Huge boost as Kilkenny is designated a World Craft City
A significant international honour has just been bestowed upon Kilkenny, which will push the city and county to the forefront of the crafts and design industry globally.
Kilkenny has just been designated a World Crafts Council Craft City and Region, one of only four regions to achieve this recognition in Europe.
This prestigious internationally recognised award is the result of an application put forward by MADE in Kilkenny – a craft collective of designer-makers and Kilkenny County Council.
The award will greatly enhance Kilkenny’s reputation as a craft destination and will demonstrate the region’s craft activities in the areas of making, education and training, and exhibition spaces.
The World Crafts Council, a non-governmental organization founded in 1964, aims to strengthen the status of and promote crafts as a vital part of cultural, social and economic life through their global network of members and affiliates.
Welcoming the announcement, Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan said: “Kilkenny has a long tradition of being a centre of craft activity in Ireland with its many craft workshops, home to the Design and Crafts Council Ireland, the National Craft Gallery and Centres of Excellence in Ceramics and Jewellery.
“Kilkenny is also well known for other creative sectors including fine-art, animation and its many festivals including music, film, comedy and food. This is great news for Kilkenny and is another prestigious award to add to the long list of awards achieved in recent years,” Minister Noonan added.
Design & Crafts Council Ireland chief executive Rosemary Steen added: “Kilkenny has long been recognised in Ireland as a national centre for the craft and design sector, which continues to play a central role in Ireland’s society and economy.
“It is very exciting for our Council to see Kilkenny recognised internationally in this way. We hope that this designation will generate greater opportunities for craftspeople in Kilkenny, further supporting the craft sector in Ireland as a whole.”
