Welcoming the workshops, Cllr. Brian O’Donoghue, Cathaoirleach of Carlow County Council said “I am delighted that we are working with the other Councils in the South East to deliver these essential programmes for the Creative Sector. I encourage anyone thinking about turning a craft hobby into a business or those already in business to engage in this opportunity to develop and enhance your business. Carlow is an ideal place for creative entrepreneurs and I’d encourage people starting and developing their business to engage with our Local Enterprise Office not just to find out about these programmes but also the myriad of other supports available”.
Craft Hub is a European project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme focused on Craft in the context of cultural heritage and its continuing relevance in contemporary practice. These courses are aimed at craft makers who would like to turn their craft hobby into a business or who may already have a craft enterprise and are looking to expand their business knowledge. Programmes include ‘Elevate your Craft with the best Graphic Design’, ‘Essentials in Bookkeeping for Craft Enterprises’, ‘Framing the image - supported by Photography session for Craft Enterprises’, ‘Essentials in costing and pricing your product/service for Craft Enterprise’, ‘How to turn your Craft Hobby into a Business’, ‘Making the most of the Christmas Online Opportunity for Craft Enterprises’, ‘Social Media marketing simplified for your Craft Business’ and ‘Creating an online video for your Craft Enterprise’. Full details of each course are on www.localenterprise.ie/carlow
Speaking about the programmes, Melissa Doyle, Business Advisor in Carlow County Council’s Local Enterprise Office said “This is a great opportunity for craft makers to expand on their skills and develop an expertise in the digital sphere to achieve as much as possible from their business. The workshops are free of charge and most of them are delivered online”. Melissa continued to say “These courses are aimed at craft makers who would like to turn their craft hobby into a business. I am delighted to be part of this project and support the cultural heritage.”
Craft Hub project activities involve investigating and documenting craft skills and processes; their differing application in creative practice across Europe; and questions of cultural specificity and individual motivations of practitioners. This will be addressed through a comprehensive and exciting program to allow the creation of new craft work and experimental investigations into process and material supported by 42 transnational maker residencies, 305 days of outreach work, 1 festival, 7 exhibitions and 2 conferences.
For further information or to book onto a course please visit the Local Enterprise Office website at https://www.localenterprise.ie/Carlow/Training-Events/Online-Bookings/ or contact the Local Enterprise Office directly by telephone on 059-9129783 or e-mail at enterprise@carlowcoco.ie.
