Materialities and Craft Value

In my research on supporting diversity and expertise development in craft, I've been trying to think through craft value and how it is racialized, gendered and classed. Why the types of craft promoted by my project partner CraftsCouncil, has so much value placed on it, and why craft work and objects created as part of craft participation programmes and within communities are considered less valuable, and not recognised as aesthetically important.

While value judgements do depend on skill and aesthetic expertise, I argue these value judgements are also classed and racialised. There is work on materialities which helps me to think through how value judgements can be reframed for a more equitable and inclusive craft ecology.

Keywords: Class ; Craft ; Creativity ; Gender ; Indigenous ; Inequalities ; Making ; Materialities ; Race ; Women