[Commlist] Call for Contributions: Craft Economies – Inequalities, Opportunities and Interventions

Call for Contributions: Craft Economies – Inequalities, Opportunities 
and Interventions

Wednesday 4th December 2019, Birmingham City University, UK

Craft in the creative economy has seen significant growth in the past 
ten years, in what is perceived to be a ‘return to artisanal employment’ 
(Nesta, 2017). It has been argued that this growth is driven partly by 
the proliferation of online sites such as Etsy, as well as the increased 
popularity of authentic, handmade products (Luckman, 2015) and the 
associated values of ‘hipster culture’ (Harris, 2018). Yet the craft 
sector, much like the wider creative economy, is dominated by the 
relatively privileged. UK figures indicate that those working in 
full-time occupations in craft are mostly white and male (Spilsbury, 
2018) with women makers mostly working on their practice part-time 
and/or self-employed. Despite social media and websites providing 
seemingly accessible ways for makers to sell their work, opportunities 
to make a career out of craft are not equal, mirroring similar issues 
around inequality and access in the wider creative industries (Patel, 2019).
In this conference, we seek to explore the current state of the craft 
economy, with an emphasis on the experiences and voices of makers around 
the world. How do makers negotiate the contemporary craft economy? What 
challenges do they face? What does the future of the craft economy look 
like? This conference invites contributions from academics, makers and 
postgraduate students which centre on the craft economy and the nature 
of craft practice.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
- Diversity and inequality in craft
- Expertise in craft
- Experiences of craft practitioners
- Online craft marketplaces and practices
- Craft entrepreneurship
- Craft and cultural policy
- Craft and ‘hipster’ culture
- Makerspaces and co-working
- Craft and health/wellbeing
- Craft futures

Please send a short abstract of no more than 150 words and a short bio 
to (Karen.patel /at/ bcu.ac.uk) by Monday 16th September 2019. You will be 
notified about your submission by Monday 14th October.
The conference is part of an AHRC funded project, ‘Craft Expertise’ in 
collaboration with Crafts Council UK. The project explores diversity and 
expertise development in the contemporary craft economy. For more 
information please visit http://craftexpertise.com.
This conference will be free to attend and refreshments/lunch will be 
provided. Registration details will follow soon.

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