Craft shop may set blueprint for others

A group of artists based in West Cork have set up a shop in Skibbereen which could become a blueprint for others.

The West Cork Crafts shop, based at Townshend Street in the town, is run as a co-operative by a collection of 16 members, and arose out of a ‘pop-up shop’ experiment over two years ago.

“When we did the pop-up shop for Christmas one year, on the spur of the moment, the two questions we were asked were — ‘was everything made in West Cork (which it was), and was it going to stay open all year?’” says co-op secretary Adrian Brenthall, himself a glass artist, based in Ballydehob.

The shop features art, photography, textiles, woodwork, ceramics, jewellery, greetings cards, fashion, candles, wrought-iron work, handmade cosmetics and stained/fused glass from each of the 16 members.

A core group of five members has been chosen to run the business, but as the shop does not turn a profit, the members don’t have to charge Vat, and therefore can keep the crafts priced very competitively and receive 100% of the purchase price of the items.

“We have passed our magical first year in business,” says Brenthall, “the year in which most businesses falter, but we are doing well and it works, because it is based on the principle that the costs are all split 16 ways.”

Rates, rent and running costs are covered by charging each member about €20 a week, and that gives them access to a bright, modern shop just off the town’s Main Street and credit card facilities.

By having the shop manned by members of the five-strong ‘core’ group, and with everyone using their talents to keep the show on the road (a carpenter member has put up the shelves, Brenthall mans the website, etc) the group is able to keep costs to a minimum.

“Our one criteria is that the item must be made in West Cork, and it must meet our standards,” he adds.

Each craftsperson is given an option of leaving after four months, which allows a turnover of members, although many have chosen to stay since the start. “We have never found ourselves short of people to make up the 16,” Brenthill notes, “and in fact, we have a small waiting list.”

He says the co-operative shop for artists was “quite common” in West Cork about 20 years ago, but many failed because, ironically, they were “too democratic”.

“We think our system, of having five people mandated to make decisions on behalf of the rest, actually works quite well. Most people don’t actually want to be involved in the day-to-day running of the shop, or have other commitments, so they are quite happy to leave the rest of it to the core group and just pick up their cheques at the end of the month.”

It’s a system that could work well in many other similar-sized towns. “We would in fact see it as a compliment, rather than competition, if other towns were to follow our lead,” Brenhall says.

* www.westcorkcrafts.ie