Kilkenny ceramicist wins coveted Ireland’s Future Makers Award

A Kilkenny-based artist has been awarded a coveted Overall Student and Recent Graduates Award worth €2,500 by the Design & Crafts Council Ireland (DCCI).

Ceramicist Katharina Treml was among the 26 winners who received awards and supports totalling €25,000 through the organisation’s Future Makers programme confirmed yesterday evening. The winners were announced at the eagerly anticipated virtual awards ceremony hosted by TV presenter Emer O’Neill. 

“This win will have a big impact on my work so I am absolutely delighted," said Katharina Treml.

"I have already invested in kiln furniture and selected a kiln building site but up until now I could not fully fund the firebricks by myself. This will help me to buy the firebricks needed to build a small fast-fire wood kiln that I can fire by myself. I will now be able to create a bigger volume of more varied work, it is fantastic.”

Katharina studied in Thomastown at the Design & Crafts Council Ireland's Ceramics Skills & Design Course in Island Mill and has exhibited in the National Design & Craft Gallery in Castle Yard - her work is currently on show in the Made in Ireland exhibition in the gallery until January 29.

Local man John Mosse also won a €500 materials support award for his metalworking.

This year, the programme included a new award for Sustainable Design. Textile maker Lucy O Brien from Dublin received this new award (€2,000) in the emerging makers category and Amy Kerr, textile maker, from Kildare received the new Sustainable Design Award (€1,000) in the Student & Recent Graduates category. 

The winners will be joining a long list of established previous winners including Eílís Murphy, artist and bookbinder; fashion designer Natalie B. Coleman; furniture designer Alan Meredith; jewellery maker Genevieve Howard; and designer-maker Úna Burke.

Future Makers is one of many DCCI programmes that support and invest in the next generation of talent at a crucial early stage in their career. The programme is one of the largest prize-funded design and craft award programmes in Europe. It includes exhibition supports, studio supports, materials supports, travel and training supports, residencies/training supports, and professional development supports along with two Overall Winner awards, as well as two new awards for Sustainable Design. 

Future Makers is also the qualifying competition for the annual RDS Craft Awards, which comprise five awards of €10,000 each to makers at a formative stage in their careers. Winners will also have the opportunity to show their work to the public on a free stand at the Gifted fair in the RDS.

The winners come from a broad range of disciplines including ceramics, fashion design, textiles, furniture making, silversmithing and jewellery design.

Damien English TD, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail said: “The design and crafts sector already provides a significant contribution to the Irish economy. However, according to a recent economic assessment carried out on behalf of the DCCI by Grant Thornton, potentially the craft and design-intensive sectors could grow to 100,000 in employment with a turnover of almost €14 billion by 2026. Key to this is maintaining momentum to increase online sales and digitalisation and grow the number of talented craftspeople and designers into sustainable businesses across the country. Programmes such as Future Makers are vital to help with the sector’s ambition for expansion and growth.”

Rosemary Steen, CEO, Design & Crafts Council Ireland said: “Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s vision in our new 2022-2026 Strategy is to increase the contribution of craft and design to Ireland, economically, socially and culturally by 2030. Programmes such as Future Makers support emerging makers so they can develop  businesses in a sustainable way, showcase their talents, and promote the benefits of crafts and design to society. On behalf of my colleagues at DCCI, I would like to congratulate the 2021 winners. We look forward to promoting them throughout their careers so that they can realise their potential and continue to raise the standards of Irish craft and design.”