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| # Craft production | This topic is part of [[gt:crafts|Crafts & making]]. |
| | ====== Craft production ====== |
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| ## What is craft production? | ===== What is craft production? ===== |
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| Craft (or artisan) production is about making (and repairing) useful (and often beautiful) things using a combination of hands and brain. Craft skills need time to acquire, and the work is often labour-intensive. Craft production can provide us with a [range of goods](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/crafts/) such as clothes, utensils, consumables, furniture, jewellery, toys, and useful items involving metal, wood, stone and various other natural or recycled materials. At the margins of the genre are [foods](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/food/) (craft beers, artisan bread etc.), trades such as plumbing, electrical or [building](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/shelter/) work, and these days even high-tech 'crafts' such as [3D printing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing) or creating [free software](/foss/open_source). | Craft (or artisan) production is about making (and repairing) useful (and often beautiful) things using a combination of hands and brain. Craft skills need time to acquire, and the work is often labour-intensive. Craft production can provide us with a [range of goods](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/crafts/) such as clothes, utensils, consumables, furniture, jewellery, toys, and useful items involving metal, wood, stone and various other natural or recycled materials. At the margins of the genre are [foods](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/food/) (craft beers, artisan bread etc.), trades such as plumbing, electrical or [building](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/shelter/) work, and these days even high-tech 'crafts' such as [3D printing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing) or creating [free software](/foss/open_source). |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### History | ==== History ==== |
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| All production was artisanal until [enclosures of land](https://www.thelandmagazine.org.uk/articles/short-history-enclosure-britain) pushed people from their rural smallholdings and into urban factories. Prior to this, craftspeople in various trades organised themselves into [guilds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guild) in most cities across Europe, throughout the Middle Ages. The guilds provided apprenticeships (often to young people escaping serfdom, and so were a catalyst for ending feudalism), guaranteed quality, and excluded craftsmen found guilty of cheating the public. They often grew to dominate their cities, from their [guildhalls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guildhall), but were eventually overshadowed by the centralised power of the state. In the countryside, away from the influence of the guilds, merchants travelled between the cottages of craft spinners, providing them with raw materials, taking away and selling their finished cloth and keeping a share of the profits - the beginnings of capitalism. As new machines were developed - such as the [Spinning Jenny](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_jenny), bringing many workers together in water-powered factories - much craft work began to become obsolete, sparking an unsuccessful backlash by the [Luddites](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite). | All production was artisanal until [enclosures of land](https://www.thelandmagazine.org.uk/articles/short-history-enclosure-britain) pushed people from their rural smallholdings and into urban factories. Prior to this, craftspeople in various trades organised themselves into [guilds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guild) in most cities across Europe, throughout the Middle Ages. The guilds provided apprenticeships (often to young people escaping serfdom, and so were a catalyst for ending feudalism), guaranteed quality, and excluded craftsmen found guilty of cheating the public. They often grew to dominate their cities, from their [guildhalls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guildhall), but were eventually overshadowed by the centralised power of the state. In the countryside, away from the influence of the guilds, merchants travelled between the cottages of craft spinners, providing them with raw materials, taking away and selling their finished cloth and keeping a share of the profits - the beginnings of capitalism. As new machines were developed - such as the [Spinning Jenny](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinning_jenny), bringing many workers together in water-powered factories - much craft work began to become obsolete, sparking an unsuccessful backlash by the [Luddites](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite). |
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| ## What are the benefits of craft production? | ===== What are the benefits of craft production? ===== |
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| ### Environment | ==== Environment ==== |
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| - Supply chains are shortened, reducing fossil fuel requirement to transport goods. | - Supply chains are shortened, reducing fossil fuel requirement to transport goods. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Community | ==== Community ==== |
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| - Profits stay in the community, rather than being sucked out to pay corporate shareholders. | - Profits stay in the community, rather than being sucked out to pay corporate shareholders. |
| - Craft production is part of a [new kind of economy](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/lowimpact-topic/new-economy/), in which people produce to [exchange for goods that others have produced](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/capitalism-free-market/), rather than trying to make more and more money; a [community built around small producers](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/what-post-covid-communities-could-look-like-if-enough-of-us-want-it/) could be a much safer and healthier place. | - Craft production is part of a [new kind of economy](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/lowimpact-topic/new-economy/), in which people produce to [exchange for goods that others have produced](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/capitalism-free-market/), rather than trying to make more and more money; a [community built around small producers](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/what-post-covid-communities-could-look-like-if-enough-of-us-want-it/) could be a much safer and healthier place. |
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| ### Quality of life | ==== Quality of life ==== |
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| - For producers: autonomous, interesting, meaningful work. | - For producers: autonomous, interesting, meaningful work. |
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| ## What can I do? | ===== What can I do? ===== |
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| First of all - if you can, purchase things from craft producers. If more people do this, then if you decide to give it a go yourself, you'll have a larger market to sell to. | First of all - if you can, purchase things from craft producers. If more people do this, then if you decide to give it a go yourself, you'll have a larger market to sell to. |
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| ### Re-skilling | ==== Re-skilling ==== |
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| Have a go at something you find interesting; produce things for yourself, friends and family first, as a hobby; then maybe think about turning it into a job. See our [individual craft topics](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/crafts/) to get more information and to find organisations and course providers that can help you; and also craft producers that you can support by purchasing from them. | Have a go at something you find interesting; produce things for yourself, friends and family first, as a hobby; then maybe think about turning it into a job. See our [individual craft topics](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/crafts/) to get more information and to find organisations and course providers that can help you; and also craft producers that you can support by purchasing from them. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Scale | ==== Scale ==== |
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| It's probably not a good idea environmentally if everyone tries to make their own pottery, glassware, forged metal goods, soaps etc. in their own households. It's more efficient to do those kinds of things at the community level, and to trade with each other. Every community could support one or two potters, weavers, bakers, brewers, blacksmiths etc. Craft production for trade represents the sustainable middle ground between giant corporations and attempts at self-sufficiency. | It's probably not a good idea environmentally if everyone tries to make their own pottery, glassware, forged metal goods, soaps etc. in their own households. It's more efficient to do those kinds of things at the community level, and to trade with each other. Every community could support one or two potters, weavers, bakers, brewers, blacksmiths etc. Craft production for trade represents the sustainable middle ground between giant corporations and attempts at self-sufficiency. |
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| ### Prices | ==== Prices ==== |
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| Craft produce is expensive. But if you see a suspiciously cheap mug or T-shirt, you know that costs are being externalised - in other words, someone is getting exploited somewhere, and the environment is being damaged too. | Craft produce is expensive. But if you see a suspiciously cheap mug or T-shirt, you know that costs are being externalised - in other words, someone is getting exploited somewhere, and the environment is being damaged too. |
| </WRAP> | </WRAP> |
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| ### Mutual credit | ==== Mutual credit ==== |
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| One way to develop these groups of community-based businesses that trade with each other is via a mutual credit club. Mutual credit is a moneyless exchange system in which businesses trade via numbers in an account, not money. Here's an [introduction to mutual credit](/mucr/mutual_credit), and below is part of a conversation with a craft partner of ours - a weaver who understands the potential of mutual credit. | One way to develop these groups of community-based businesses that trade with each other is via a mutual credit club. Mutual credit is a moneyless exchange system in which businesses trade via numbers in an account, not money. Here's an [introduction to mutual credit](/mucr/mutual_credit), and below is part of a conversation with a craft partner of ours - a weaver who understands the potential of mutual credit. |
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| ## Further resources | ===== Forum ===== |
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| | This topic belongs to the section [[gt:crafts|Crafts & making]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/crafts). |
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| | ===== Further resources ===== |
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| - [Crafts Council](https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/) | - [Crafts Council](https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/) |
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| ## Related topics | ===== Related topics ===== |
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| | - [Felt making](felt:felt_making) |
| | - [Natural dyes](ntdy:natural_dyes) |
| | - [Woodworking](wwor:woodworking) |
| | - [Weaving](weav:weaving) |
| | - [Flintknapping](flin:flintknapping) |
| | - [Knitting & crochet](knit:knitting) |
| | - [Rag rugs](ragr:rag_rugs) |
| | - [Sticks & crooks](stic:sticks) |
| | - [Stone carving](stoc:stone_carving) |
| | - [Glassblowing](glas:glassblowing) |
| | - [Pottery](pott:pottery) |
| | - [Blacksmithing](blck:blacksmithing) |
| | - [Mosaics](mosc:mosaics) |
| | - [Welding & metalwork](weld:welding_and_metalwork) |
| | - [Bow making](bowm:bow_making) |
| | - [Rustic furniture](rufu:rustic_furniture) |
| | - [Papermaking](papr:papermaking) |
| | - [Candlemaking](cndl:candlemaking) |
| | - [Leatherwork](leat:leatherwork) |
| | - [Spinning](spin:spinning) |
| | - [Green Woodworking](grwo:green_woodworking) |
| | - [Jewellery making](jewl:jewellery) |
| | - [Basketmaking](bask:basketmaking) |
| | - [Sewing](sewi:sewing) |
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| ## Specialist curators of this topic | ===== Specialist curators of this topic ===== |
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