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Creative Crafts Petition

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jomifl | 18:33 Thu 09th May 2013 | News
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go to e-petition 49537(link below) if you want to sign the petition

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/49537

Petition to stop the government reclassifying craft as non-creative

Responsible department: Department for Culture, Media and Sport


We request the Government reconsider the proposal that craft no longer be considered part of the creative industries, as part of the 30 April proposed changes set out in Classifying and Measuring the Creative Industries consultation paper.
The craft industry and those who work in it, over 88,000 people making a £3bn annual contribution to the UK economy, are inherently and by their very nature creative. We want the UK Government to stop ignoring The Crafts Council and the thousands of mostly sole trading craftsmen and women who consider themselves to be and indeed are creatives.
The Government should be proud & supportive of our vibrant creative craft industry & celebrate the unique, rich diversity of skills & craftsmanship, not seek to declassify, dismiss & undermine it.
Calling an IT Business Analyst a creative but refusing the title to a skilled potter or ceramicist shows the level of understanding that those proposing the change have of what is and isn't creative.
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Still stumped about what this is all about.

Why has the reclassification been made?

If it is to save money, where are the savings?

At the moment, I am tending to think the e-petition does not need my signature.

Is anyone able to persaude me or explain why the reclassification makes any difference?
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Svejk, apart from it being ironic that truly creative people will be re-classified as non-creative it makes a nonsense of the methodology of classifying businesses. It would make more sense to classify footballers as actors :-)
If you don't get it then don't sign it.
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Gromit, I have no idea what is in the government's mind, that is not the point. What I do know is that people in the craft industry think that it is important that these proposals don't go ahead.
If you have any reservations then don't sign.
I get it.Pages 14 and 15 of the Paper explain this. A distinction is drawn between what is 'creative', which includes any artist who draws or paints and includes graphic designers, and other people whose work is principally intangible but creative rather than producing an object, manufacturing. The criteria for being listed include 1) the industry employs more than 10,000 people 2) more than 30 per cent are creative. The compilers of the Paper say that 'crafts' businesses are so small that the numbers in all are not great ; that, while they appreciate that some high end products have a significant creative (artistic) input, the products generally in craft are, in their view, mostly manufactured; they also note that some trades, such as gem workers and silversmiths, which formerly had separate categories in other lists of this type, are now listed as 'other skilled trades' (the relevance of this observation eludes me) .

After all that, what difference does it make whether 'crafts' are listed ? the purpose of all this is economic statistics. The government simply wants to define and list the industries that contribute to the national economy, how much value they add, how many people they employ and so on. "Art and antiques" has also been removed, along with 'crafts' ,as a category. No idea what objection there is to that. Are Sotheby's and members of The British Antique Dealers Association already petitioning? Somehow, I doubt it.
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Fred, If you don't want to sign it then don't, you don't have to give reasons. I think the people that are affected by the proposal are entitled to help if they think they need it.
Jomifl

But how are they affected? They are not. It is just a list for the Government to put on the national spreadsheet.

Crafters can and will carry on as before, unhinded. They will not lose any money. They will not be assessed for tax differently.

Thanks for he explanation Fredpuli. I will definitely will not waste my time signing the petition now I realise it is nonsense.
Question Author
Gromit, You can make whatever assumptions you like, as for wasting time, I think you have spent more time quibbling than it would have taken to sign the petition.
I have posted this information re. the petition to support those in the craft industry who believe it is necessary. I am sure that they understand the implications of the proposals far better than me or even you. All you have to do is not sign if you don't want to, you don't need to persuade others not to sign. What would be the point of that?
Jomifl,

I genuinely did not understand the proposal at first and wanted to know before I signed.

I suspect the people in the craft industry who are upset about it do not understand it.

The Government are taking them off the list not because the Government think all these people are not creative, they are being taken off of the list because their output is too insignificant to measure. That is all it is, a measuring exercise. The Government have decided that the small amount these people earn is not worth the trouble of measuring.
I think you're being a bit silly now, jom.
What would you think if someone asked ABers to sign a petition to bring back capital punishment.
And said when questioned if you don't want to sign it just ignore it.
An extreme example, I know, but surely its right that people make some effort to find out what they're signing.
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I'm not sure who is being silly here Svejk, I have been trying to avoid a nitpicking argument. Just don't sign it if you are unhappy with it, it really is that simple.
Gromit /I suspect the people in the craft industry who are upset about it do not understand it./
And of course you do..just a wee bit patronising don't you think.

Jomifl,

Not patronising. I admitted throughout that I did not understand the proposal until Fredpuli kindly posted the Government's explanation which I now accept.

It all looks the crafty folk have done a big flounce because they think the Government says they are not arty, when the Government have done no such thing.
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The government's explanation ..oh right..
Well, that's what the government, through this body, says, jomifl. You can read the report yourself.

When I first skimmed through it, I couldn't see how 'crafts', which I took to be potters and artists etc, would not be in , or placed in, the 'artist' category. Having read it again, and drawing from it the bits I have given (above), it seemed plain to me that there is not anything sinister in any of it. As I say, the compilers have also taken the category "Art and antiques" from the new list. What sinister motive there could be for that is also not apparent.

But what is the government not saying? And what adverse effect has this reclassifying and listing have ?
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Fred, We do not need to know your reasons for not signing just as you don't need to know the reasons why others have signed. There is a group of people who feel they will get a bum deal from the proposals. They aren't stupid. If they feel threatened then I am happy to support them as are others.
At least Fred tried to explain the reason for the petition. Something you,patently,did not.
What chutzpah. You ask people to sign a petition, and when they ask why you take umbrage with them.
Interesting that none of the signatories helped out with an explanation.
I suspect that, apart from it being vaguely anti-government, they knew as much as you. To wit, nothing.

Just can't see the point!
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Baldric, thank you for that, what was the point of your post? we have Fred to explain everything to us.
Svejk, I don't think I have taken umbrage, I have said all along that if you don't want to sign then don't. What I do find surprising is that a group of Abers on an ego trip are not satisfied that others can make their own decisions but try to influence the decision they make over something with they which they obviously have no sympathy.
All you have to do is not do anything, why you now have a campaign against the petition is puzzling, either you are arch tories and see it as a labour plot or you have too much spare time.
My personal involvement in this is that I am supporting a friend ..OK?
signed....
signed
Not heard of this. Could you please explain what it is all about?
How can craftpersons not be creative?

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