The Crafts Council’s Nationwide Mission to Build a Sustainable and Inclusive Craft Sector
In November 2025, the Crafts Council teamed up with regional organisations and industry collaborators to tackle this challenge and delivered a national UK programme for Discover Creative Careers Month.
By the Creative Careers Collective
This national campaign focused directly on secondary-school-aged youth, with a strong emphasis on underrepresented communities, priority target locations, learners outside mainstream education, and SEND students. By the end of the month, the programme successfully connected with 1,935 young people across the country.
A major highlight of the campaign took place in Kirklees, where practising makers visited local classrooms. These creative role models shared their real-world career journeys and artistic practices, talking directly with 1,692 young people about how to find a pathway into the sector.
Down in Birmingham, students gathered for hands-on creative career workshops. They spent time challenging standard perceptions of craft jobs and even co-designed a brand-new printed careers resource. This student-led physical guide is now making its way to secondary schools across the country to inspire the next wave of creators.
The campaign also found a massive audience online during the national #CraftCareersDay. Alongside sector partners, makers, and the Crafts Council's Young Craft Citizens, social channels were full of examples of what a modern craft career looks like, generating over 46,000 Instagram impressions and more than 7,000 LinkedIn impressions.
Away from social media, the campaign focused on grass-roots action through a dedicated Micro-Grants Programme. The initiative funded four Craft UK members to test out tailored, local engagement tactics like mentoring, local career talks, and digital content creation. These targeted activities inspired 55 additional young people and helped leverage further investment in local communities.
The message was also taken to major national events like the QEST Heritage Careers Experience Day. At this event, two Young Craft Citizens brought history to life using objects from the Crafts Council's handling collection. They sparked deep conversations with roughly 150 young people about materials, making, and unexpected career routes.
By mixing face-to-face events, peer mentoring, and digital media, the programme successfully highlighted the vast breadth of the craft sector. It provided a truly inclusive educational framework for underserved groups who are often left out of these conversations.
Best of all, this work leaves a permanent legacy. The project has established a suite of permanent tools to support educators, partners, and young people for years to come. Moving forward, anyone looking to explore the industry can access the new print materials, a series of creative career films, and a comprehensive online Craft Careers Resource Library.
About the Crafts Council: As the UK’s national charity for craft, the Crafts Council believes that making skills enrich our lives and build a more sustainable world. By championing education and building an inclusive sector, we are working to change our world for the better.
To find out more about the Crafts Council and the work that they do visit:
- Website: craftscouncil.org.uk
- Instagram: @craftscouncil
- X: @CraftsCouncilUK
- Facebook: @CraftsCouncilUK
- LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/crafts-council
If you would like to get involved in Discover Creative Careers, either as a student, educator, or industry professional, please fill out our Expression of Interest Form today.