
The Crafts Council has closed its twice-yearly Crafts magazine due to “ever-rising costs” and declining advertising revenue.
The current autumn/winter 2024 issue, which will be on newstands until April, will be the last.
It is the 299th issue of the magazine which was originally launched by the Crafts Council in 1973.
The charity said that “rising production costs, reduced print advertising revenues, changing consumer habits and a challenging financial climate have made it increasingly difficult to sustain the magazine”.
Crafts Council’s annual report for 2023/24 indicates that income from the magazine dropped from £265,000 in 2023 to £148,000 in 2024.
In 2022 the magazine switched from bi-monthly to twice a year, as the organisation grappled with reduced revenues following the pandemic.
Crafts Council executive director Natalie Melton said: “When Crafts was established in 1973, a printed magazine was the most appropriate format to give makers a platform as well as providing inspiration, insight and information to crafters.
“For more than 50 years, Crafts has fulfilled this role with impactful and engaging editorial. We very much share and understand the sadness that will be felt by readers at the loss of the magazine.”
She added: “My immense thanks go to Crafts’ talented and knowledgeable former editor, Debika Ray, and the editorial team who, alongside many freelance contributors, shaped a highly respected and valued print publication and leave an important legacy.”
A spokesperson told Arts Professional that no redundancies had been made as a result of the closure of the magazine.
They said: “The Crafts editorial team comprised one permanent member of staff, supported by three freelance associate writers.
“We recently announced that Crafts editor Debika Ray stepped down from her role at Crafts Council.
“The contracts of three freelance associate writers completed with the last issue of the magazine.”
The entire Crafts archive will remain available to members online.
Post-Covid difficulties
The Crafts Council has faced considerable financial challenges post-pandemic.
Its 2021/22 annual report revealed that it had made a loss for the first time in four years, with a deficit of £91,600 on an income of £3.83m.
At the time, the impact of Covid on its annual Collect fair and a 13% reduction in its ACE funding for 2023-26 (from £2.5m a year to £2.2m), were cited as factors in the loss.
Additionally, the failure to sublet 800sq metres of office space above its gallery on Pentonville Road in London, after the previous tenant moved out in 2019, has had a significant financial impact.
The organisation has a lease on the space which runs until 2040.
For 2022/23 the organisation’s income was £3.79m with expenditure of £3.97m, an overall deficit of £187,000.
In the same period it made redundancy payments totalling £203,000 when it temporarily closed its gallery space “to reduce our cost base”.
Its 2023/24 accounts show another drop in income to £3.53m, although a reduction in expenditure to £3.44m meant it made a small surplus.
Crafts Council finances 2019/20 to 2023/24

New membership scheme
Crafts Council said that following Crafts magazine’s closure, it will “refocus its work supporting UK craft makers” with the launch of a new membership scheme in the summer.
The scheme will bring Crafts Council’s Crafts, Crafts Council Directory and Young Craft Citizens membership together on a single “community platform” on the charity’s website.
The organisation said that the changes are informed by “sector-wide responses to Crafts Council’s new biannual Makers Survey”, which have helped it to “understand how best to support the UK craft community”.
It hopes to improve access to the charity’s “wide-ranging digital resources and will continue to expand its offer on craft business support, creating craft careers and more”.
When it launches the new membership scheme, its website will feature “digital content with a greater focus on building and supporting a community for craft”, enabling it to “deepen our relationship with makers, be more responsive and provide more regular opportunities to engage”.
As part of its new membership offer, the charity will be recruiting a new associate editor for the Crafts Council website.