The craft +design enquiry journal continues

Craft Australia is pleased to announce the ongoing life of one of its projects, the craft + design enquiry research e-journal.

"As part of Craft Australia's winding up process we have endeavoured to find new host organisations for our key activities", said General Manager, Catrina Vignando.

After 41 years of operating as the nation's peak advocacy organisation for contemporary craft and design, Craft Australia will close its doors at the end of April 2012. However, the craft + design enquiry journal, which provides an important publishing platform for the research excellence in craft and design practice, will continue.

"The recent confirmation that the Australian National University, (ANU) School of Art will become the new hosts for this journal is very reassuring", said Ms Vignando.

The journal is a significant innovation for the promotion of the research capabilities in the craft and design sector. Craft Australia developed the craft + design enquiry journal in 2009 and have already published three volumes of the journal. In the short time it has been in circulation it has achieved Excellence in Research for Australia rating and is recognised internationally as a noteworthy journal for practice based research.

"We are excited that as an outcome of the journal being hosted by the ANU School of Art, the future volumes of the craft + design enquiry will be published by ANU E Press", said Ms Deves, the Editorial Manager of the journal.

The move to the ANU School of Art is expected to cause little disruption to the journal's publishing schedule. The next volume, CDE#4, is due to be published July 2012 on the theme of 'Relational Craft and Design'.

New contact and address details for the craft + design enquiry journal will be available shortly. In the interim people can register with the online journal and be on the mailing list for future updates.craft + design enquiry.


Catrina Vignando
Craft Australia
April 2012

Related Links
craft + design enquiry
ANU E PRESS

craft research: Craft Australia Need Us!!

International Support for CA

Read the link below to see what they are saying in Scotland about defunding Craft Australia.

craft research: Craft Australia Need Us!!: Craft Australia Defunded by the Australia Council Craft Australia is challenging this decision and is also seeking our support. If Craf...

Save Craft Australia

  Craft Australia Defunded by the Australia Council

Craft Australia is challenging this decision and is also seeking your support. 

What will you lose if Craft Australia is lost to the Australian craft and design sector. 

 The ramifications of not having a national peak organisation representing the craft and design sector are significant.

•  There will be no visible national portal to represent the work of the many artists, designers, gallerists, curators, writers and researchers working in this field.

•  Australia will be the only OECD country without a dedicated agency to advocate and promote the work of this area of practice.

• The many initiatives that Craft Australia has been advocating for that link craft and design with innovation and industry will be lost.

•  Substantial digital content about this sector will be lost, creating a significant knowledge gap about our cultural traditions.

How you can help: 

1. Sign our petition
2. Forward to petition to friends and interested parties 
3. Write to the Visual Arts Board, Chair Ted Snell email
4. Write to the Minister for the Arts Simon Crean MP contact details
5. Write to the Shadow Minister for the Arts George Brandis SC contact details
6. Write to your local Minister

MEDIA RELEASE

Craft Australia Defunded by the Australia Council

The Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council announced in October that it would defund Craft Australia, the national peak organisation for the craft and design sector.  Without its financial support Craft Australia will be forced to close by December 2011 and its significant 40 year legacy will be lost. The network of Australian Craft and Design Centres, (ACDC), support Craft Australia in seeking to revoke the Visual Arts Board, (VAB) decision.

Craft Australia believes the decision by the VAB is unjustified and was made without proper consultation either with Craft Australia or the craft and design sector. The decision has not followed due process or due governance and is in breach of its own documented guidelines. Craft Australia is challenging this decision and is also seeking immediate interim funding from the Australia Council.

Robert Reason the President of Craft Australia said:

“The interim funding would allow Craft Australia to restructure in a responsible manner and manage its significant heritage assets and active programs appropriately. It would also send a clear message to the craft and design sector that the Australia Council and through it the Australian Government remains committed to the preservation of our cultural heritage”.

He also said,

“Craft Australia delivers a dynamic and diverse program that promotes and supports Australian craft and design practice nationally and internationally.”

Craft Australia’s website, www.craftaustralia.org.au, has over 1 million unique page visitors annually and provides access to events, exhibitions, and commissioned articles on craft and design. The organisation also engages with readers so they can actively respond to issues through Craft Australia’s social media sites on twitter, facebook and the CA blog, www.craftaustralia.blogspot.com

Some of Craft Australia’s recent achievements in support of the sector include the newly  established craft + design enquiry online journal, an international forum for practice based research; the Selling Yarns conferences for contemporary Indigenous craft and design practices and attracting funding to digitise its unique collection of images.

Significantly, Craft Australia ensures that the craft and design sector has a voice on national decision making organisations such the Australian Design Alliance (AdA), ArtsPeak, the National Visual Arts Craft Network (NVACN) and the Council for Humanities Arts and Social Sciences, (CHASS).

Without a national organisation there can be no concerted advocacy position for the Australian craft and design sector. This could leave the sector vulnerable to further erosion of funding.

For more information about the decision to defund Craft Australia, contact

Robert Reason, President of Craft Australia on 02 6273 0088.

Sign the Petition

For more details on the Save Craft Australia action please see the Craft Australia website www.craftaustralia.org.au