Craft Scotland's newest learning and development programme for makers has welcomed it's first cohort this summer; we are delighted to be joined by Alice Biolo, Amy Findlay, Anna Bochsler, Honor Dodd, Max Johnson, Meg Thirlwall, Militsa Milenkova and Sally Shepherd.

The COMPASS: Online Summer School is a new programme designed to help makers develop a deeper understanding of the financial planning resources on the COMPASS: Online Learning Platform. It aims to support peer learning and networking whilst also providing practical skills and knowledge about finances in an easy, accessible and friendly environment.

The Summer School runs over 8 weeks to allow time for independent learning and reflection in between attending four online sessions, enabling makers to engage with the material step by step and fit this course around their other commitments.

The "Finance for Makers" course material was designed by David Crump, Head of Business Incubation at Cockpit Studios London, and it includes 5 recorded webinars, each 10-15 minutes long. Participants on the Summer School will watch these independently and then have the chance to discuss, ask questions, reflect, and support each other through live online sessions, as a cohort. These sessions include two 2-hour online tutorials with the course instructor David Crump, and two 2-hour online peer-reflection sessions moderated by Craft Scotland Learning Manager, Ilaria Casini.

As part of the course there is also the option to attend an in-person meeting in Edinburgh, to spend some time as a cohort, visit the exhibition Earth Matters at Inverleith House in the Royal Botanic Garden and enjoy a lunch hosted by Craft Scotland.

Benefits and Outcomes

Financial planning is crucial for building a sustainable craft business and helping makers succeed in their ambitions. Participants are guided by David Crump in building a picture of their current business’ finances, set clear financial goals, make accurate predictions about where they will be in the future and make informed decisions about where to focus their efforts.  Participants will gain confidence in how to mitigate risks, seize opportunities, and build a stable foundation for their craft business to thrive. On the course, they will receive professional advice, tools, resources, and templates.

Attending this course as part of a cohort will improve engagement with the material and create community among makers at similar stages in their careers. Through the collaborative learning setting, participants will make connections with other makers across Scotland and build a network of peer support to last beyond the course.

Who is the course for?

The course is aimed at makers at any stage in their career who are living and working in Scotland, producing works of contemporary craft within the disciplines that Craft Scotland support.

The material is designed for those who may find finance a challenging topic and prefer collaborative learning settings to establish a community and peer support to work through the material together.

About COMPASS

Craft Scotland’s learning and development programme, COMPASS, delivers tailored support for the craft sector. We want to support craft talent and equip individuals with the necessary skills to create a thriving creative and business practice. COMPASS approaches learning and development holistically exploring values and self-development topics alongside business subjects such as finance and marketing.

Originally launched in 2018 with a focus on makers, COMPASS has since expanded to also provide support for curators and other craft professionals. It is a continuously evolving programme of support responding to the unique needs of the community, informed by industry experts and feedback from the sector.