Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT), together with the Design & Crafts Council Ireland, have announced the opening of the first call for a new Crafting Business Programme which is part of a wider, three year, €1.8m Crafting Europe Project, being run in eight countries including Ireland.
The new Crafting Business Programme is open to new or early stage Crafting Business Entrepreneurs, and is made up of eight online workshops taking place between October and December 2020.
A professional training programme, Crafting Business, will provide expertise and knowledge to support the business development of newcomers to the industry. The programme will focus on building business skills, generating revenue, and supporting marketing and promotion in micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It will encourage access to national and international markets, and establish a platform for information sharing, networking and peer-to-peer learning.
Gillian Barry, Head of Innovation & Enterprise at LIT said, “An important focus for this programme is to improve the business skills of new and practising professionals in the crafts sector. This includes encouraging business innovation, which is vital to competitiveness in the global economy. By using the Crafting Business programme to learn about the fundamentals of business, new craft professionals can gain skills that will strengthen their business performance.”
These fundamentals include: Business Planning, Marketing Strategies; Market research; Product Development; Merchandising; Access to Markets and Funding Supports; Access to international trade events and galleries; IP protection and e-commerce.
The programme will include expert training and tutorials and opportunities to collaborate with other makers and designers. The project seeks to engage future generations of skilled craft professionals and to open up potential new markets and opportunities for the sector.
Rosemary Steen, CEO at DCCI, said, ‘Design & Crafts Council Ireland is delighted to lead this Creative Europe project and work with LIT on the Crafting Business programme. Crafting Europe is especially important at this time. It offers opportunities to a new generation of craftspeople across Europe to connect, network and learn critical skills.’
The Call for Applications is now open. The deadline for applications is4pm on September 21, 2020. This is a competitive programme with limited places to support engagement and collaboration. This programme will be run online, however if there is an opportunity to meet safely then the team will consider welcoming the group for a face to face workshop or event.
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