Craft education.

[Phil Pascoe]

I thought this worthy of copying :-

Sir, The UK is a world leader in craft, yet craft education is at serious risk. This is why we support the Education Manifesto for Craft and Making, being launched in the House of Commons today.
Craft generates £3.4 billion for the UK economy, with 150,000 people employed in businesses driven by craft skills, in engineering, science, design, architecture, fashion and film. Making contributes to cognitive development and fosters wellbeing. It develops creativity, inventiveness and problem-solving.
Between 2007 and 2012, following changes in education policies, student participation in craft-related GCSEs fell by 25 per cent. In higher education, craft courses fell by 46 per cent. This comes when elsewhere around the globe investment in creative education and making is rising.
We make five calls for change: put craft and making at the heart of education; build more routes into craft careers; bring the entrepreneurial attitude of makers into education; invest in craft skills throughout careers; and promote higher education and artistic and scientific research in craft.
Rosy Greenlees, executive director, Crafts Council; Professor Geoffrey Crossick, director, AHRC Cultural Value Project and Crafts Council chairman; Kirstie Allsopp, broadcaster; Nigel Carrington, vice-chancellor, University of the Arts London; Edmund de waal, artist and writer; Peter Lord, creative director, Aardman; Kevin McCloud, author, broadcaster and designer; Grayson Perry, artist; Sir Terence Conran, The Conran Foundation; Diana Beeden-Simpson, The City of Leicester College; Jo Bloxham, curator, Collector and Crafts Council Trustee; Jean & John Botts; Professor Andrew Brewerton, Plymouth College of Art; Alison Britton, Royal College of Art; Professor Bruce Brown, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research, University of Brighton (Crafts Council Trustee); Jane Bryant, Artswork; Deborah Bull, King’s College London; Anthony Burrill, designer; Matthew Burt, Furniture Maker; Catherine Bush, City and Guilds UK; James Bustard, director, National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland; Lesley Butterworth, National Society for Education in Art & Design; Jules Campbell, The Middle East Bureau and Crafts Council Trustee; Daniel Charny, professor of design, Kingston University; Tommaso Corvi-Mora, Corvi-Mora Gallery; Professor David Crow, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester School of Art; Matt, Doris, head of community programmes, Etsy.com; Professor Linda Drew, Glasgow School of Art and chairwoman of CHEAD; Julia Rowntree and Duncan Hooson, Clayground Collective; Mark Dunhill, representative board member for the European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), dean of academic programmes, Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, London; Michael Eden, Manchester Institute for Research and Innovation in Art and Design (MIRIAD) and Crafts Council Trustee; Clare Edwards, National Centre for Craft and Design; Nicholas Ford, The Ernest Cook Trust; Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, writer and broadcaster, former rector of the RCA; David Gauntlett, University Of Westminster; Judy Glasman, dean of School of Creative Arts, University of Hertfordshire; Sir Nicholas Goodison, former chairman, Crafts Council; Richard Green, The Design & Technology Association (D&T); Sarah Griffin Curator; Professor Martin Hall, University of Salford; Lindsey Hall, Real Ideas Organisation; Rupert & Robin Hambro, Jo Hambro & Hambro Perks; Barney Hare Duke, British Ceramics Biennial; Andrew Harrison, Spaces that Work Ltd and Crafts Council Trustee; Professor Gavin Henderson CBE, The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama; Jan Hodges OBE, The Edge Foundation; Professor Dorothy Hogg MBE, jeweller; Jenny Holloway, Fashion Enter; Amy Hughes; Lisa Jeffery, Hove Park School and Sixth Form College; Corinne Julius, Design and Applied Arts Critic and Chair Visual Art & Architecture Section - The Critic’s Circle; Walter Keeler, ceramicist; Christine Lalumia, Contemporary Applied Arts (CAA); Celine Larose, Vacheron Constantin; Sir Stuart & Lady Lipton ; Billy Lloyd, Maker; Fiona Logue, Craft Scotland; Patricia Lovett MBE, Hernewood Studio; Professor Bill Lucas, professor of learning, University of Winchester; Tina Mabey, Madeline Mabey Trust; Kate Malone, Kate Malone Ceramics; Shonagh Manson, Jerwood Charitable Foundation; John Mathers, Design Council; Mark Miodownik, Institute of Making, UCL; Jennie Moncur, Jennie Moncur Studio; Professor Jeremy Myerson, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art; Lyanne Nicholl, Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST); Peter Nutkins, headmaster, Humphrey Perkins School; Professor Simon Ofield-Kerr, vice-chancellor, University for the Creative Arts; Peter Pearce, West Dean College; David Perry, Comino Foundation; Susanne Rauprich, National Council for Voluntary Youth Services; Alison Richmond, The Institute of Conservation (ICON); Beverley Rider, designer and Crafts Council trustee; Charles Savage, Craft Central; Ros & John Senior, collectors; Richard Slee, artist, Professor Emeritus, University of the Arts, London; Martin Smith ; Brian & Hana Smouha, collectors; John & Lady Sorrell, The Sorrell Foundation; Erica Steer, Devon Guild of Craftsmen; Deyan Sudjic, Design Museum; Sean Sutcliffe, Benchmark; Vanessa Swann, Cockpit Arts; Pauline Tambling, CEO, Creative & Cultural Skills and managing director, National Skills Academy for Creative & Cultural Skills; Peter Taylor, director, Goldsmiths’ Centre; Sheila Teague, Wright & Teague; Dr Paul Thompson Rector, Royal College of Art; David Tootill, Southbank Mosaics; Clare Twomey, artist and Crafts Council trustee; Patricia Van Den Akker, The Design Trust; Tamsin van Essen, Artist; Dagmar Walz, cultural consultant; Leigh Willott Emma Bridgewater; Robin Wood MBE, chairman, Heritage Crafts Association

Edit - A letter in the Times today.

 

[Jacob]

In theory I should agree with all of that but I've always felt uneasy about "Craft" Council and "Heritage Crafts" assoc, in spite of the list of names. Mainly because it implies a separation between "crafts" on the one hand, and art/design/manufacturing in general on the other - thereby marginalising crafts (elitist?) and missing the spot which the Bauhaus hit so successfully, so long ago.
In the absence of more imaginative proposals I suppose we must support it.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Nice to know my telepathic abilities are not on the wane. I knew you'd find something to criticise. :lol:

 

[ardenwoodcraft]

I would fully support a move to bring craft education back into schools. A lot of schools these days have lost their woodwork / metalwork / craft & design facilities and seem to be only interested in pushing their pupils towards computer based design and technology skills instead.

While computers have their place we seem to be breeding a nation of school leavers who have very few (if any) practical manual skills, preferring instead to get tradesmen in to do such things as change a plug or a lightbulb or put up a shelf.

Even the cookery lessons the girls at my school used to do are now called food technology and done on a computer. Heaven forbid any pupil should be let near a hot stove, "elf'n'safety innit"!!!!!!

And we wonder why young parents these days live on take aways!

 

[Cheshirechappie]

It's not a new problem. Started years ago when 'Woodwork', 'Metalwork', 'Geometrical and Engineering Drawing' and similar Oh and Eh levels became 'Craft, Design and Technology' and the like. The Education Establishment regarded such subjects as Second Class, and thus anathema to the 'all must go to university' approach. What they forgot was that there are people who don't really get on with academic subjects, but shine at hands-on ones, and they also forgot that the nation has a huge and complex infrastructure that needs maintaining and upgrading. 'One size fits all' education ends up fitting nobody, and doesn't develop the diversity of skills and abilities that the nation needs to just carry on as normal.

 

[StevieB]

I would fully support a move to bring craft education back into schools. A lot of schools these days have lost their woodwork / metalwork / craft & design facilities and seem to be only interested in pushing their pupils towards computer based design and technology skills instead.

While computers have their place we seem to be breeding a nation of school leavers who have very few (if any) practical manual skills, preferring instead to get tradesmen in to do such things as change a plug or a lightbulb or put up a shelf.

Even the cookery lessons the girls at my school used to do are now called food technology and done on a computer. Heaven forbid any pupil should be let near a hot stove, "elf'n'safety innit"!!!!!!

And we wonder why young parents these days live on take aways!

Bit harsh - my son started secondary school in September and has been doing cooking every week since then, taking in the raw ingredients and coming home with a finished product each time. Nothing too fancy - savory rice dish, cheese sauce, cous cous, pasta and veg etc but he does cook it and that is to be applauded. Apparently its fairy cakes this week, which he is quite looking forward to!

Steve

 

[ardenwoodcraft]

I would fully support a move to bring craft education back into schools. A lot of schools these days have lost their woodwork / metalwork / craft & design facilities and seem to be only interested in pushing their pupils towards computer based design and technology skills instead.

While computers have their place we seem to be breeding a nation of school leavers who have very few (if any) practical manual skills, preferring instead to get tradesmen in to do such things as change a plug or a lightbulb or put up a shelf.

Even the cookery lessons the girls at my school used to do are now called food technology and done on a computer. Heaven forbid any pupil should be let near a hot stove, "elf'n'safety innit"!!!!!!

And we wonder why young parents these days live on take aways!

Bit harsh - my son started secondary school in September and has been doing cooking every week since then, taking in the raw ingredients and coming home with a finished product each time. Nothing too fancy - savory rice dish, cheese sauce, cous cous, pasta and veg etc but he does cook it and that is to be applauded. Apparently its fairy cakes this week, which he is quite looking forward to!

Steve

In that case then fair play to your son's school for letting them do hands on practical stuff.

Do they still do woodwork and metalwork as well?

In my day the boys did the woodwork and metalwork and the girls did the cookery and sewing classes. But in schools then, that was just the way it was.

 

[DiscoStu]

I don't like the word craft. It implies paper folding and candle making. Engineering, technology etc is far more acceptable to me. I'm not sayingn that candle making isn't worth while but I don't think it should be taught in school. Wood work, metal work Food Tech etc should be as vocational skills are an important option for many.

I've just come back from an options evening. My daughter is fortunately in the higher ability bands but she is very creative, she would like to study Textiles, Resistant Materials (CDT OR Woodwork to you and me) and food tech. All of these choices are in the same option block so if you are a creative type you are limited.

 

[StevieB]

Arden - no woodwork yet, but he has only been there since September. I am sure he will be itching to use my tools as soon as he does some however (Dad - can I use this old Blue Spruce Chisel for my homework :shock

 

[RogerS]

....., Resistant Materials (CDT OR Woodwork to you and me) .....

How bloody daft to call it that. What's wrong with CDT or woodwork ?

All in favour of the OP's letter.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, I wondered where they got "resistant materials" from. My lad's friend is doing it, and actually does a limited amount of woodturning. (After my taking all arts subjects, my lad's doing physics, chemistry, biology, computer science and engineering :shock: )

 

[No skills]

Well it sounds like a good start to re-introduce some practical education to our children.

Whats the betting that the whole movement will be buried in red tape because of people not liking the way its worded and/or an inability to decide what 'craft' actually applies to.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Don't forget 'elf and safety - little Johnie might bash his thumb with a hammer. ( :lol: :lol: - I'm just counting the parallel lines up the side of my left index finger cut by jumping saws...)

 

[DiscoStu]

I do sort of get the name resistant materials as it can be a number of different materials used ie wood work, metal work and I think even things like jewellery making and ceramics come under it.

But again I guess it doesn't help with a job if the employer doesn't know what it means.