Supporting Craft Makers in Perth & Kinross
Perth UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art has partnered with Workshop and Artists Studio Provision Scotland Ltd (WASPS) to launch three new community assets to support craft makers in Perth and Kinross. A ceramics kiln, a glass kiln, and a photography dark room are now open for makers to use on a pay-for-what-you-use basis, meaning users only pay for the cost of electricity for kiln firings and to replenish materials in the dark room.
This joint venture, funded by the UK Shared Prosperity fund and supported by Perth and Kinross Council, further embeds Perth Creative Exchange as a cultural venue in Perth city centre, but also works towards community engagement goals of the city's UNESCO designation. The funding from the UK Shared Prosperity fund, supported by Perth and Kinross Council, also covers the costs of technical advisors for each of the assets to ensure that users can have thorough safety inductions, but also so they can ask questions or share experiments to further creative innovation.
While community access to kilns and dark rooms does exist across Scotland, the pay-for-what-you-use model, possible due to the funding leveraged, reduces financial barriers to entry by avoiding membership models, upfront purchasing costs, or space rental.
On the opening of the community crafts assets, Cllr Drysdale, Convener of Economy and Infrastructure Committee at Perth & Kinross Council said:
“As the UK’s first and only UNESCO City of Craft and Folk Art, we have a huge responsibility to increase access to craft making. Participating in craft isn’t just a creative endeavour, it is a mindful activity, and it is a way of connecting with heritage and culture at a tangible level. We are excited to see the pottery, glasswork, and developed photographs created in these assets, and I hope more members of our community in Perth and Kinross use them and build on our heritage as a City of Craft and Folk Art.”
