What is Craft & Design?
Every object in our world is designed or crafted: Tables, watches, computers, glasses, cups, clothes, shoes and a hundred million other objects. Craftspeople and designers shape the visual world around us. Using imagination, skill, design-technology and craft traditions, a career in craft and design is diverse, challenging, innovative, creative and very rewarding. Pursuing a 3rd level course in Craft or Design will provide you with the skills to make, carve, sculpt, shape, weave, fabricate and manufacture your own unique expression of the past and future.

Craft & Design Careers
Training as a craftmaker or designer opens so many career opportunities to you. You could be a self-employed designer in fashion, textiles, ceramics, jewellery or furniture - or how about working as a design consultant, a museum/gallery curator, a retail buyer, college lecturer, multi-media CAD designer or even a trend forecaster? These are the range of options open to you by simply following your desire to express yourself through your skills and creativity.

CCoI Provide Two Specialised Training Courses

CCoI Ceramics Skills Course
CCoI Jewellery & Goldsmithing Skills Course

Previous Projects
FACT: Fine Art & Craft Together - Second Level Pilot Initiative
The Crafts Council of Ireland together with local arts education providers, the Butler Gallery and Kilkenny County Council Arts Office piloted a very successful collaborative art/ craft based project for transition year students.

For further information on Third Level Institutions providing courses in a range of craft disciplines, please contact Louise Allen, Craft Education and Awareness Manager on 056 779 6142/ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The project will run from August – December 2007 and is designed to:

• promote art, craft and design as a realistic career option
• improve visual literacy in schools
• align fine art and craft practices
• encourage cross-pollination of skills between practitioners.

The pliot programme aims to develop a model of practice for artists and craftspeople working in post primary schools, suitable for national replication. It will require a collaborative approach to developing a programme for transition year students, and will facilitate the sharing of skills between visual artists and craftspeople. The in-school programme will run for a period of 20 hours over 10 weeks from September to December 2007.  

Following a call out for interested artists and craftspeople, the following have been selected by an independent specialist panel:

• Frances Traynor (glass)
• Polly Minett (papermaking)
• Anne Harrington-Rees (fibre/basketry)
• Brigitta Varadi (textiles)
• Anne Mulrooney (sculpture)
• Debra Bowden (printmaking)

The Crafts Council would like to thank everyone who expressed an interest in this project, and to congratulate those who were selected. We look forward with anticipation to the outcomes of this new venture.

Further information is available from Sharon Rollston, Education Programme Manager T; 056 77 61804  E:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it