Craft businesses generate £5.9m

Craft businesses working out of the studios of Cockpit Arts generated £5.9m in sales last year, the social enterprise says.

Independent crafts made "a surprisingly hefty contribution" to London's creative industries, with 147 jewellers, ceramacists, weavers and woodturners increasing their annual profit by 12%.

Cockpit Arts CEO Annie Warburton said a fifth of these makers are int the early stages of their careers and receive support from working alongside more established businesses. More than half the 147 businesses exported goods during 2019.

"It’s this mix – and the opportunities for peer support that it offers – that gives Cockpit makers the encouragement to take creative and business risks."