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Craft businesses thrive
A new study by Cockpit Arts and Cities Institute at London Metropolitan University, Exploring business activity & performance in the craft sector, provides insight into the recent growth patterns of a number of designer-makers based at Cockpit Arts in London, and shows that craft businesses are thriving.
Cockpit Arts is the UK's only creative business incubator for designer-makers, currently housing over 150 businesses. The incubator studios house makers working in thirteen different craft disciplines, with over a third working in textiles and nearly a fifth in ceramics. As a registered charity, Cockpit exists to nurture creative talent, from first beginnings through to international success. Annual business reviews provided to Cockpit tenants on a voluntary basis since 2003 are designed to help track and monitor development of each individual business and to provide benchmarking data and growth trends on the Cockpit community as a whole. Business reviews from 2005-08 have provided valuable data that have been analysed by the Cities Institute at the London Metropolitan University. The study makes interesting reading and reveals that almost a quarter of makers' business income came from supply of services to interior designers, architects as well as trade to galleries and retail outlets, whilst over a half was direct sales to customers and clients. It also accounts that exports make up 30-40% of business, with France, Japan and USA the main markets. Other key findings are that...
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