Membership FAQs

New members and renewals signed up

What is Crafts Council
Council Membership is your gateway to a vibrant community of makers, supporters, and craft enthusiasts. As a member, you’ll enjoy inspiring editorial content, regular newsletters, and invitations to talks, workshops, and events across the UK. Membership is designed to keep you connected with the latest opportunities in craft, from exclusive insights and practical resources to ways of sharing your own work and engaging with others.

Whether you’re a maker looking to develop your practice, or a supporter keen to champion the value of craft, Crafts Council Membership offers a place to belong, learn, and celebrate the power of making together.

As a member what are my benefits?
There are 3 tiers:

• Young Craft Citizens – Free for 16-30 year olds, it’s designed for young people who are passionate about craft and want to explore, learn, and connect with the wider craft community. Members receive access to tailored events, workshops, digital content, and opportunities to showcase their creativity. The membership offers a supportive space to develop skills, meet peers, and engage with the Crafts Council’s programmes.
• Crafts Council membership – Our essential membership tier for craft makers looking for connection, inspiration and guidance. Whether you're developing a professional practice or deepening a personal passion, you have access to a vibrant community and a wealth of resources.
• Crafts Council+ Membership – For anyone who loves craft and wants to get even closer to the action. Whether your interest is personal or professional, this tier offers an enhanced experience for those who want deeper engagement with the craft world. Alongside all the benefits of Crafts Council membership, you’ll be able to engage with exclusive events.

Why has membership changed?
Historically, Crafts Council has operated three separate memberships – Crafts magazine, Crafts Council Directory and Young Craft Citizens. We made the decision to focus on creating a single platform to serve all these communities in one place, as well as expanding and enhancing what membership means.

This allows us to refocus how we support UK craft makers - with a renewed commitment to providing makers with the most impactful and accessible professional resources, inspiration and sector advocacy.

As a member how do I access editorial content?
Once you’ve logged into your account on the Crafts Council website, you’ll be able seamlessly access all our exciting content and exclusive member articles.

Where will membership events take place?
Our membership events happen both online and in person. Online events make it easy to join from anywhere, while our in-person programme is hosted in different regions across the UK to reflect and celebrate the diversity of our craft community.

How will I know about the events calendar and do you need to book?
You will be kept updated via our regular membership newsletter, plus you’ll be able to view upcoming events via your membership portal when you log into you account. This is where you’ll be able to book your complimentary members tickets.

How will payments appear in my bank transactions?
Payments will be labelled as Crafts Council and so will be easy to identify as your Crafts Council membership.

Can I upgrade or downgrade between memberships?
Yes, you can move between membership tiers at any time. If you’d like to upgrade or downgrade, simply navigate via your account in Beacon or email membership@craftscouncil.org.uk and we’ll update your membership in Beacon. Please note that payments don’t adjust automatically mid-term, but we’ll make sure your new membership is set up smoothly.

I am a member, but I don’t seem to be receiving Crafts Council newsletter.
Please email membership@craftscouncil.org.uk and we will look into this for you.

Previously a Crafts member?

Are my benefits changing now that the magazine has closed?
You’ll still have access to the editorial content, talks and events you’ve always enjoyed and now a host of new benefits. These include the option to make you own Directory profile, our new podcast ‘What Craft Means To Me’ launching this year and The Makers’ Manual’  and quarterly release of business insights for makers with articles, practical guides and illustrated case studies.

Am I moving to a new tier and does this mean the price will change?
With the refresh of the membership, you’ll be moving to a new tier. Bronze and Silver tier members will now be Crafts Council members and pay £6 a month, while Gold tier member will transfer to Crafts Council Plus members and pay £9 a month.

Why are we moving membership platforms from Steady to Beacon?
Beacon will make it easier for you to manage your membership, update your details, and access your benefits all in one place. We’re confident that the update we’ve made to our website will make it so much easier to get the most from your membership.

Do I need to do anything?
Yes, from 23rd September you’ll need to take a few simple steps to ensure interrupted access to your membership:

• Reset your password - you will receive an email from us on 23 September asking you to set a password on our website. This simple step will ensure uninterrupted access to your membership benefits. This email will come from noreply@craftscouncil.org.uk
• Fill in a short registration form - we will send you a link to a short form to register your account on the new platform and your payment details
• Cancel your membership on Steady - due to security settings we cannot cancel your membership, you will need to ensure you complete this step to cease you account on this platform.

These actions should only take a couple of minutes. Please reach out to us at membership@craftscouncil.org.ukif you have any questions.

How can I cancel my membership and request a refund?
We hope you’ll stay with us to experience everything this new chapter has to offer- exclusive events, inspiring content, and a deeper connection to the craft community. However, we understand that this change may not be right for everyone.

Before you make the decision to cancel your membership, please do reach out to a member of our team on membership@craftscouncil.org.uk so that we can address any concerns you may have. We remain as dedicated to our member community as we have always been.

Read more about cancelling your membership

Annual membership
Should you decide not to continue with your annual membership and would like to cancel your membership partway through the year, you can request a pro-rata refund by following these steps.

How to request a pro-rata refund
Follow these steps to request a pro-rata refund:

1. Log in to your account at www.steadyhq.com
2. Navigate to your ‘Memberships’ page
3. Click ‘Cancel plan’
4. Under ‘Cancellation type’, choose ‘Extraordinary’
5. In ‘Reason for extraordinary notice’ enter ‘As advised by Crafts’
6. Confirm by selecting ‘Request cancellation’
7. Monthly membership

If you have a monthly membership we are not offering refunds but you are entitled to cancel your membership at anytime.

Steps to Cancel Your Membership
Go to “My Memberships”: Log into your account and navigate to this section.

1. Log in to your account at www.steadyhq.com
2. Navigate to your ‘Memberships’ page
3. Click ‘Cancel plan’
4. Set the Cancellation Date: Choose your desired cancellation date from the dropdown menu.

Please note, the earliest possible date is the end of your current billing period. For example, if your membership started on the 15th of a month, you need to cancel it before the 15th of the following month to avoid automatic renewal.

Can I still access past issues of Crafts?
Yes, the Crafts magazine archive is available for members via Exact Editions and will continue to be a benefit on the new membership offer.

Why was Crafts magazine discontinued?
The closure comes within the context of Crafts Council’s refocusing how it supports UK craft makers – using its digital presence more powerfully and realising a renewed commitment to providing members with the most impactful, accessible professional resources, inspiration and sector advocacy.

We would like to extend our warm-hearted thanks to all our contributors and featured makers over the years who we have been so fortunate to collaborate with; and to all our readers, without your consistent commitment over our 50- year tenure, the print publication would not have been possible.

Did Crafts Council consult Crafts members on this closure of the magazine?
While members were not consulted specifically on the closure, it is informed by sector-wide responses to Crafts Council’s Makers Survey, a biennial survey conducted in 2024, that enables it to understand how best to support the UK craft community. Crafts Council members said they need increased professional support and resources to help them navigate today’s challenging economic and market conditions.

How will I know about upcoming events or benefits?
We’ll keep you updated via your membership newsletter, and you can always check the Crafts Membership Community for the latest news and opportunities.

I’m a university/library/institution that has a subscription to Crafts / or I access Crafts via my university/library/institution - what happens next?
If you are an institution with a yearly subscription, please contact your agency contact (Ebsco, Prenax etc) for support and refunds if you have a yearly subscription.

Institutional subscribers with perpetual access will continue to have access the digital archive through Exact Editions.
Please contact institutions@exacteditions.com with any questions.
Crafts will remain as a fixed archive on Exact Editions and still available as a publication for institutions to subscribe to.

I have a digital subscription through Exact Editions, not Steady, what happens to my membership?Subscribers with annual and quarterly digital-only subscriptions through Exact Editions will continue to have access to the historic archive until the end of your current subscription period. Your subscription will not renew.

If you would like to continue accessing Crafts after this, the archive will be available through the Crafts Council website, in due course, as part of the membership.

Please contact support@exacteditions.com with any queries about your current digital access or membership@craftscouncil.org.uk for general questions about the Crafts archive and Craft Council membership.

I am a stockist of Crafts, who should I contact?
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support as a stockist of Crafts.  Please contact our distributor Ra and Olly Ltd at office@raandollyltd.com or on +44 (0) 1326 319 119 for questions about your account.

Who can I talk to about concerns or feedback?
Our team is here to support you with practical concerns about your membership. For queries not covered by our FAQ, please contact membership@craftscouncil.org.uk

Young Craft Citizen member

Are my benefits changing?
No, your YCC benefits remain the same, with the addition of being able to upgrade to a Crafts Council membership with 50% off.

Why do I need to register on Beacon?
Beacon is our new membership platform. Registering lets you manage your details, keep your membership active and make it easier to access and enjoy your benefits.