Craft NI recognises that the contemporary craft sector is broad and diverse. It encompasses practitioners who can be identified as designer-makers, applied artists, artists and designers who design and prototype for commercial manufacture, for the built environment and those working to a client brief or commission in the public and private sectors.

Building an opportunity environment

Craft NI wants to build and develop a sustainable Opportunity Environment for makers in Northern Ireland. This will focus on creating a supportive landscape across the region and beyond that will enable makers and businesses to pursue and develop their own individual creative and business ambitions. To do this we will prioritise our resources around three broad areas of development:

• professional: supporting the sector in the parallel development of its creative and business practice
• infrastructural; developing the infrastructure, partnerships and resource investment, both regionally and locally, in support of the craft sector
• public awareness and engagement; working with audiences in a process of education, raising awareness, appreciation, and in stimulating and securing markets.

Core programme and project objectives

Craft Northern Ireland.s core objectives, through which it will deliver its programme, are:

Advocacy

• strengthen the awareness of how the craft sector's values and ambitions
• complement those of key stakeholders and partners and how these contribute to the cultural, social and economic prosperity of Northern Ireland
• strengthen networks and craft organisations to support advocacy at local level
• increase sector intelligence through research, data collection and evaluation
• develop and assert our competence as champion and advocate for sector growth and development

Partnerships & infrastructure

• strengthen networks and partnerships to support the development of local and regional activity
• continue to strengthen key strategic partnerships towards the longer-term delivery of ambitions for the crafts sector
• establish and build operational partnerships in provision museums, tourism, education sector, private sector
• strengthen our approach to securing further investment for the sector
• ensure Craft Northern Ireland has a secure organisational base to consolidate its role as champion of the crafts sector

Raising Quality Awareness

• strengthen awareness of national and international contexts
• develop supporting infrastructure
• develop individual creative and business practice
• establish criteria and qualitative measures

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