Crafts Council | Craft Futures Sector Convening
Designing the participatory infrastructure and strategic evidence base for the future of the UK craft sector.
Introduction
Crafts Council commissioned a building activation and national sector engagement programme to animate 44a Pentonville Road as an equity-led national hub for craft and civic dialogue.
Connecting grassroots practice to national policy, the programme convened 40+ sector leaders across curated roundtables, culminating in a national symposium and evidence report to shape the future of the UK craft economy.
Year
2026
Duration
6 Months
Client
Crafts Council UK
Tags
Systems & Legacy Design
Challenges
Reopening a landmark cultural institution required moving beyond static venue hire into an active, sector-shaping convening space.
The challenge was bridging diverse grassroots makers, eco-designers, and policymakers while building the strategic evidence base required for long-term sector resilience and national funding (NPO) alignment.
Interventions & Legacy
We designed and produced a 6-month convening architecture, including the flagship 'House Party' reopening, 4 curated sector roundtables, and a national symposium.
We captured participatory dialogue into the 'Craft Futures' insight report, giving leadership actionable evidence to substantiate Arts Council England funding and position 44a Pentonville Road as a permanent R&D hub for sustainable making.
London · Amsterdam · New York
We build the blueprints, regenerative systems and impact narratives that make ambitious ideas last.
© 2026
Relinquished LABS