Kilkenny has a comparatively large number of craft businesses, with approximately 120 producers scattered throughout the county, representing the full spectrum of craft from pottery to jewellery and from textiles to furniture. Many of these are registered with the Crafts Council of Ireland (CCoI – www.ccoi.ie)
The vast majority of these craft businesses are sole traders. There are 2 main reasons for the strong representation of craft in County Kilkenny:
Firstly, as the base for the Kilkenny Design Workshops during the 1960’s, Kilkenny pioneered a cross-disciplinary approach to design, with craft, graphic and product designers all working in the same organisation.
That approach developed an international reputation for Kilkenny and attracted designers from many different countries to work in a centre of excellence for product and craft design. This initiative spawned a cluster of creative businesses that has perpetuated to the present day.
Second, Kilkenny has 2 internationally renowned ‘Design Skills Programmes’ run by the CCOI – in jewellery and ceramics. These are 1-year long full-time programmes and are run on a biennial basis with an intake of 24 students on each. Many of the participants typically remain in Kilkenny upon completion of their training, and some even set-up their own craft businesses. And many of those that do become clients of the CEB.
Support Programmes
In recognition of the importance of the craft sector to the local economy, the Kilkenny CEB in association with the CCoI have developed a number of support programmes specifically for craft producers, which we intend offering over the coming months.
The first of these will be the ‘Getting Your Product to the Market’ Programme.
This is a 6-week sales and marketing programme aimed at assisting promoters of craft enterprises to identify and meet consumer demands in the mainstream and collector craft markets.
The Programme will be structured around valuable feedback gleaned by the CCoI from consumer research they undertook in late 2005, around consumer perceptions, needs, preferences, projected spend, etc. Having access to this key market information enables craftspeople to make informed business decisions, which in turn will help maximise their potential in what is currently a very dynamic and competitive marketplace.
We will host an Information Evening on the programme on Wednesday 5th September next at 6.30 pm in The Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny. So if you are a craft producer and you would like further information on the programme, then come along to this session. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sean.
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