Arts and crafts





The term Arts and Crafts refers to a whole host of activities and hobbies
that are related to making things with your hands and your skill. These can
be sub-divided (if you wish) into Handicrafts or "Traditional Crafts" (doing
things the old way) and the rest. Some arts and crafts have been practised
for centuries, while others are modern inventions, or popularisations of
crafts which were originally practiced in a very small geographic area.

The specific name Arts and Crafts Movement was also given to a design
movement of the late 19th and early 20th century, whose proponents included
William Morris and Edwin Lutyens. They believed that medieval craftsmen
achieved a joy in the excellence of their work, which they strove to
emulate.

These activities are called 'crafts' because originally many of them were
professions. Adolescents were apprenticed to a master-craftsman, and they
refined their skills over a period of years. By the time their training was
complete, they were well-equipped to set up in trade for themselves, earning
their living with the skill of their hands. The Industrial Revolution and
the increasing mechanisation of production processes gradually reduced or
eliminated many of the roles professional craftspeople played, and today
'crafts' are most commonly seen as a form of hobby.

Most crafts require a combination of skill and talent, but they can also be
learnt on a more basic level by virtually anyone. Many Community centres and
schools run evening or day classes and workshops offering to teach basic
craft skills in a short period of time. Many of these crafts become
extremely popular for brief periods of time (a few months, or a few years),
spreading rapidly among the crafting population as everyone emulates the
first examples.