Dundee's new vision for the crafts in the 21st century

A major international conference and exhibition exploring the diversity of craft in a rapidly changing world is to be staged in Dundee this summer.

Over 300 craft practitioners and academics from all over the world are expected to attend the 'New Craft - Future Voices' conference at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design.

The conference, taking place from July 4th to 6th at the University's Bonar Hall, will be accompanied by an exhibition in the Cooper Gallery in Duncan of Jordanstone College.

Delegates to the conference will discuss and develop a new vision for the crafts in the 21st Century.

Supported by the Scottish Arts Council and co-convened by Dr Louise Valentine and Professor Georgina Follett, both of Duncan of Jor8danstone College, the conference arises from their Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded project, 'Past, Present & Future Craft Practice', significantly the largest AHRC grant awarded to the crafts in the UK.

'New Craft - Future Voices' will celebrate an interchange of ideas, and will cover the vast range of crafts from hobbyist craft through to radical vision. By incorporating collaborative practice through to digital media it will capture a multiplicity of activities within the crafts and take stock of their fast changing cultural and creative role.

"The collaborative approach to craft practice and the exploration of new hybrid processes often using advanced technology are the most exciting and recent developments in craft," said Professor Follett, Dean of Duncan of Jordanstone College.

"These are subject to spirited discussion and debate on our websites. What we are encouraging the discipline and profession to do, is to embrace the increasing diversity of practice in order to ensure craft is understood to be the intellectual heartland of the creative industries."

New Craft - Future Voices has already attracted feverish attention on the web, where hits to a dedicated conference blog rose from around 30 a day to over 30 an hour after it was mentioned online by the American science-fiction writer and visionary Bruce Sterling.

Dr Valentine said Dundee had "risen to the challenge of creating an exciting international event."

"We have had fantastic support from the City Council and also through sponsorship from our local partners including Eden Water, Promotion Matters, Not Just Design, The Tasting Rooms and the Visual Research Centre," said Dr Valentine.

The conference website is at www.newcraftfuturevoices.com and the 'Past, Present and Future Craft Practice' project blog can be found at www.craftresearch.blogspot.com/