Become a member of the Suffolk Craft Society
The Suffolk Craft Society was formed in 1970 to promote the value and importance of contemporary crafts and to support individual craftspeople in the creation of their work. The Society has a membership of around 90 Makers working across a wide variety of craft disciplines.
The Suffolk Craft Society aims to:
promote good design and fine workmanship in crafts
advance the careers of the society's craft members
recruit new makers who demonstrate excellence in crafts
promote the education and training of craft workers
inform and educate the public about crafts
Membership criteria
We invite applications from professional makers based in Suffolk and surrounding counties whose work shows:
aesthetic rigour
technical expertise
originality in craft practice
a high degree of craft making skills
willingness to challenge themselves in exploring ideas and concepts
capacity and willingness to contribute to Suffolk Craft Society
In addition, we welcome applications from makers whose work has a particular sustainable focus. Former members may also apply and should contact the new membership secretary, Hassina Khan, for more information.
Who is eligible?
We invite applications from members working in a range of disciplines and with a range of different materials. These include, but are not limited to:
Automata, Basket weaving, Bookbinding, Calligraphy, Ceramics, Furniture (including wood and furniture made of other materials), Glass, Jewellery (including precious metal jewellery and non precious metal), Leatherwork, Metalwork (including cast and wrought metal and blacksmithing), Millinery, Mixed media (including work made using a diversity of materials), Mosaic, Musical Instruments, Print making, Sculpture, Stonecarving, Silversmithing, Textiles (including constructed and printed textiles and surface decoration), and Wood/turning.
Application process
Membership of Suffolk Craft Society is selective.
Application is open to any maker permanently living or working in Suffolk and the surrounding counties who can demonstrate that they meet the membership criteria. The application process is open twice yearly: 1st-31st January and 1st-31st July.
Applicants will be required to complete an application form and submit it, along with up to 8 images of their work and an administration fee of £15, by the deadline. Applications are assessed by Suffolk Craft Societys committee against the membership criteria, and all applicants who have demonstrated that they meet these criteria are invited to an interview.
Interviews are held using the online platform Zoom and take approximately 20 minutes. The interview panel comprises a selection of members of the committee, and will always include someone working in the same medium or discipline as the applicant. The interview provides an opportunity for a discussion between the applicant and the panel and aims to gain a deeper understanding of how they meet the criteria and how their membership might be mutually beneficial.
Admission, and readmission, to SCS is at the discretion of the committee. Their decision is final.
Next steps
Contact the new membership secretary; Hassina Khan with any questions or for an informal chat about Suffolk Craft Society. The next application window will open on the 1st July.