Membership FAQs
In January 2025, Crafts Council announced that it would cease publishing Crafts magazine.
Why is Crafts being discontinued?
Crafts Council operates three separate memberships - Crafts, 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.
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.
What is the last issue?
The current issue of Crafts, issue 299 - Autumn/Winter 2024 - is the last. It has been distributed to members and will be on newsstands until April 2025.
Will there be any replacement for the what the magazine offered members?
We are introducing new digital content, events, and exclusive opportunities to keep you inspired and engaged. Please see our upcoming Spring programme.
Did Crafts Council consult Crafts members on this closure?
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.
Why haven’t you just moved the magazine online?
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.
When it launches in summer 2025, Crafts Council’s new membership scheme will feature digital content with a greater focus on building and supporting a community for craft. It will enable us to deepen our relationship with makers, be more responsive and provide more regular opportunities to engage.
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.
What happens to my membership now that the magazine is stopping?
Your membership will continue without interruption, and we’re adding new benefits to enrich your experience.
What new benefits will I receive?
You can look forward to exclusive content, live events, workshops, and resources designed to connect you with the craft community. See our upcoming programme.
How do I view and edit my Steady account?
To view your account details and make changes please visit Steady’s membership area.
Here you can also amend payment information and download invoices.
Can I change my plan?
It is possible to switch from one plan to another. For example, if you spot a live event next month that’s exclusive to Gold plan members, you may wish to upgrade from Silver to Gold.
Please note that if you wish to switch from a more expensive plan to a cheaper plan, or from an annual plan to a monthly plan, these changes will only take effect at the end of the plan period. We have currently disabled the option for annual plans.
How will Steady transactions appear on my bank statement?
GoCardless processes Direct Debit payments on behalf of businesses and organisations like Steady. We use GoCardless, which is located in London, because of its data protection standards and low costs. It operates in strict compliance with data protection regulations and only charges a 1% fee, compared to PayPal which currently costs 1.9% plus €0.35 per transaction. Steady aims to keep transaction fees as low as possible for Crafts and other independent publishers, which bear the additional cost.
GoCardless is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the British financial regulator, to provide financial services.
To view your payment history, visit Steady and log in.
How do I access the articles on your website?
To unlock premium content on our website, simply open an article for reading and enter your login details on the paywall when prompted. If your browser allows cookies, we will remember you and allow you to browse seamlessly from one story to the next without reentering your username and password on Steady.
How do I receive the Crafts newsletter?
Our member e-newsletter is a carefully curated round-up of online editorial packaged exclusively for Crafts members, as well as information on how you can book to attend our events and take advantage of our partner offers. You will receive it as part of all three membership plans.
Upon signing up for a Crafts membership via Steady, your email record will automatically be added to Crafts’ mailing list. Look out for a welcome message and inspiring round-up of content and exclusive member benefits every other week.
Should your membership come to an end, you will no longer receive member-exclusive emails. If you are subscribed to other e-newsletters issued by the Crafts Council, you may receive Crafts related promotional content for non-members.
For more information please see our Subscribe page and read our Privacy Policy.
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 subscriptions@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
- Log in to your account at www.steadyhq.com
- Navigate to your ‘Memberships’ page
- Click ‘Cancel plan’
- Under ‘Cancellation type’, choose ‘Extraordinary’
- In ‘Reason for extraordinary notice’ enter ‘As advised by Crafts’
- Confirm by selecting ‘Request cancellation’
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.
- Log in to your account at www.steadyhq.com
- Navigate to your ‘Memberships’ page
- Click ‘Cancel plan’
- 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.
How will I know about upcoming events or benefits?
We’ll keep you updated via email, 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 subscriptions@craftscouncil.org.uk for general questions about Crafts 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 subscriptions@craftscouncil.org.uk
