We are almost at the end of Cork Craft Month 2021, and while we are sad to say goodbye for another year, we could not be more delighted with the success of this year’s celebrations!  

 

Every August, we look to honour Cork-based artists and crafters through our festivities, in an effort to showcase the talent of our Cork Craft and Design makers and to help boost support for their small Irish businesses. 

 

This year, our show-stopping line-up included over 70 different workshops, talks, demonstrations and events, making it our biggest year yet. After last year’s virtual celebrations, it was wonderful to see visitors face-to-face again this year, all socially distanced of course. And so far, we have received a great response from the Cork community with a fantastic turnout to events.  

 

And while the pandemic was a very tough time for our members, with restrictions limiting their ability to exhibit and sell their work, it has allowed our small Cork crafting community to expand – welcoming people everywhere through online events, something which we carried with us again into this year’s festivities.  

 

For many of our makers they rely on their craft as their primary source of income, so raising awareness of their business has always been top of mind when organising Cork Craft Month each year. Every event running throughout the month provides a direct link between the public and our makers, building relationships and boosting support for these small businesses. The network gained through Cork Craft Month not only strengthens the craft community across Cork, but it also goes a long way towards establishing these individual brands on a wide scale.  

 

An initiative that has been crucial in introducing makers to the public is the ‘Made in Cork’ Craft and Food Market. The vibrant outdoor market, featuring over 25 stalls of high-quality handmade Cork Craft, offers visitors the chance to meet makers and learn about their work directly from the source! So come on down and help us wrap up Cork Craft Month 2021 at the final ‘Made in Cork’ Craft and Food Market on August 29th at St. Patrick’s Woollen Mills, Douglas. Full event information is available here.  

 

Want to take part in next year’s celebrations? Find out more about becoming a member of Cork Craft and Design here. 

 

Cork Craft Month promotes the value of the Cork craft industry, empowering small businesses, and establishing Cork as a leader in the Irish craft and design sector. Without the support of our dedicated sponsors, this simply would not be possible, so we would like to sincerely thank each organisation involved in supporting our celebrations and making this year the biggest, and most exciting Craft Month yet. 

 

So, here’s to our sponsors: The Local Enterprise Office, Design & Crafts Council Ireland, Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Cork Education and Training Board, Cork County Council’s Cobh Municipal District, Creative Ireland, MTU Crawford College of Art, the Heritage Council of Ireland and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.