A successful craft nation depends on those who have fulfilled a successful career and are able to pass on their skills and knowledge to the next generation. A program to recognise these “masters” aims to support these senior makers as models to which younger makers can aspire. This recognition offers a base on which to build support for the mentorship of those who are early in their career.
There are so many ways we celebrate our master sportsmen and women, as well as film actors. It’s important we also recognise those whose beautiful and skillfully made works will be enjoyed by future generations.
World Crafts Council Asia Pacific is calling for applications from the South Pacific sub-region to the Craft Master Program. The aim is to recognise and honour masters in their chosen craft form.
Initiated in 2008, the Asia Pacific Region Craft Master program has organized three evaluations respectively in 2008, 2012 and 2016. It is organized every 4 years. Due to the pandemic, the 4th evaluation has been postponed to the year of 2023.
This program was proposed to
- honour the craftspeople who have made outstanding contributions to the development of crafts in the region, and to promote their social status in local society
- to provide opportunities for craftspeople from different countries of the region to exchange ideas and experiences, and to enhance international awareness of craft tradition in the Asia Pacific Region
- to encourage more talented people to join in the work of passing on, promoting, and developing the handicraft tradition in the region.
Qualifications of applicants
- Handicrafts practitioner
- The person must have a minimum of 30-year experience in handicrafts production
- Applicants must be above the age of 50 (including 50), are still able to create and teach artworks
Judging criteria
- Applicant must be an experienced and accomplished craft practitioner.
- Applicant made excellent achievements and earned a high reputation at home and abroad.
- Applicant’s work/s must have been acknowledged and received awards for works in national craft competitions or exhibitions.
- Applicant’s work/s must have been selected to be displayed in national-level museums and galleries or at international exhibitions.
- Applicant must show proof of teaching and training the skills of their craft.
60 finalists from the Asia Pacific Region will be nominated by their respective regions (10 from our region the South Pacific) and 30 finalists will be flown to Donyang China for the Awards Ceremony. Applications for consideration by the Jury are due by 5 April 2023. A jury will be formed comprising suitably qualified experts to select ten finalists.
China will host accommodation and airfares for 30 masters to Dongyang, China plus several artworks and necessary tools submitted for final evaluation for the awards ceremony. Selected artists are requested to do some live demonstrations (details worked out following selection). Invitations will go out by April 16 for a ceremony in early June.
You can find the form here.
Enquiries to Lindy Joubert or Jude van der Merwe
Great idea . Mentoring is a valuable way to impart and extend skills. In our changing environment it is important to support and extend emerging makers . Encouragement and an open mind is important to help younger makers keep working and building there career.
I am making an application for the Craft Masters list and have completed entering the details in the prescribed form.
I can clearly see the content that I have pasted into the windows presented on the form and I can see the file I uploaded with my CV, but, I can’t see the images I uploaded or the list of details of the images. My question is – should I not worry about this because it is just how the form was designed and behaves? …….
…..Or, does it indicate there is a technical problem with the form?….. Or, perhaps I have blundered somehow?
I am holding off submitting the form until I have clarified this and I would be grateful if you could determine what the situation is from the WCCA person(s) responsible for the form.
Thanks in advance for any assistance you can give me on this.
Dear David,
The saving of the images is straightforward. If there are no images in the submitted form, we will follow it up with you.