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Heritage Craft

Policy Direction

Purpose

  • Intangible heritage, such as heritage craft is an untapped resource for the UK government local councils, that can potentially create national and regional competitive advantage by helping qualifying distinct geographical areas and local products.
  • Several heritage crafts in the UK are currently endangered due to the dwindling domestic demand for craft products and the local supply of skills.
  • We studied regions within UK that have successfully capitalised on the economic and cultural values that heritage craft can offer (“craft regions”), and identified regions that have the potential to do so but have not fully leveraged on the potential.
  • Our analysis uncovered best practices that can be transferred from the former to the latter, to enable them to fulfil their potential to become thriving craft regions.
  • Our findings suggest that the survival and revival of heritage craft may bring benefit at both national and local level, and can be promoted by combining top-down and bottom-up strategies.
  • We suggest that it is important for the local councils to intensify collaboration with local heritage craftspeople to co- produce a narrative regarding how local heritage could be leveraged to enhance the overall branding of the local area and products.

Background

The last two decades have witnessed an extraordinary resurgence of interest in craft and craftsmanship. Once thought to be an obsolete mode of organising and producing for modern society, now craft movements appear to be reconfiguring entire sectors, with examples ranging from beer brewing to watchmaking and barbering. Countries like Japan and Italy have successfully capitalised on their heritage resources to create national and regional competitive advantage. The UK is lagging in this regard. For example, it has not yet signed the UNESCO convention to safeguard intangible cultural heritage, and according to recent research, only 42 (17%) of 214 local councils, and 12% of councils overall, have an officer whose remit includes traditional crafts.

Recent research shows that over 169,000 people work in the heritage craft sector, and also highlights the significant economic impact of heritage crafts (with the sector adding £4.4 billion in gross value added (GVA) to the UK economy). However, our research identifies that the sector is at risk of decline and it suggests that government and local councils could do more to support the efforts of entrepreneurs and craftspeople to leverage unique heritage to build culturally valuable and economically viable businesses.

Heritage crafts have the potential to create significant cultural and economic value in the following ways:

  1. Contrary to commonly held assumptions, new innovations are often inspired by traditional materials and techniques, with heritage craftsmanship being a potential source of inspiration for innovation and entrepreneurship in the community.
  2. Heritage crafts can create and enhance unique local cultural branding, helping characterise the image and enhancing the visibility and attractiveness of certain geographical locations.
  3. In an increasingly digitised world, engaging in manual craft-based work can contribute to maintaining physical and mental health, and provide meaningfulness to work.
  4. As consumers increasingly seek authentic and meaningful consumption experiences, heritage craftsmanship can play a key role in meeting this demand.
  5. Heritage crafts are closely associated with environmental sustainability. Crafts are not only based on environmentally friendly and locally sourced production methods, but can also promote a sustainable mindset among producers and consumers.

Summary of research findings

The craft heritage sector currently suffers from a number of problems, which include: (1) technological change offering cheaper and/or more functional alternatives (2) changing customs and lifestyles (3) low cost of labour overseas enabling cheaper production and (4) lack of training routes and accreditation. These market forces constraint both the demand and supply of the heritage craft. In order to enhance both the demand and supply dynamics, there needs to be a broader institutional support particularly from local government (but also central government).

Within UK, we identified local regions that have successfully capitalised on the economic and cultural values that heritage craft can offer, based on an extensive analysis of key factors which we call the fabric of place (e.g., landscape, history, craft practice, local government, cultural activities, and regional identity). Also, we identified local regions that have the potential to do so but have not fully leveraged on the potential. Our analysis uncovers best practices that could effectively be transferred from successful to potential craft regions.

Examples of some of the best practices are:

  • Including crafts in the local cultural strategy
  • Councils providing space for craftspeople to sell and showcase their wares
  • Councils working to foster relationships with craftspeople, and help craftspeople network
  • Making funding available to craftspeople scaling up their businesses

Ways forward

Our research suggests that it is important to initiate (and/or enhance) mutual collaboration among the heritage craftspeople and local councils and policy makers. If local authorities acknowledge the value of heritage crafts and use them to their benefit, a mutually symbiotic ecosystem can be created where the local community supports heritage crafts (through resource supply, preferential purchase, marketing and advertising campaigns, representing craft in the built heritage, etc.), and heritage crafts support the branding of the local community.

Steps local authorities can take to leverage local craft heritage include: surveying and identifying all the heritage craftspeople in their local community; and then working with these heritage craftspeople to co-produce a narrative regarding how local heritage could be leveraged to enhance the overall branding of the local area. Local authorities might also seek to enhance the support they provide for heritage craftspeople, by for example, providing support (practical, financial) to encourage craftspeople to take on apprentices and supporting self-organised grassroots movements to encourage inter- and intra-trade collaboration among craftspeople might prove effective. Our research and analysis offer a platform to provide more specific and detailed recommendations to each potential craft region.