Meet the Makers exhibition at Wallacea Week 2019 ©

Doc. by British Council

Crafting futures supports the future of craft around the globe. This British Council programme strengthens economic, social and cultural development through learning and access. Crafting futures’ projects support practices and people, through research, collaboration and education.

Through international collaboration, Crafting Futures creates new networks and opportunities for shared learning between the UK and other countries around the globe. The programme supports research and education in craft, ensuring our projects are relevant and the quality of creative practice is preserved and continues to develop.  Crafting Futures offers designers and artisans access to knowledge and expertise, new markets and new audiences, ensuring the value of craft is appreciated more broadly and knowledge can continue to be shared within the sector.

With increasing global interest on climate change and consumptive economic models in a post-globalised world, the world is looking for alternative approaches to crafts, addressing sustainability across environment, economic and culture through crafts, and explore new economic models, systems and ways of collaborating.

The growing sector around repurposing materials and new materials development have garnered quite a lot of interest – designers and artists in Indonesia are interested about it, and it is an area where the UK has an abundance of leadership and best practice on, yet still have room for learning about alternative ways. 

2019-20 Programme Milestones

Below are several projects as part of the development of this programme in 2019-20.

Research: New Materials Development and Repurposing of Existing Materials

  • Aims to create body of research which will inform the development of the CF programme – with proposals that address audiences, how to further develop new sustainable materials, how to engage with marginalized groups, and investigate the elements of traditional Indonesian crafts/craftsmanship. 
  • Research delivered by Budaya Kreatif Foundation, with advisory team from Institut Teknologi Bandung and University of Leeds.

Indonesian delegate to Making Futures Conference in Plymouth UK (Sept 2019)

  • In 2019, Making Futures conference focused on appreciating the value of makers as singular creative agents producing material objects, focus on the social dimensions of maker practices and how these can positively contribute to the construction and regeneration of communities.
  • Aprina Murwanti, a craft researcher and exhibition curator, was selected as a delegate to present a paper on the role of women in the craft sector during the conference.

Bandung Design Biennale (Oct 2019)

  • Utilizing Crafting Futures Network, we invited Patapian from Thailand to come to Bandung, Indonesia during Bandung Design Biennale and share about their collaboration with WANITA.
  • Crafters and designers had their studio opened during the Biennale which enables public learn about their ways of working, and their design process.

Wallacea Week (23 – 28 Nov 2019)

  • Wallacea Week 2019 is an event to commemorate the 150thanniversary of Sir Alfred Russel Wallace’s The Malay Archipelago, presenting the best of the UK and Indonesia’s science, arts and cultural projects.
  • British Council collaborated with Meet the Makers Indonesia in creating an exhibition where makers from eastern Indonesia gather and showcased their crafts.
  • Were able to learn from the crafters on how they preserve the materials taken from nature and the process of craft-making.

Satu Kancing Terlewat exhibition (November 2019)

  • An exhibition held by an Indonesian Brand ‘Fbudi’ where it exhibits fashion items that is kept dearly by curated owners. Through this exhibition, Fbudi would like present the underlining issue of sustainability in fashion, putting value of the fashion items or crafts products by highlighting personal stories of their owners.
  • British Council is involved in the exhibition to join the campaign on the issue of sustainability and the value of craftsmanship.

Indonesian delegate to Making Futures Conference in Cebu, Philipines (March 2020)

  • During 2020 Making Futures, issues covered are  the changing nature of both craft and industry, developments in digital technologies, sustainability in the context of the global climate crisis, material innovations, social and community-based regeneration, and craft leadership.
  • Adhi Nugraha, researcher, academician and also a crafter is selected as one of the speaker talking about crafts industry in Indonesia.

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