Creative craft workers will engage with people looking to buy unique ethical, handcrafted goods during Cork Craft Month in August, the 15th annual creative platform hosted by Cork Craft & Design. Last year’s events attracted over 20,000 visitors, with over 80 exhibitions, studio trails, and Meet the Maker sessions. Cork Craft & Design represents over 110 specialist makers and artists, whose 3,000 handcrafted items — from furniture to ceramics, to jewellery and prints — can be viewed at corkcraftanddesign.
com and at the Makers’ Collective Shop in Douglas Woollen Mills. Cork Craft Month in August will feature free and paid events across Cork city and county, including markets, family-friendly demos and workshops. Ahead of the Cork Craft Month launch party at Douglas Woolen Mills on Saturday, July 28, and the EMERGE graduate exhibition launch on Friday, August 2, we put questions to James McConville, recently appointed managing director of Cork Craft & Design.
With significant branding and marketing expertise and a passion for empowering entrepreneurs, James brings prior experience in higher education, corporate IT global SME e-commerce and floristry. Why has the public appetite for craft products grown to the point that 20,000 people are expected to attend Cork Craft Month in August? People are increasingly drawn to the authenticity and stories embedded in handmade craft products made here in Cork. The allure of quality craftsmanship, often steeped in tradition and skil.
