Making craft a national agenda

Australian craft and design centres are tired of falling between the conversation cracks; they have rebooted their network for greater visibility and value within a broader arts sector that is increasingly more dynamic.

The Australian Craft and Design Centres Network (ACDC) is not new. Like so many good ideas that burnt bright, they can peter off with time, and join the list of yet another thing to maintain.

Revisiting such initiatives, however, can prove valuable.

As the makers movement and wellness have both gained traction in recent years, interest in contemporary craft and design has seen a huge jump in engagement, with many of Australia’s centres facing waiting lists for their workshops and over-subscribed makers market.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina