A new partnership between Guaranteed Irish and DCCI will allow craft and gift makers and designers to avail of added values and support
Guaranteed Irish has announced a new partnership with Design & Crafts Council Ireland. The deal bringing the two huge supporters of Irish business together is great news for craft and gift makers across Ireland, as it means that all members of Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI) who wish to apply to join Guaranteed Irish can avail of a special discount once they meet the criteria and are deemed suitable by the Guaranteed Irish appraisals team.
Guaranteed Irish is a membership network championing businesses based in Ireland that currently backs over 1,500 members and all those who are approved will feature on the GuaranteedIrishGifts.ie website which has been a huge success since its launch last year. Those interested should visit guaranteedIrish.ie, as the offer is valid until Feb 28, 2021.
“Currently featured on guaranteedirishgifts.ie are crafts, beauty and skincare, homewares and interiors, textiles, jewellery, food, hampers, candles, hospitality gift vouchers and a whole lot more – there really is something for everyone. We are delighted to welcome the calibre of the DCCI as members. The desire to support local, Irish and authentic remains strong and with the limit from lockdown and Brexit, people genuinely want to buy and support makers who are based in Ireland. This is one upside of Covid-19 – the awareness of how much we can support our local economy and the pride we take in our own enterprises throughout Ireland.”
Brid O’Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish
Celebrating craft
Just launched tis week, the 50 Makers: 50 Years exhibition, part of a series of events this year to mark the 50th anniversary of Design & Crafts Council Ireland, is celebrating makers whose work has contributed to the rich tapestry of craft and design practice in Ireland.
As part of the initiative to celebrate ‘Ireland’s Craft Heroes’, industry stakeholders across the country are invited to nominate makers whose work has significant legacy, heralded new approaches or changed the way we look at the world. The deadline for the nominations is January 31. From next month an expert committee will have the difficult task of narrowing the selection to 50 makers, representing 50 years of outstanding craft and design innovation in Ireland.
As part of the launch, President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to the to the contribution our makers and craftspeople continue to make to Irish life and local communities during a very difficult year: “In Ireland we are very proud of our reputation for creativity, a reputation which is greatly enhanced by our many talented craftspeople and designers. Their creative and beautiful works, which receive wide acclaim on both the national and international stage, remind us of how much of our culture and heritage is embedded in crafted artefacts such as the Book of Kells and the Tara Brooch.
“At its very best, our design and craftwork connect us in profound ways to our roots whilst also reflecting the immediate world of our inhabited by the designer. They become an exquisite weaving together of individual artistic vision, collective cultural memory and contemporary influence.”
For more information, visit dcci.ie.