Every year during June / July the Cape Craft and Design Institute (CCDI) offers entrepreneurs who own or work in a craft business the opportunity to improve their drawing and design skills, and learn more about running a business. This year the winter school, as it is known, runs from 30 June till 18 July 2008 at the CCDI and Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

The CCDI Winter School concentrates on two main aspects of craft training: product design and development; and business marketing and production. The four programmes cater to all levels of crafters, for Start-Up and Emerging Businesses and Established Businesses.

One of the most important short courses is to streamline the manufacturing process and make it more efficient. Participants are asked to draw a picture of the layout of their workspace – many people work on their kitchen tables, highlighting even more the importance of planning their work-flow efficiently.

An example of a manufacturing process is making tables one-by-one, which is far less productive than making all the legs, then all the table-tops, and then finishing all the tables together.

Design courses assist crafters to create original items. Topics like colour theory, creative packaging, trend spotting, and display and styling all collaborate to improve overall craft production quality and originality.

Business courses cover topics as diverse as costing craft items and calculating an appropriate selling price, to paying taxes, negotiating employment contracts, tendering and basic business management.

Sarah Polonsky, CCDI Manager Enterprise Development and Training, says the intensity and diversity of the Winter School allows students to network and find opportunities for collaboration. “We aim to inspire crafters to do more than earn a living from their craft, but to improve their product designs, cost and price their products for profit, and market products effectively.”

ll workshops are aligned to the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and use an outcomes-based approach to training. This means that on completion of one of the programmes for Start-Up and Emerging Businesses, you can accumulate credits towards a Craft Qualification.

The one-week course costs are R1045 and R1360 and full three-week courses are R3130 and R4075 respectively. The Provincial Government of the Western Cape has provided funding to subsidise crafters who are unable to pay the full price. Attendees are responsible for their own accommodation and transport costs, but crafters from out of town can apply for an accommodation subsidy.

Requirements include that applicants should be 18 years and older, and producing and selling craft as a main source of income.

The winter school will be running at two different venues, the CCDI premises in Harrington Street, Cape Town, and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

The deadline for applications has been extended to Tuesday 17th June. For more information, and application forms, contact Sarah Polonsky, CCDI Manager Enterprise Development and Training, tel: (021) 460 3724, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Notes to the Editor:

• The CCDI is a joint initiative of the Western Cape Provincial Government and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and is also funded by the City of Cape Town, MAPPP Seta, the national departments of Science and Technology and Trade and Industry and a number of private sector funders for specific projects.
  
• The CCDI is recognized as the first official dti Craft Hub.
  
• The CCDI has a database of 965 active Western Cape craft enterprises, 376 retail outlets and 202 service providers. The institute facilitates an entry for hand crafters into the sector and introduces and trains them to generate business locally and internationally.
  
• The CCDI aims at contributing to the Western Cape’s drive to build a better home for all, supporting craft producers, networking all players in the product-to-market chain, promoting Cape Craft and encouraging unlimited creativity and innovation.
  
  

Elke jaar in Junie / Julie bied die Kaapse Handwerk en Ontwerp Instituut (Cape Craft and Design Institute, CCDI) aan entrepreneurs wat ‘n handwerkbesigheid besit of daar werk, die geleentheid om hul teken- en ontwerpvaardighede te ontwikkel, en ook meer te leer oor die bestuur van ‘n besigheid. Vanjaar se winterskool, soos dit bekend staan, word vanaf 30 Junie tot 18 Julie 2008 aangebied by die CCDI en die Kaapse Skiereiland Universiteit van Tegnologie.

Die CCDI Winterskool fokus hoofsaaklik op twee aspekte van handwerk-opleiding: produkontwerp en -ontwikkeling; en besigheidsbemarking en produksie. Die vier programme voorsien vir alle handwerkers op alle vlakke, vir Beginner en Opkomende Besighede en Gevestigde Besighede.

Een van die belangrikste kortkursusse gaan daaroor om die vervaardigingsproses te stroomlyn en meer doeltreffend te maak. Deelnemers word gevra om die uitleg van hul werkplek te skets – baie mense werk op hul kombuistafels, wat dit nog belangriker maak om hul werkvloei doeltreffend te beplan.

‘n Voorbeeld van ‘n vervaardigingsproses, as ‘n mens tafels maak, is dat dit veel meer produktief is om eers al die pote te maak, dan al die tafelblaaie, en dan al die tafels saam af te werk, eerder as om die tafels een vir een te maak.

Ontwerp-kursusse help handwerkers om oorspronklike items te skep. Temas fokus op kleur-teorie, skeppende verpakking, die waarneming van tendense, en die tentoonstel en stilering van ‘n groep objekte om die kwaliteit en oorspronklikheid van al die handwerk produkte te verbeter.

Sake-kursusse dek onderwerpe so uiteenlopend soos die kosteberekening van handwerk-items en om ‘n gepaste verkoopprys te bereken, tot die betaal van belasting, die onderhandeling van werk-kontrakte, tenders en basiese besigheidsbestuur.

Sarah Polonsky, CCDI Bestuurder Ondernemingsontwikkeling en Opleiding, sê die intensiteit en verskeidenheid van die Winterskool bied studente die geleentheid om ‘n netwerk op te bou en daar is geleenthede om te kan saamwerk. “Ons hoop om handwerkers te inspireer om meer as ‘n inkomste uit hul handwerk te verdien, maar om hul produk-ontwerpe te verbeter, om hul produkte se koste te bepaal om ‘n wins te kan maak, en om produkte doeltreffend te bemark.”

Alle werkswinkels is in lyn met die Nasionale Kwalifikasies Raamwerk (NQF) en gebruik ‘n uitkoms-gebaseerde benadering tot opleiding. Dit beteken met die voltooiing van een van die programme vir Beginner en Opkomende Besighede, kan ‘n mens krediete vir ‘n Handwerk Kwalifikasie verwerf.

Die koste vir ‘n weeklange kursus is R1045 en R1360 en volle kursusse van drie weke is R3130 en R4075 elk. Die Wes-Kaapse Provinsiale Regering voorsien subsidies aan handwerkers wat nie in staat is om die volle prys te betaal nie. Deelnemers is vir eie verblyf- en vervoerkostes verantwoordelik, maar handwerkers uit landelike gebiede kan vir ‘n verblyf subsidie aansoek doen.

Van die vereistes is dat aansoekers 18 jaar en ouer moet wees, en die maak en verkoop van handwerk moet hul enigste bron van inkomste wees.

Die winterskool word by twee verskillende plekke aangebied, die CCDI-perseel in Harringtonstraat, Kaapstad, en die Kaapse Skiereiland Universiteit van Tegnologie.

Die sluitingsdatum vir aansoeke is uitgestel tot Dinsdag, 17 Junie. Vra vir aansoekvorms en rig navrae aan Sarah Polonsky, CCDI Bestuurder Ondernemingsontwikkeling en Opleiding, tel: (021) 460 3724, stuur e-pos aan This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Aantekeninge vir die Redakteur:

• Die CCDI is ‘n gesamentlike inisiatief van die Wes-Kaapse Provinsiale Regering en die Kaapse Skiereiland Universiteit van Tegnologie, en word ook deur die Stad Kaapstad, MAPPP Seta, die nasionale departemente van Wetenskap en Tegnologie en Handel en Nywerheid befonds, asook ‘n aantal privaatsektor befondsers vir spesifieke projekte.
  
• Die CCDI geniet amptelike erkenning as die eerste dti Handwerk Spil (Hub).
  
• Die CCDI het ‘n databasis van 965 aktiewe Wes-Kaapse handwerk ondernemings, 376 kleinhandel afsetgebiede en 202 diensverskaffers. Die instituut fasiliteer vir handwerk kunstenaars toegang tot die sektor en lei hulle in en lei hulle op om plaaslik en internasionaal besigheid te genereer.
  
• Die CCDI stel ten doel om ‘n bydrae te lewer tot die Wes-Kaap se mikpunt om ‘n beter tuiste vir almal te skep, om handwerk produsente te ondersteun, om alle rolspelers in die produk-na-die-mark waardeketting bymekaar uit te bring, en om Kaapse Handwerk en Ontwerp te bevorder en onbeperkte kreatiwiteit en innovasie aan te moedig.