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Is there demographic information about people that participate in crafts in the UK?
Hello. Thank you for asking Wonder about those involved in the crafts industry in the United Kingdom. In a nutshell, the craftspeople are mostly female and Caucasian, with an average age of 48.7. More detail is supplied below.
METHODOLOGY
I began the research by investigating various crafts' associations in the United Kingdom and in the geographical areas that make up the U.K. I continued by looking into government reports and media articles about the industry and its participants. What I found is outlined here.
THE U.K. CRAFTS INDUSTRY
The U.K. government defines the crafts industry as one of "those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property."
According to Statista, there were about 96,000 people employed in the craft economy in 2015. This was a drop from 105 thousand in 2011. The Statista numbers indicate that they've included those directly involved in the crafts industry, as well as those working in crafts through other creative industries. But they have not included those who work in crafts occupations in non-creative industries.
In 2014, the Crafts Council completed the first-ever U.K. research about the crafts industry, finding that craft skills contributed £3.4 million to the economy. The report further concluded that although the U.K. crafts industry employed 43,250 people, there were others doing crafts "outside the craft industries" who should be added to this number. An additional 9,630 individuals were "employed in craft occupations in ‘other’ creative industries" and there were 96,360 more "employed in craft occupations in non-creative industries." Together these numbers totaled 149,500.
CRAFT CATEGORIES
Multiple reports divide the crafts workers in the United Kingdom into four specific categories: Craft Careerists, Career Changers, Returners and Artisans.
SPECIALTIES
In Southern Ireland, textiles, jewelry and ceramics were the most popular specialties in an October 2013 study.
DEMOGRAPHICS
The Wales report says the U.K. industry is predominantly female, with the numbers of blacks and Asians quite low. Research completed by BOP Consulting and quoted in a book called "Craft and the Creative Economy" says that participants in the crafts industry in the U.K. are primarily white (93.4 percent), female (69 percent), and are on average 48.7 years old. More than 60 percent of crafters have a "degree in craft, art or design." About 88 percent of those participating in the crafts industry do so as sole businesses. The Guardian describes this group of artists and small manufacturers as "an army of ... some economic influence."
Interestingly, those in the crafts industry in Wales tended to be male and older than the average age of the rest of the U.K. crafters. The report did not provide additional detail.
A Southern Ireland report says that the crafts industry is "not an homogeneous group" The report emphasized that crafts industry includes "a broad spectrum" of individuals, "skills and levels of engagement."
CONCLUSION
To wrapt it up, the data available show that the majority of participants in the U.K. crafts industry are white, female and on average 48.7 years old. The majority of those involved are in sole proprietorships. According to Bain, the industry has been "transformed by online marketplaces, like Etsy," which let the artisans distribute their creations world wide.
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