We live in an era of flux. Technology is changing the way we work and consume, opening up new markets and transforming the manner in which traditional industries - music, newspapers, book publishing - go about their business. It is likely that the recent banking crisis in the west will presage a huge shift in the global balance of power, with money and influence increasingly moving east. If the 20th century belonged to the USA, then it seems the economic power will surely reside elsewhere in the foreseeable future.
So how is craft coping with the new world order? Craft in an Age of Change is a report commissioned from the independent research company BOP Consulting, by the Crafts Council, Creative Scotland, the Arts Council of Wales and Craft Northern Ireland. Published in February, it examines the place of making in the creative economy and looks at the working patterns of makers and other craft professionals including retailers, curators and writers. The results are fascinating although, as is often the way, the report asks as many questions as it answers, presenting a picture that contains both light and shade.
Importantly, the survey suggests that, in many respects, the sector's structure is relatively stable, with makers and retailers cautiously optimistic about their prospects when it was conducted. I don't want to quote a stack of statistics, but some of the figures it highlights are compelling. The contemporary crafts sector generates income of £457m. To put that into some kind of perspective, the total revenues for London West End theatres were £512m in 2010, while spending on music downloads came in at £316m for the same period - arguably because of the issue of illegal downloads, but a fact nonetheless. Yet, much as these statistics suggest a sense of robustness, it doesn't mean that craft is an easy, financially lucrative, business. Far from it. A maker's average gross income from all sources is £23,485.
What the survey also reveals is the shifting nature of craft in terms of the characteristics of makers, and how they sell their work, indicating potential areas for growth. Sales through the majority of 'real world' channels have fallen recently while online sales are rising (albeit from a low base) so this would appear to be one area worth further exploration.
The report also reveals tensions that makers will need to resolve in the future. The most obvious is how craft deals with technology in more complex areas than sales. 57% of makers are currently using digital technology in their practice or production. This will surely only grow in the coming years and the parameters of the word 'craft' will continue to be re-calibrated in response to these changes.
Another theme is globalisation. At the moment very few makers or retailers export their products, but might they be more inclined to adopt an international strategy in light of developing markets in China, India and South America? And how does the potential of British craft to benefit from the new wealth and demand for high end goods in these countries square with one of the sector's major selling points - its sense of provenance and place?
It is beyond doubt that these are challenging but exciting times. But as the report itself concludes: 'Whatever changes may be coming, the history of the sector suggests that craft professionals will find ways to re-think and re-invent their practice to adapt to a changing world and allow craft to flourish.' I couldn't agree more.
This blog post is also in the March/April 2012 issue of Crafts Magazine