Arts and crafts is a term used to describe a broad spectrum of contemporary and traditional pursuits. If you are interested in taking up a new hobby, wanting to showcase your productions or simply make new friends there are a large selection of associations to choose from. To get you started we have listed some of the main associations operating in Britain.

Crafts Council

The Crafts Council is an organisation funded by the Arts Council of England. The Craft Council's aim is to help people involved with contemporary crafts throughout Britain.

The Craft Council does this by promoting new ranges of crafts products available, promoting artists and spreading awareness about new exhibitions in regional areas and inspiring people to get involved in careers within the creative crafts.

The crafts council are dedicated to the development of crafts communities in Britain and often communicate with local and national bodies involved in retail, venues for showcasing new ranges, education, heritage centres and museums. By communicating with various authorities The Crafts Council can share the cumulative knowledge with all its affiliates.

Society of Designer Craftsmen

The society of designer craftsmen is the longest standing arts and craft association, founded at the turn of the nineteenth century. The aim of the society is to inspire new innovative works to be created. The society caters for all forms of arts and crafts in Britain.

The society has heralded new generations to continue producing high quality new creations. In its early years the society mainly achieved this by organizing and attending numerous exhibitions across Britain. As a revival of crafts began to gain momentum during the 1970s the society changed its focus and started to open galleries and shops of its own.

Enthusiasm for the revival of arts and crafts in Britain may have waned a little but the society still holds exhibitions each year. The society continues to thrive with new members eager to showcase their work.

Arts Council England

The Arts Council England is a government funded initiative which aims to develop and promote artistic ventures throughout England. The council does this by offering government and national lottery funding to help individuals and organisations increase public awareness of the arts.

The council is currently celebrating its 60th birthday. Since 1946 The Arts Council has helped to further establish England as an iconic centre of diverse cultural heritage. The council has assisted with countless projects including classical and contemporary music, new media and literature, festivals and craftwork.

The arts council believe that arts help to enrich our lives and inspire us to achieve our full potential. The council is committed to continuing its work and has pledged to grant £1.1 billion from 2006 to 2008.