The Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) is delighted to announce the third year of the David Shaw-Smith Legacy Award.
This award was developed by DCCI to honour the legacy of David Shaw-Smith, the legendary Irish filmmaker. It has been created to recognise that Irish craft is driven by heritage and creativity. It will support and acknowledge the achievements of key master craftspeople in the creative development of their craft.
Eligibility criteria –
Be registered with DCCI for 5 years or more
Be aged 50 or older
Not have previously received a DCCI bursary·
The deadline for applying is the 29th of November, 2025.
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The Golden Fleece Award was founded in 2001 through a bequest by Irish artist and weaving educator, Lillias Mitchell (1915-2000). She created our friend organisation, the Irish Guild of Weavers, Spinners, and Dyers. The mission of the Golden Fleece Award is to provide resources for practising contemporary visual artists and makers to innovate and develop their artistic vision.
The annual award supports artists working in all forms of visual, craft and applied arts at critical junctures of their careers. Applicants should reside in, or originally from, the island of Ireland. Since its inception in 2002, over 100 applicants have been shortlisted for, or have received, a Golden Fleece Award.
This year, there are two main awards worth €10,000 each, along with smaller Merit or special awards:
Category 1: Visual Art
Category 2: Craft + Applied Art
Despite the Award being open equally to creative practitioners working in all forms of visual, craft, and applied arts across the two categories, historically, the majority of applications for the Golden Fleece Award have been submitted by visual artists. While the Trustees of the Award welcome these, they are also keen to continue encouraging applications to Category 2 from craftspeople, designers and makers.
For 2025, just under 290 applications were received for the 2025 Award.
165 for Category 1: Visual Art and 122 for Category 2: Craft + Applied Art.
For 2024, just over 240 applications were received for the Award.
197 for Category 1: Visual Art and <only> 45 for Category 2: Craft + Applied Art!
One can also read past shortlisted Golden Fleece Award submissions from individual artists and craftspeople to gain an understanding of the judging. It is fascinating and inspiring to see. https://www.goldenfleeceaward.com/artists
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There is still time to apply to the annual international Loewe FoundationCraft Prize.
Even if you are not interested in applying, please take a look at the online exhibition of the previous winners and shortlisters of this fine craft award; their work is truly inspiring! Each listing includes a video tour of the artist’s studio. And while there doesn’t YET appear to be any works using the technique of feltmaking, there are makers who utilise other textile methods.
The Loewe Foundation Craft Prize celebrates “excellence, artistic merit and newness in modern craftsmanship. A panel of experts will select the winning entry, which will receive a €50,000 prize, from a shortlist of 30 artists. All finalist works will be presented in an exhibition in Singapore, opening in spring 2026.”
Submissions are open until the 30th of October, 2025.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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Visual artists or makers based in Ireland, with a physical studio space, and who have experienced how creativity can support their wellbeing or mental health, are invited to participate in the InnLyte Studio Series of short documentary videos.
The InnLyte Studio Series focuses on visual artists and makers who work with materials like paint, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, textiles, mixed media, or any other tactile, visual art forms.
This is an independent and self-funded project by Dee Stopa.
There’s no payment, but selected artists will receive professional photographs and be part of a meaningful conversation.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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How will crafts shape the future of Europe’s economy? The European Crafts Alliance Annual Conference 2025: ‘Positioning Crafts in the Contemporary Economy’ will explore this question.
Date: Thursday, the 4th of September Time: 9:30 CET (online), {8:30 Irish Time} 9:00 (onsite) Location: Litteraturhuset, Oslo & Online
This hybrid conference, co-hosted by @eca.crafts & @norwegiancrafts, will explore the fundamental economic challenges and opportunities for craftspeople, offer practical strategies for collaboration from the Nordic Network, present new perspectives on the social and cultural value of craft, and examine how craftspeople are integrating technology with traditional skills to create innovative and economically viable work.
Featuring:
Rosa Muñoz, Brand and trends consultant @thisisohayo
The event will be livestreamed on the ECA YouTube Channel, with the broadcast starting at 9.30 CET. They recommend joining the stream a few minutes early. Online attendees are invited to participate actively in polls and the live Q&A session using the interactive tools provided.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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From Róisín de Buitléar’s Instagram @CEIRD_ The Irish word for craft is Crinniú na Ceirde – Gathering craft. These are words used to tie our cultural identity to our craft, as seen at an event at the RDS earlier in the year, when over 200 craftspeople gathered for Crinniú na Ceirde to begin unravelling an Identity for Irish Craft.
It highlights that craftspeople form a vibrant community, creating a unique micro-industry comprised of skilled and passionate individuals who are eager to connect. We make significant contributions to education and tourism, and are an integral part of Ireland’s cultural identity. Yet, many traditional crafts practised today are not financially viable and therefore fall outside the scope of government enterprise-based craft schemes, leaving them without adequate support. This lack of recognition poses a threat to their sustainability, with many crafts at risk of disappearing altogether. Despite this, their cultural and social contributions to the economy are substantial—though currently unmeasured and undervalued.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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This year’s annual international Loewe FoundationCraft Prize is now accepting applications.
Even if you are not interested in applying, please do check out the online exhibition of the previous winner and shortlisters of this fine craft award; their work is inspiring! Each listing includes a video tour of the artist’s studio. And while there doesn’t appear to be any works using the technique of feltmaking, there are some amazing textiles!
The Loewe Foundation Craft Prize celebrates “excellence, artistic merit and newness in modern craftsmanship. A panel of experts will select the winning entry, which will receive a €50,000 prize, from a shortlist of 30 artists. All finalist works will be presented in an exhibition at Singapore, opening in spring 2026.”
Submissions are open until the 30th of October, 2025.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
CraftNI‘s August Craft Month 2025 exhibition is now accepting applications. Makers are invited to address the contexts of the open call below –
“Do you feel the tug of elements of tradition that are important to you in your craft? Is it the traditional techniques, in use for centuries, that you love to use in a contemporary way? Or is it the traditional values of crafts which are one of your drivers? Co-operation, place, community?
Perhaps you feel released from the bonds of tradition, your chosen discipline enabling you to pursue your ideas freely. Or perhaps you want to turn your creative focus inwards, towards the concept of binding and/or unbinding.”
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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The 10th Anniversary exhibition of FORM Designmade Carlow will be on the 18th of May, at The Granary, Borris House.
FORM is a group of designers, makers, and craftspeople living and working in the Carlow region of Ireland. Feltmakers Ireland member Leiko Uchiyama is a member of FORM.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
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Join the European Craft Alliance (ECA) for a series of individual events that explore the evolving landscape of the craft sector from the intersection of creativity, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion. One can book for all three or just one event.
‘Unveiling the Potential of the Craft Sector. A Study of Production and Business Opportunities’
‘Understanding the New Technological Context for Craftsmanship’
Wed, 2 Apr 2025, 11 AM CET
This presentation explores integrating digital design and fabrication technologies in the European craft sector. It will highlight the opportunities and challenges faced by craftspeople, including the barriers to adopting new technologies.
‘Crafting Social: How Creativity and Entrepreneurship Can Foster Social Inclusion’
Tue, 8 April 2025, 11 AM CET
This event explores how the creativity and entrepreneurship inherent in crafts contribute to social inclusion. It explores how various crafts economically empower people with disabilities, individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, and other vulnerable groups while supporting mental health and well-being.
The European Crafts Alliance’s Instagram – @eca.crafts
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Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
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