Britain's Craft Industry

The craft industry in the United Kingdom is a promising one. According to a statistical report by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, employment in the British craft industry has increased by 11 percent in 10 years. The industry contributes about 3 billion pounds to the British economy every year, beating other creative and cultural sectors.

The British craft sector is composed of entities operating in both contemporary and classic crafts. These are the individuals and organisations involved in making, keeping, researching, teaching, displaying, and retailing crafts. Nearly half of the total creative practitioners in the sector are freelancers. Thus, it is safe to say that the industry is a haven for quite a number of self-employed people. Items considered as crafts include ceramics, glass, graphic crafts, heritage crafts, iron and stone, jewellery, musical instruments, taxidermy, textiles and leatherwork, and toys.

Much of the boom in the British craft industry is due to the continuous supportive effort of guilds, traders, societies, researchers and agencies involved in craft. Additionally, the market's drive to live a designer lifestyle has partly prompted the expansion of the U.K. craft industry. However, there remain skill issues that need to be addressed through several ways, including expanding entry routes, diversifying the workforce, reviewing craft qualifications, and reinvigorating craft schools, among other things.

You can be a part of the British craft industry and partake in its profitability. There are so many avenues to obtain diploma or certificate on craft-making, where you can enhance or acquire skills needed for a thriving career. On the other hand, you can support the industry by advancing programs on awareness of craft skills issues, as well as contribute reviews and patronising British crafts.