Craft practice has experienced a sharp rise in popularity since the late 2000s, partly through the 'aura of the analogue' and the desire for authentic, handmade products in an increasingly fast paced, digitalised world (Luckman, 2015) but also because of digital platforms such as Etsy and social media enabling 'anyone' to become a craft entrepreneur. This book brings together historical, policy and individual narratives to inform a broad understanding of craft entrepreneurship. Drawing on case studies from around the world, Craft Entrepreneurship considers questions of identity, community, and the digital in craft entrepreneurship. In doing so, it finds craft activities to be positioned between or across the arts, heritage, notions of a bohemian lifestyle and the challenges of micro-entrepreneurship. By engaging with the contradictions and fragility of sustaining a craft practice, the chapters in this book contribute to different perspectives for entrepreneurship studies. The contributions to this volume illustrate the craft entrepreneurs' identity, motivation and sense of creative purpose through their craft, as these collide with the tensions brought about through entrepreneurship.
Annette Naudin is Associate Professor in the Birmingham Institute for Media and English, Birmingham City University. Karen Patel is Research Fellow in the Birmingham Institute for Media and English, Birmingham City University.
Introduction: Craft Entrepreneurship. Annette Naudin and Karen Patel Part 1: Craft Entrepreneurship and Cultural Policy Craft: The New Entrepreneurship? Julia Bennett Craft Entrepreneurship and Public Policies in Serbia, Hristina Mikic Smoothing Out the Peaks and Troughs: Examining the Sustainability Strategies of Island-Based Creative Practitioners, Katherine Champion Far Out Crafting, Andrea Peach Artisan or Designer: Montreal Craft Workers and the Global Discourse on Creativity, Guillaume Sirois Part II: Challenges of Craft Entrepreneurship Exploring the Relationship Between Craft Identity and Intellectual Property in Contemporary Craft, Lauren England Diversity Work and 'Niceness' Online: Addressing Racism in the Knitting Community, Karen Patel From Amateur to All-Business: Women on the Verge of Craft Entrepreneurship, Mary Kay Culpepper and David Gauntlett Becoming a Craft Entrepreneur: A Journey of Identity Change and Conflict, Vishalakshi Roy Craftswomen and Entrepreneurship, Annette Naudin Making It is Gendered Work, Jess Ring
The increased use of platforms such as Etsy and Instagram have resulted in interest in craft businesses and craft entrepreneurship, opening new windows for both craftspeople and those interested in entrepreneurship. In this volume, contributors from England, Scotland, Canada, Serbia, and Sweden cover topics that fall under the umbrella of cultural policy and craft economy. The included case studies offer interesting statistical information, such as the fact that people employed in craft industries are predominantly male, whereas self-employed and part-time workers tend to be female.... With a list of impressive contributors, this compact volume is well researched and supported by expansive bibliographic notes at the end of each essay. Recommended. * Choice Reviews *
