The National Swedish Handicraft Council was established in 1981 as an independent authority on the proposal of the 1977 Handicraft Commission. The Council was part of the Ministry of Industry until 1992, when handicraft issues were transferred to the Ministry of Culture.

The Council has its headquarters at the Swedish Business Development Agency (Nutek) in Stockholm. The Council's headquarters are run by a director, an executive manager, an assistant, and project staff depending on the number and nature of projects currently in progress.

The Council itself is appointed by the Government for a period of three years and currently comprises nine members. These members, who come from all over Sweden, represent different sectors of society and spheres of interest.

The Council initiates, plans and coordinates efforts to promote handicraft activities. Within its sphere of competence the Council allocates State grants to work that furthers and develops handicraft. It deploys its resources on a holistic basis taking both economic and cultural considerations into account. The focus is on information, further education, co-ordination of the work performed by handicraft consultants, follow-up and evaluation as well as investigatory work and initiation of development projects.

The overall objective of the Council is to promote handicraft all over Sweden by increasing people?s interest and knowledge in the area of handicraft activities.


GRANT ALLOCATIONS

The National Swedish Handicraft Council allocates grants for handicraft activities and follows up how these grants contribute to meeting operational targets. The funds allocated for promotion of handicraft activities are distributed on three main areas:

CONSULTANCY ACTIVITIES
The county handicraft consultants are financed by the Government through the National Handicraft Council and by the county councils. The national handicraft consultants are funded wholly by the National Handicraft Council.

PROJECTS
Handicraft societies and other organisations with handicrafts within there sphere of activities can apply for project grants. The projects ought be carried out in co-operation with one of Sweden?s handicraft consultants. The Council's overall objective is the basis for the assessment of grant applications

SHR
The National Association of Swedish Handicraft Societies (SHR) is, through the National Handicraft Council, allocated a Government grant for its operations.

FUNDING 2009
Total funding for The National Swedish Handicraft Council for the year 2009 is SEK 24 353 000


CONTACT

Director Eva Ohlsson
eva.ohlsson(at)nutek.se

Executive manager Gunilla Mattsson
gunilla.mattsson(at)nutek.se

Assistant Heléne Wallin
helene.wallin(at)nutek.se


HANDICRAFT CONSULTANTS

The activities of the Swedish handicraft consultants are strongly decentralised. At present Sweden have 53 government-funded consultants, from Lund in the South to Jokkmokk in the North.

The National Handicraft Council co-ordinates the consultancy operations, which include one consultant in each county for textiles and one for wood and metals as well as five national consultants (three Sami handicraft consultants, one bobin lace consultant and one national consultant for children?s and young peoples handicrafts).

Responsible authorities for the county handicraft consultants are county handicraft societies/associations, county councils/regional councils or county museums. County councils/regional councils finance at least half of the county consultancy operations and are important partners at the regional level.


WHAT DOES A HANDICRAFT CONSULTANT DO?

The mission of the handicraft consultants is to promote handicrafts by arousing people?s interest and increasing their knowledge of what handicraft work involves. The consultants´ ambition is to preserve the cultural heritage and at the same time bring about better economic conditions for those engaged in handicrafts. On the basis of the traditions and needs of their own county they work in both an advisory and informative capacity to ensure that handicrafts live on both as a cultural expression and as an industry.

The consultants perform their work primarily at the county level. Here they have an important role to play as leaders, network builders, educators, and co-ordinators, and their operations are influenced by the history, demands and specific character of their county. Their activities include organizing educational programmes, courses and exhibitions, documenting old handicrafts, initiating development projects in collaboration with designers and craftsmen, and promoting work among children and young people.

The handicraft consultants also co-operate across county borders and take part in countrywide projects involving large handicraft manifestations or advancement within a specific materials and/or technology area.

WORKING PARTNERS
The multi-level work of the handicraft consultants contributes to the handicraft organisations diversity and wide network of contacts. The handicraft consultants co-operate with authorities, schools, handicraft societies, folklore associations, agricultural societies, museums, adult education associations as well as individual craftsmen and designers.

TRAINING
People who want to become handicraft consultants take the Advanced Handicraft Course at the HV College in Stockholm (HV = The Association of Friends of Textile Art). The two-year course gives leadership training in the handicraft area and participants can specialise in either textiles or wood and metals.

Link to HV College


NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SWEDISH HANDICRAFT SOCIETIES (SHR)

The National Association of Swedish Handicraft Societies (SHR) is a non-profit organisation consisting of county handicraft societies/associations with their local societies and three national associations. In total, the organisation has a countrywide membership of about 16,000 people interested or engaged in handicrafts.

SHR´s work is based on the vision of "giving all human beings the opportunity of discovering the beauty, usefulness and joy of handicraft work".

SHR prioritises work that strengthens the position of handicrafts in society and work that makes the SHR organisation more efficient. This is done by externally targeted activities such as courses, seminars, exhibitions and recruitment of members

SHR´s ambition is to keep the handicraft tradition alive and to be a source of renewal. Work among children and young people is one way of achieving this.

SHR publishes Hemslöjden (Handicraft), which is Sweden´s largest magazine for handicraft, folk art, and fine craftsmanship.

SHR owns Svensk Slöjd AB (Swedish Handicraft Ltd), whose objective is to enhance craftsmen?s prospects of finding a market for their products. This is done through a wholesale business as well as a retail shop in Nybrogatan, Stockholm, with exhibition possibility.

Link to Svensk Slöjd

SHR is the largest part-owner of the Sätergläntan College of Handicrafts at Insjön in the province of Dalecarlia. This college arranges long and short training courses in the handicraft area.

Link to Sätergläntan

SHR awards a number of different scholarships and is the examination board for journymen´s and master craftsmen´s diplomas in certain textile crafts - weaving, embroidery and knitting.

SHR is responsible for the handicraft portal www.hemslojden.org, Hemslöjdsportalen.

Link to Hemslöjdsportalen

Last Updated ( Friday, 29 May 2009 19:40 )