Craft & Creativity

Meabh Ring has worked in the creative sector all her professional life; she started out in product design before setting up her own craft shop, then moving to export craft. Now she works as a business consultant specialising in gift, craft, design, art - the creative sectors. Her work is in business craft development, marketing, branding, communication and retail. Meabh is a trainer and mentor with the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland. Meabh worked on the Wicklow Craft Strategy and is currently a Coordinator for the Kildare Craft and Creative Cluster. She works the Local Enterprise Office in Cork with their Showcase Ireland exhibitors and with Enterprise Ireland. Meabh has built a reputation for working with regional craft collectives including Cork Craft and Design, Blackwater Valley Makers and Original Kerry. Growing up in Tipperary and now living in West Cork, Meabh’s father has Duhallow roots. He is originally from Coolinarne, Millstreet and played Senior Football with the Duhallow divisional team in 1962.

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Craft and Creativity is a strong and vibrant sector despite the impact of Covid-19. It seems we are rediscovering the beauty, value and attractiveness of handmade, once off, locally sourced sustainable products. Matched with the joy of the craft technique, Ballydesmond Water Colour Artist Jessica Baron more and more persons are taking up craft practises to enjoy, many noting the wellness and creativity that comes with knitting, wood turning or candle making. Cork crafters and makers continue to be active, with Cork Craft and Design a county wide craft collective hosting its ‘Cork Craft Month’ in August, the ‘Blackwater Valley Makers’ are flying their flag of creativity with their Fermoy shop. Closer to home the REVAMP furniture initiative in Newmarket is a key social craft enterprise with Saille Baskets in Banteer awarded best new product at Showcase 2020.

Like the food, music and entertainment sectors, the craft sector is a valid economic driver in its own right - with the additional linkages to heritage, artistic, cultural and community values. The craft sector adds value not only to the tourism experience but to the community and societal landscape with many craft practised re imagined as a wellness and self-expression experience, this is evident in the uptake of craft classes and training.

In August 2021, the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCI) published a report which found that the “craft & design-intensive sectors” and other design-focused sectors generated over €53 billion in turnover in 2019, which would be the equivalent of 6.7% of Ireland’s total business turnover in 2018. According to data from the CSO there are over 18,000 enterprises engaged in craft and design intensive enterprises. This makes the sector the 8th largest in Ireland. But it is not an easy road, craftspersons have to find fairs, set up stands, determine their pricing and sell their products - and that is before making a product or service. Craft Business consultant Meabh Ring noted the benefits of taking time away from your work to attend training workshops and meeting other designers and makers. She says meeting with others craftspersons, finding out they how they juggle making with selling is a key part of growing a creative enterprise. Speaking with Louise Bourke Meabh noted, “Being creative and working in the craft sector can be lonely and confusing - you need to meet likeminded people and craft business training is a great use of your time. Talking to others who are working in craft or thinking of setting up in craft will really help regardless of what stage you are at or what type of creative work you are in.” She noted that craft consumer, the buying public reflect the key retail trends of sustainability, hyper local and authenticity and that craft is well positioned to meet these needs. “The public love to ‘buy local’ and it is even more interesting and valuable when products are ‘made local’ and they can actually ‘meet the maker’. Buyers want to know the ‘story’ behind the creative process, where and how it was made and what influenced the design or technique, so craftsperson need to be ‘storytellers’ in addition to makers - and that is what branding is”. Meabh also flagged that the ‘creatives’ is not just ‘traditional craft’ but a wider grouping including artists, skincare, digital and wellness enterprises.

Do you want to learn from Maebh? Register online for her upcoming events at the link below

22nd September: Top Tips for Growing Your Creative Enterprise

20th October: Branding and Marketing for your Creative Enterprise

17th November: Getting Ready for Christmas Fairs – Sales & The Consumers

Or avail of Meabh’s One to One Creative Clinics.

Venue: James O’Keeffe Institute, Newmarket, Co. Cork

Register on www.irdduhallow. com/upcoming-events

Ballydesmond Water Colour Artist Jessica Baron

Ester’s Aromas are a range natural handmade products, which are made in Rylane

Cake Artist Caroline Bell from Bweeng is renowned for her magnificent creative cake structures, like the one in the header

Master Craftsman Jeremiah Dennehy from Brogeen crafts working on bog oak craft that he went on to present to President Michael D Higgins.