Publishing and Recording Industries have same economic impact and receive millions of dollars in export help from Canada's government

The impetus behind the Canadian Crafts Federation’s (CCF) recently released study entitled “Profile and Development Strategy for Craft in Canada” was the realization that little was known about craft as an industry. Because craft is not recognized as a valuable cultural industry in Canada, it doesn’t receive the same level of government and institutional support as other cultural sectors. The participants in this study hope to close that gap, says Yvan Gauthier, executive director of Quebec’s Craft Council and president of the CCF.

What the study sought to determine

Conducted by Bert Perreboom of Peartree Solutions Inc. of Ottawa on behalf of the CCF, the study was funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage Trade Routes Program, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and the Canada Council for the Arts. The study was inspired and informed by the CODA Survey on the Economic Impact of Craft in the United States. Early in the study design, two representatives from the CCF, along with a representative of Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, attended the 2002 CODA Conference in San Antonio. “We learned a lot from CODA,” says Tom McFall, executive director of the Alberta Craft Council. “Not only what they did, but what they didn’t do.”

The CCF study was the first attempt to provide both a qualitative and quantitative profile of the Canadian craft sector. It had three major objectives: to improve the knowledge of the sector, both for those within the craft industry and for relevant government departments and agencies; to identify elements of an economic development strategy that fosters both domestic and export markets for quality craft made in Canada; and, to advocate for appropriate financial support for measures supporting cultural trade development for craft similar to those available to other cultural industries.

The study looked at questions such as number of professional craftspeople, how they work, how and where they market their products, sales and income levels, where they find educational and business support, and what other entities (retailers and wholesalers, materials suppliers, guilds, etc.) receive economic benefit or provide support to

craftspeople. It also looked at ways to further develop and support professional crafts. Data came from a variety of sources, including provincial crafts councils and their membership, craft wholesalers and retailers, show and exhibition organizers, etc.

Because public statistical information on crafts producers in Canada is severely limited, and not all crafts artists are members of provincial craft councils or media guilds, study results are conservative estimates based on the best information and assumptions available. All money figures represent Canadian dollars.

Key conclusions reached by the study

There are an estimated 14,048 craft studios operating in Canada. These studios employ 22,527 people, including 11,968 full-time crafts professionals and 10,629 part-time crafts professionals.

The craft sector in Canada generated an estimated $727 million in economic activity in 2001. Nearly $100 million of this was in exports, with the United States being the largest export market.

Full-time crafts professionals averaged gross revenues of roughly $60,000 and median revenues of $30,000 in 2001. Ten percent of the study respondents had gross revenues from crafts in excess of $120,000.

Read the Entire Study The "Profile and Development Strategy for Craft in Canda' is available in its entirety on the CCF Web site: www.canadiancraftsfederation.ca

Net craft income from full-time professionals averaged $17,300 in 2001, which comes out to less than $10 per hour. The median net income was $12,000; the top 10 percent had net income of $49,000 or more. (Not all survey respondents provided the necessary data for net income calculations.)

Among craft-producing members of provincial crafts councils, 73 percent operate as individuals, 10 percent are in partnerships, and 17 percent have employees. Employees range from a single part-time helper to over 30 employees. Twenty-five percent of craft producers generate at least some revenue through export. Others may sell to foreign markets through tourists.

Comments on this or other articles in our June issue? Share them with theeditor@craftsreport.com

Going forward with a strategy

These conclusions emphasize the need for a well-defined strategy to support the growth and development of Canada’s craft sector, and that was the second part of the study. The report identified two guiding principles for a craft development strategy: support for professional craftspersons and studios buil

ds the foundation of the craft sector, and concerted actions among all players in the sector should be supported, financially and otherwise, to ensure the best use of the existingexpertise, experience, and available resources.

Researchers looked at issues affecting domestic and international market development and expansion, including educational and training needs, financial resources, studio capacity, public image and specialized writing, etc., to identify components of a development strategy. They also identified programs that are working well in particular provinces or regions that might be expanded to other sections of the country.

Results from the study were presented at a meeting in Gatineau, Quebec, in October 2003. In addition to directors of the provincial crafts councils, representatives from the craft retail community, major show promoters, educational institutions, crafts guilds, and both federal and provincial government departments also attended the meeting.

While the CCF is just beginning to formulate a long-

term development strategy, the study makes one thing abundantly clear: with $727 million in gross sales, the craft sector is in the same economic impact category as publishing and recorded music, says McFall. And both those cultural sectors receive millions of dollars in export help from Canada’s government.

CCF members hope that this new understanding of the economic importance of craft, coupled with a well-planned development strategy, will position the craft sector in Canada to command the same level of support from government agencies that other cultural sectors enjoy. “We’re trying to persuade federal departments to invest in craft as an export commodity,” says McFall.

As the national organization of the provincial crafts councils, the CCF is in a unique position to speak for the Canadian craft sector. Different provincial councils coordinate projects on behalf of the CCF. Louise Chapados, director of development and exportation services for Quebec’s Craft Council, coordinated the Profile study. As the development strategy for the craft sector evolves, it will incorporate the concerns of all components of the craft “value chain” — not just craft producers, but also those involved in craft education, training, sales and marketing, along with craft organizations. “We want to be inclusive of all players in the industry,” says Chapados. “For the development of the craft sector, it is important to have an industry voice.”

Grace Butland is a freelance writer and fiber artist living in Middleton, Nova Scotia.