchwork and Maynooth for applique.

Michael Field, Celtic Gold, watched as he engraves by Gaeltacht Minister, Mr Paddy O'Toole TD, and Celtic Gold Director, Sean Carroll.

SPIDDAL CRAFTS CENTRE The Centre is now complete and to mark this fact, the Minister of the Gaeltacht, Paddy O'Toole, TD unveiled a specially designed handcarved stone plaque there on 1 7 June.

Twenty people are employed by the ten craft enterprises which include handweaving, pottery, knitting, jewellery, stonecarving and screen printing. Additional employment is expected in the next year or two.

The Centre is now established as a popular tourist amenity in the Galway area and while US buyers are thin on the ground or nonexistent this year, there may be some light in the gloomy sky if local visitors can not only have a greater awareness of crafts through the Centre, but also buy.

KILKENNY S H O P FOR LONDON The Chairman of Kilkenny Design, Margaret Downes, has announced plans to extend the company's retailing operations to London.

The shop in London, which is leased from Coras Tr^chtala, the Export Board, occupies over 400 square metres on the ground floor and basement of Ireland House, a prime corner site on New Bond Street in London's West End, and the opening is planned for this autumn.

The extension to London is likely to have the effect of creating new opportunities for Irish manufacturers to export to other countries, as well as increasing turnover and market penetration in Britain.

Margaret Downes said "We are particularly pleased that the new

Kilkenny Shop will be in Ireland House, since this will facilitate even closer collaboration between Kilkenny Design and Coras TrachtaTa in their complementary work for export revenue. Our shop will also help reinforce awareness of Ireland House as the Central London location from which the major Irish state agencies operate."

MIDLETON U R B A N DISTRICT COUNCIL Vacant Craft Units at Midleton Lodge

Applications are invited from craft workers for letting of vacant Craft Units at Midleton Lodge.

Applications containing full details of Craft should be submitted to this office soonest.

Signed: B. Kinsella, Town Clerk.

Aras Cuimhne an Phiarsaigh, Youghal Road, Midleton, Co Cork.

At this instant somewhere overseas there may be an individual who seeks to import the very product you manufacture. What is his name? Where is he from? Is he a reliable trading partner? More importantly how do you contact him?

Obviously, travel overseas is one sure way of securing new con­ tracts. However, many Irish Exporters are now too busy keeping their operation ticking over on the home front to engage themselves in such frequent globe-trotting ventures to locate potential markets.

Fortunately, Bank of Ireland International Banking Division have a unique means of further assisting you with your export promo­ tion. The Trade Services section of this division is operated by highly skilled and efficient professionals who are in a position to locate new markets for those contemplating entering the export field. They can also expand existing markets for those already actively involved in trading overseas.

Bank of Ireland International Banking Division has many agents in many countries. Taking their branch networks into account, this gives us vast outlets through which the Trade Services section can seek out untapped markets to promote an Irish product. It is through the medium of these correspondent banks that we endeavour to locate your new prospective trading partners.

This service is devised to boost Irish Exports and is provided at absolutely no cost to you. If interested, please complete and return the coupon below. We shall then be in a position to initiate a TRADE ENQUIRY on your behalf.

B a n k cFlrelana Trade Services Marketing Section International Banking Division Your Company Name: Address: Tel./Telex No Export Manager: Full Details of Product: Please indicate desired outlet:

Agent

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Distributor

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Other Name and Address of your Banker:

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FOR S A L E 1

2 / cubic ft kiln, potter's wheel, whirler and other items of professional potter's equipment for sale.

Telephone 021-330070 2

W E A V I N G equipment Looms and accessories, books, dyes, yarns for weaving and knitting, spinning wheels Available from Ann O'Kelly 4 Eglinton Park, Donnybrook, Dublin 4. Telephone 693565

C L E O LIMITED

Sale of Suits, Jackets, Dresses, Skirts. Substantial Reductions Telephone 761421

Bank cFlrelana INTERNATIONAL BANKING DIVISION OVERSEAS TRADE PROMOTION SERVICE

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When trading internationally it is of paramount importance to assess the creditworthiness of the foreign parties. When we locate a prospective trading partner for one of our clients, we always ensure that an accompanying favourable status report on the foreign concern is provided.

Confidential status reports on companies or individuals at home and abroad are provided by us regardless of whether you have availed of our TRADE ENQUIRY service already mentioned. Any request for a status report of this nature must be directed through your bankers.

Trade Services also assist by providing advice, guidance and information on many regulations which influence international bus­ iness. For example, what are the exchange control regulations that pffect the speed and ease of payments? What are the import regula­ tions-, customs tariffs, correct shipping documentation etc. required?

An exporter knows that a superior product, excellent marketing skills and advanced technology are not the only factors which ensure him of a high success rate in a competitive world. Even iden­ tification of the right trading partner is not sufficient. A basic know­ ledge of the economic intricacies and business climate prevailing in each national market to which he intends exporting to is also a vital factor in assuring his overall success.

The Trade Services team take pride in being able to help expor­ ters identify possible new outlets for their products, checking out the creditworthiness of potential foreign clients and supplying gen­ eral, financial and economic information on the countries where the market is located.

Frank Sutton, William Fin/ay and Margaret McAnallen at the recent agm.

George Bo wen, Handweavers Guild of Cork, at the agm.

Angela Forte, Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers, speaking at the agm.