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1 Chair and Chief Executive’s Report
2020 was a challenging year on many fronts for Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI). I am pleased to report, however, that the organisation as a whole responded to those challenges with determination. Our CEO, Rosemary Steen, started her tenure remotely, and immediately set to work strengthening the Executive Team.
Andrew Bradley Chair, DCCI
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As we considered the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our sector, the Board agreed to commission two specific pieces of work: firstly, an Economic Impact Assessment, previously conducted in 2010, to assess the economic contribution of the design and craft sector to Ireland’s economy. This concluded in May 2021. Secondly, a Five-year Strategic Plan to guide the development and growth of Design & Crafts Council Ireland.
Following the resignation of our Chair, Breege O’Donoghue, in September 2020, I was appointed as Chair in May 2021. On behalf of our members, we acknowledge her contribution during her term at DCCI.
The design and craft sector makes a significant contribution to Ireland’s economy. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, a perhaps unexpected, but welcome, consequence was the raised awareness and appreciation of the sector among the public, as people embraced the wellbeing benefits that accrue from handmade objects.
With ‘staycations’ being the only option for many Irish families in 2020, our Made Local campaign struck a real chord, as evidenced by record numbers of public engagement on social media, and strong retail sales recorded in August and September. Many of our members traded steadily once the season got underway, which is an achievement considering the absence of international visitors. Made Local demonstrated that there is a healthy demand for Irish craft, and we plan to continue this promotion again in 2021.
These campaigns had the added value of shifting the perception of the sector from niche to mainstream markets. Furthermore, careers in craft and design are no longer considered to be fringe, but rather they now play an increasingly important role in Ireland’s cultural, social and economic development.
Finally, we said goodbye to retiring directors Fiona Deegan, Mairead McCorley, John O’Connor and Elaine Riordan, and we thank them sincerely for their contributions.
We welcomed our new board members, all of whom have settled in and are already making a positive impact. I would also like to thank the DCCI team for their hard work and commitment throughout this unusual year. I am grateful for their efforts in adapting to
Finally, I would like to thank the Tánaiste and his Department and Ministers of State for their support during the year, and thanks also to the Chief Executive and Board of Enterprise Ireland.
I am pleased to present this Annual Report, and we look forward to building on the insights gleaned from this year.
Andrew Bradley Chair, DCCI
Rosemary Steen Chief Executive 2020 – A year of the Craft and Design Community working together like never before
2020 was a year like no other we have seen in Ireland in this generation. It became a year of one of the biggest crisis our country has experienced. But, in this crisis period, our Design and Craft community worked together and performed like never before. It became a critical element of keeping our country together – not just economically, but as a precious national asset helping many communities across the island. We saw amazing acts of generosity and ambition from the sector from Made Local to the Irish Business Design Challenge. The real strength of our community was evidenced by the persistence it showed under all the pressure of uncertainty and its sheer creative energy driving people forward even in the darkest of days.
Our first priority was to help designers and makers survive the economic impact of the lockdowns, both mentally and financially. We saw thousands of interactions with our webinar series, and we provided telephone support and opportunities via our social media channels. It was a test for us, demanding that we work flexibly and remotely in a way that, perhaps, DCCI should have been doing earlier. I hope, though, that in our sector’s time of need, we were seen to step up and use our resources in the most effective way.
We have done our best to rise to that challenge knowing that 2021 will be no easier. DCCI will continue, I hope, to think creatively, and work swiftly and flexibly to do all we can to bring the best of supports and advice to the sectors we represent.
Partnerships When we looked outwards, we found exciting partners in Creative Ireland, Sláintecare, Kilkenny County Council, Local Enterprise Offices and, of course, Enterprise Ireland – all of whom worked with us on bespoke projects. To all our partners, we say thank you and we look forward to more joint programmes and activities. We need and want you to work with us as part of Ireland’s creative ecology, bringing joy to thousands of people and helping build stronger communities in the process. Together, as people relocate from cities to more rural communities, we can
use craft and design as the glue to bring diverse groups together to celebrate making and creating.
Innovation Our resources are finite, and we may not be able to help every designer and maker, but, what we can do is ensure that we support as many as we can. In addition, this period has really brought home the importance of passing skills on to the next generation, and bringing forward the important role that design can make now. We kept moving on the redesign and restructuring of our education offering, while the ceramics students graduated at the end of 2020 – which was one of the most important days for our organisation in 2020.
At the same time, we supported new campaigns on design skills and design thinking, and celebrated companies who found innovative ways to keep going. It was an extremely challenging time for the internal team in DCCI who rose to the challenge of having to find many different ways to support clients and members during the pandemic restrictions.
In relation of the DCCI team’s response to the challenge of COVID–19, all staff moved to remote working in March 2020, as part of our business continuity planning. Prior to our return onsite in August 2020, all the necessary social distancing measures and the implementation of good hygiene and cleaning controls were put in place throughout our buildings. We appointed a Lead Worker Representative, and issued all staff with our COVID–19 Response Plan and relevant updated policies. Our return back onsite was short-lived, however, and we reverted to remote working for the remainder of 2020. Our students, on both the Jewellery and Ceramics Skills Training Courses, continued to work safely onsite in compliance with government restrictions, and the Ceramics Course students successfully graduated just before Christmas, five months later than planned. During 2020, two members of the executive team moved on to other projects, and we thank them for their service.
Sustainability-A craft renaissance In the midst of the financial and emotional pain of 2020, the main lesson is that we can make a better tomorrow. It will be a long journey back to normality, but we are wholly committed to that journey. We will be working with national and local government, and will bring a new focus on sustainable practice. I want to thank the board for their support through all the challenges DCCI faced, and there were many. Whatever the financial challenges we face, I believe the tenacity of the craft and design sector will see it emerge to a future that may be a better one.
Rosemary Steen, Chief Executive DCCI
