The Crafts Council Gallery is situated at 44A Pentonville Road Islington, near the Angel tube station.
It's got both a shop and a reference library, but it also has a full programme of exhibitions which are regarded as innovative, showcasing both contemporary craft drawn from the collection of the Crafts Council Gallery and from further afield. There's an international crafts fair held at the Victoria and Albert Museum each February which is organised by the Crafts Council Gallery, which also organises the Jerwood applied arts prize for jewellery. For more information on craft books, see Craft Book News.

The Crafts Council is the national development agency for contemporary craft. Their goal is to make the UK the best place to make, see, collect and learn about contemporary craft. They aim to build a strong economy and infrastructure for contemporary craft; to increase and diversify the audience for contemporary craft; to champion high quality contemporary craft practice nationally and internationally.

They list their values thus: that craft plays a dynamic and vigorous role in the UK’s social, economic and cultural life; that everyone should have the opportunity to make, see, collect and learn about craft; that the strength of craft lies in its use of traditional and contemporary techniques, ideas and materials to make extraordinary new work; and that the future of craft lies in nurturing talent; children and young people must be able to learn about craft at school and have access to excellent teaching throughout their education.

The Crafts Council delivers its activity through four strategic themes.

They stimulate and profile creative excellence, innovative thinking and practice across all craft forms.

They change people’s perceptions of craft by showing the best of contemporary craft in different physical and conceptual contexts.

They support the growth of a robust craft sector in a global marketplace.

They promote craft education and skills progression for the economic and cultural health of the sector.