Craft is not creative according to DCMS

[robin wood]

The DCMS are currently proposing dropping craft from their list of creative industries. "We recognise that high-end craft occupations contain a creative element, but the view is that in the main, that these roles are more concerned with the[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif] manufacturing process, rather than the creative process."
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Apart form being simply potty this could potentially affect long term support (or lack of it) for crafts.

If you want to understand more about the potty proposal you can read the background here [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]
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Or maybe if you just fancy making your voice heard you could sign the petition here.

I hope this is OK with the non political nature of the forum.

 

[HillBill]

Got your back mate.
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107371
http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?5773-Calling-all-Craftsmen
http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread.php?658888-Calling-all-Craftsmen
http://thebushcraftforum.co.uk/f4/sign-me-please-guys-1823/

And on facebook too

Its all about the tax threshold (VAT)

They wouldn't allow the petition on british blades, and the US forums i'm on are not allowed to sign it

 

[robin wood]

Thanks for that, I searched DCMS but didn't find it. It really is the sort of thing Monty Python would make up. Personally I don't think it has anything to do with VAT though it does get quite complex when you start digging. There is a lot of info about the new proposals and the rational behind them on this link
I spent the day in Westminster meeting with Lord Cormack and skills minister Matt Hancock who is going to take it up with DCMS. The Heritage Craft Association also have a meeting promised with the head of creative economy who is in charge of this so we will get to the bottom of it soon. Sigs on the petition will help with the advocacy work the more the better.

 

[HillBill]

Judging by the replies i reckon my posts may have generated maybe a hundred confirmed signatures.... possibly more who didn't post in the threads. Who knows. it was worth the effort. I'd seen in the guardian article that the HCA was involved. I was surprised i'd not seen anything posted from yourself Robin, i did wonder what you were upto

It is ridiculous i agree, and the bottom line is, its about sole traders not earning enough to be counted in the tax calculations due to non compulsory VAT

Most crafts businesses are too small to identify in business survey data, so while there has been a crafts section in the former classification, we've not been able to provide GVA [gross value added] data.

This sentence basically says they cant calculate any value of the sector due to the lack of VAT paid. ( gross value added = value added tax( for the classification per year) which = VAT) as in most pay 20% to 40% tax, max rather than 60%)

 

[sandbender]

Quite pythonesque.

I will sign that later today.

 

[robin wood]

Judging by the replies i reckon my posts may have generated maybe a hundred confirmed signatures.... possibly more who didn't post in the threads. Who knows. it was worth the effort. I'd seen in the guardian article that the HCA was involved. I was surprised i'd not seen anything posted from yourself Robin, i did wonder what you were upto

It is ridiculous i agree, and the bottom line is, its about sole traders not earning enough to be counted in the tax calculations due to non compulsory VAT

Most crafts businesses are too small to identify in business survey data, so while there has been a crafts section in the former classification, we've not been able to provide GVA [gross value added] data.

This sentence basically says they cant calculate any value of the sector due to the lack of VAT paid. ( gross value added = value added tax( for the classification per year) which = VAT) as in most pay 20% to 40% tax, max rather than 60%)

Good work on plugging the petition it helps. HCA have been plugging it hard via facebook page https://www.facebook.com/heritagecraftsassociation. The Guardian blog was written by the Julia Bennett of the crafts council who cover contemporary innovative craft, they do not have GVA data collected in standard government format compatible with other government data so it canot be used.

For Heritage Crafts the data is there in standard format in fact the sector was mapped by the department of business inovation and skills and published last October. The GVA of the sector is £4.4billion, that is equivalent to the whole petrochemical industry or the whole Scottish food and drink industry so pretty significant. It's frustrating that HCA were not consulted before this document went public, we are playing catch up now and feeding the figures in and are confident we can change this. We spoke with the head of cultural economy at DCMS and have a proper meeting promised. He assures us that it is an open consultation and they are willing to change but a huge petition would help them reach the right decision I am sure.

 

[Angst]

signed.....madness

a

 

[Elen Sentier]

Oh lord love the proverbial duck! Ok, I'll post it round my networks and hope to get more sigs. This lot has absolutely nothing between the ears. Ta for the heads-up Robin.

Edit - Done!

behind every creative woman there's usually a very talented cat ...

 

[Andy T]

signed ...........

 

[Tiley]

I've signed the petition. I can hardly believe the utter stupidity of it! If craft isn't creative, what is?

 

[Elen Sentier]

Sounds as though you may have got a wee bit of somewhere from the latest on the FB page ...

 

[DaveBromley]

Already done matey!!

Dave

 

[rik_uk3]

Playing devil's advocate here to a degree but I think today's craft skill in reality is yesterdays trade skill so I can see where they're coming from to an extent. That said, it takes nothing from the skills involved. Is making baskets/knives/bowls that different from someone making bags from old jeans or mugs and pots on a home wheel and kiln. All these 'crafts' were in the past trades. I don't think its as cut and dried as you may think at first glance. Whichever way the hammer falls I really hope it makes no non-survivable economic impact on members here or other 'crafts people' and their businesses.

 

[greensurfingbear]

all signed

 

[reedx]

Signed too.

Colin