Craft is a major contributor across a multitude of economic sectors. As well as providing employment and income across thousands of businesses, craft skills feed into the wider creative economy and other key economic sectors, ranging from manufacturing to medicine. In 2016, craft, together with music, contributed over a third of the value of Creative Industries goods exports from the UK.

Following discussions between the Crafts Council and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, official export figures now include numerous craft sub-categories. Trade in jewellery, leather, wood, basketwork, textiles, ceramics, glass and metal demonstrate the huge range of high-quality exports from the UK to EU and global markets.

However, challenges remain. In addition to the immediate risks Brexit poses for market access and the reintroduction of tariffs – the detrimental effect of the schools performance framework on craft skills, uneven intellectual property protection, and rising international competitors all limit the opportunities for growth and development in the export market.

This panel discussion will bring together leading figures from across craft and the design economy to discuss how these challenges and opportunities can be met over the coming years. Suggestions for improvements in the sector include: investment towards facilities and equipment, skills support, structured opportunities to collaborate and improved business mentoring for scaling and exporting.

The event will take place on Tuesday 14th May from 0900 to 1100 in the Jubilee Room, Houses of Parliament and will be chaired by Jack Brereton MP, Conservative Member of Parliament for Stoke-on-Trent South.

Panel members will include:

• Rosy Greenlees OBE: Executive Director, Crafts’ Council

• Matthew Young: Senior Policy Advisor, Design Council

• Lulu Lytle: Founder and Creative Director, Soane Britain

• Bill Amberg: Bill Amberg Studio

• Sebastian Cox: Director, Sebastian Cox Ltd

We also hope to be joined by George Hollingbery MP, Minister of State for Trade Policy.

Key topics will include:

• The current position of craft within DCMS export sectors
• Challenges and opportunities presented by Brexit
• How the modern industrial strategy can encourage craft business development
• The role of craft as a part of the GREAT campaign
• Examples of best practice from other countries

The event will bring together key stakeholders and will feed into a brief term paper detailing the main issues raised, as well as key policy recommendations for the future as well as providing an opportunity to showcase the Crafts Council’s new exporting toolkit, as well as their Craft In Industry cards, highlighting examples of best practice in product design and suggestions for how policy makers can improve the scope and potential of the craft sector.

This will be shared with leading Parliamentarians and Government figures, with a particular focus on HM Treasury, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.