Craft and Material Practices
Craft and material practices sits at the intersection of artistic making and conceptual thinking, exploring the physical processes through which materials are shaped into objects with meaning, function, and beauty. The field encompasses ceramics, textiles, jewellery, metalwork, glass, woodworking, and many other material disciplines, but its underlying concern is always with the relationship between thinking and making, and how that relationship drives innovation and creative enquiry. The UK's craft sector employs close to 150,000 people and is internationally recognised for original, forward-thinking contemporary design, making this a field where skilled practitioners with a strong conceptual foundation are genuinely in demand.
At Arts University Plymouth, this three-year full-time programme develops your practice through experimentation and innovation, encouraging you to explore original directions rather than simply mastering established techniques. The course includes a sandwich year and work placement opportunities, giving you the chance to work in professional craft contexts before you graduate and to build the industry networks and practical experience that support a career as a practising craftsperson or designer-maker. You will develop skills in your chosen material disciplines alongside the conceptual and critical frameworks needed to situate your work within the broader landscape of contemporary craft and design.
The studio-based environment at an arts university is designed to support sustained creative practice and the development of a distinctive artistic voice.
Graduates of craft and material practices programmes work as designer-makers, producing work for galleries, craft markets, commissioning clients, and collectors. Many also work in design contexts in the ceramics, textiles, jewellery, and furniture industries, applying craft knowledge and skills to commercial product development. Teaching, both in secondary schools and in further and higher education settings, is another significant route, as is arts administration, gallery work, and craft development roles in organisations that support the craft sector.
Some graduates continue their practice alongside postgraduate study or artist residencies, developing their work within academic and professional research contexts.