Barántúlacht i nDomhan Saorga
De réir mar a luathaíonn an teicneolaíocht agus de réir mar a éiríonn eispéiris shintéiseacha níos coitianta, cad atá fós uathúil do dhaoine?
Tugann Comhdháil Dearadh na Ceardaíochta ceannairí cruthaitheacha idirnáisiúnta, brandaí só, dearthóirí, déantóirí, institiúidí cultúrtha agus nuálaithe le chéile chun luach na barántúlachta sa 21ú haois a iniúchadh.
Trí cheardaíocht, dearadh agus scéalaíocht, scrúdaíonn an chomhdháil an chaoi a leanann scileanna an duine, oidhreacht chultúrtha agus cruthaitheacht de bheith ag cruthú táirgí, brandaí, áiteanna agus eispéiris bhríocha.
Conas a chaomhnaímid barántúlacht i ndomhan atá ag éirí níos saorga?
Cad é Comhdháil Dearadh na Ceardaíochta?
Presented as part of Irish Design Week 2026 this Craft Design (or Design for Craft) conference celebrates the contribution made by the relationship of design and craft disciplines to culture, innovation and business.
Bringing together voices from crafts, luxury, textiles and the creative industries the conference examines the value of craftsmanship and importance of luxury for society along with the role of collaborations for creative and economic success.
The conference asks questions on the values society places on craftsmanship, its place in luxury goods, related employment and how the world is enhanced by the resulting sustainably designed goods.
Cén Fáth Freastal?
A new understanding of the professional world of Craft Design and its contribution to society.
In a world increasingly shaped by automation, algorithms and artificial experiences, the conference offers a rare opportunity to explore the enduring value of human creativity.
Déanfaidh rannpháirtithe:
- Discover why important brands continue to invest in craft and design skills, along with its contribution to the economy.
- Discover the valuable relationship between craft, heritage, place and innovation.
- Hear from international and locally based makers, design leaders and creative entrepreneurs.
- Attendees will gain an understanding of the value of the collaborative process for craft design businesses.
- Gain new perspectives on the professional and lived world of design and craft.
- Connect with peers from the sector.
PANEL 1: Brand & Soul
Frank Cormack
Frank began his career as a stonemason in Dublin, where he started an apprenticeship at the age of 15. He later spent four years working in England before returning to Ireland. After marrying, he settled in County Clare and bought a farm. In 1988, Frank devoted himself full-time to stonework and established a business creating sculpted bowls and other artistic pieces. In 1990, he invested in equipment and founded Irish Natural Stone, enabling the company to cut stone blocks weighing up to 20 tonnes into high-quality materials for the construction industry.
Frank’s first conservation and restoration project was in Raheen, County Limerick. Since then, his work has included Abbey River Bridge and St John’s Cathedral in Limerick, the portico of Coombe Hospital and Trinity College Dublin. Among his most prestigious projects are the restoration of St Mel’s Cathedral in Longford and the Four Courts in Dublin. His international work includes the Irish Famine Monument in Battery Park, New York; the 1916 Memorial on Long Island; and a stone doorway for the McClelland Library in Phoenix, Arizona. More recently, Frank has returned part-time to sculpture. His work is on display at the INStone Studio & Gallery, located at Irish Natural Stone.
Erica Devine
Erica Devine is a multi-disciplinary craft maker and product innovator. She works with plants, clay and plaster to create botanical casts and moulds from which to make bas-relief artworks, furniture, candles and decorative surfaces. Her work seeks to capture the ephemeral beauty, intelligence and struggles of the natural world and the essence of a place.
Erica has exhibited at Bloom in the Park, in the National Botanic Gardens, and at many solo and group shows. Her work adorns both private homes and public spaces from Japan to the United States. Her most high profile commission to date was for Jo Malone of London’s flagship store in Paris where she created a botanical relief wall and fire surround using the plants that feature in their products as inspiration.
Brendan Joyce
Brendan Joyce was born and reared in Connemara on the west coast of Ireland. From a very young age, he was conscious of the unique beauty of Connemara Marble and its importance to the region, as well as its recognition and appreciation around the world. Having completed his education and worked for a time in other industries, Brendan always retained a strong desire to work with Connemara Marble. In 1997, he was fortunate enough to join the team and begin a career dedicated to this remarkable natural stone.
Over the years, Brendan has been involved in developing the marble process from extraction through to finished applications, while building strong collaborations with specialist companies capable of transforming the material into the visions of designers and architects. These partnerships have resulted in many wonderful Connemara Marble projects showcased around the world.
Presentation 1: Luxury & Craft – Zelouf & Bell
Michael Bell and Susan Zelouf
The alliance of Belfast-born Michael Bell and New Yorker Susan Zelouf may seem a collision of cultures and characters; instead, a kind of alchemy occurs, engendering extraordinary pieces grounded in practicality, with poetic resonance, a dialogue between art, history and design. Theirs is an intensely personal new modernism, a distillation of what delights and moves them, informed by that which came before. “When two bodies of water meet, there is tension, a difference in salinity, temperature, density, currents, colour, sediment, a convergence of two oceans…eventually, they mix. We have no house style, just high standards; both of us believe a thing well made is a thing worth making.”
Zelouf & Bell and their small team of master cabinet makers have been making museum-quality one-off and limited edition custom furniture in their workshop in rural Ireland since 1992, exporting worldwide. Benoist Drut of NY gallery Maison Gerard, who represents Zelouf & Bell, describes their work as “ precious, clever, refined, fearless, unexpected, poetic.” Their approach embraces the handmade, merging materiality with technique. When legacy luxury lifestyle brand Asprey London invited Zelouf & Bell to show selected pieces in their Bruton Street flagship store, a dreamy collaboration began. “Placing our work amongst exquisite objects, masterpieces of heritage craftsmanship is both an honour and what feels right. Asprey has vision and reach; the road we’ve chosen to travel rises up to meet Asprey.” Designing each new piece (to commission and in response to conversations with Asprey London’s visionary team) presents its own set of challenges wrapped in thrilling possibility. “If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. We love what we do; each commission is a tiny miracle, each sale celebrated with champagne; champagne upon delivery is a rider written into our contracts! We’re thankful for the opportunity to make dreamy work Asprey London and its visionary clients love to live with.”
PANEL 2: Culture & Creative Industries
Paul Young
Paul Young is a founding partner of Cartoon Saloon and one of the key figures behind the studio’s international emergence as a leading independent animation company. As a producer, director and creative leader, Paul has been central to shaping Cartoon Saloon’s distinctive identity and to positioning Irish animation on the global stage.
An IFTA and Annie Award winner, and an Academy Award®, Emmy® and BAFTA nominee, Paul has produced some of the most celebrated animated films of the past two decades, including Academy Award®-nominated features The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner and WolfWalkers. Paul has also developed and produced a number of award-winning television projects, including the globally successful preschool series Puffin Rock and Silly Sundays.
In 2023, Paul made his directorial debut with the short film Screecher’s Reach, as part of Lucasfilm’s acclaimed anthology series Star Wars:Visions. Inspired by the visual storytelling traditions that have defined Cartoon Saloon’s work, Screecher’s Reach received significant international recognition, earning Paul an Annie Award for Best Direction, with the film subsequently winning an Emmy® Award for Artistic Direction. Paul is also an award-winning cartoonist and illustrator. His background as a visual artist continues to inform his approach to storytelling, with a deep understanding of character, design and the relationship between imagery and narrative.
Mark Maher
Mark Maher is an Irish sculptor, model maker and founder of Odyssey Studios, specialising in sculpture, prop making, miniatures, animatronics and practical effects for film and television.With an extensive career in the creative industries, Mark has worked on major international productions including Wednesday, The Hobbit and Foundation, collaborating with renowned filmmakers and creatives such as Tim Burton and Peter Jackson.
Combining traditional craftsmanship with modern fabrication technologies, Mark is passionate about preserving and promoting hands-on creative skills. Through Odyssey Studios, he is also committed to training and inspiring the next generation of Irish craftspeople and makers in combination with WWETB.
Presentation 2: “A” THE APPLE OF MY EYE (AYE) – Dee Morgan
Dee Morgan-Smyth
Dee Morgan-Smyth is a Dublin-based, North of Ireland-born, creative director and curator who works across many industries. She’s a connector. She’s right at the heart of Irish culture. She’s the conduit between the worlds of craft, design, the arts, hospitality, music, and society. The bridge between the high and the low; the very high and the very low. She is the founder of Fort, a gallery and platform for material culture that sits where tradition meets contemporary practice and documentation is at its core.
Through Fort, she co-curates the Sunday Salon series with Róisín de Buitléar, bringing curated craft experiences into people’s homes. She is the curator of the 2026 RDS Craft Awards exhibition at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, and a judge on the 2026 RDS Craft Awards panel. She is also Head of Brand and Creative at Ómós, a guesthouse and restaurant centred around creativity, craft and the warmth of Irish hospitality. Dee came to craft and design through Irish Design 2015, after starting in Aerospace engineering and graduating from Queens University, Belfast. In Ireland, Dee works exclusively with artists, people and companies who want to change the perception of the Irish landscape on an international stage, showing the best of what the whole of Ireland has to offer in a sincere and honest way.
Panel 3: Fashion & Design
Charlotte Espinosa | Head of Creative & Development, Maison Vermont Broderies, Paris (DIOR)
Charlotte Espinosa is an embroidery design and collection development manager based in Paris, specializing in Haute Couture, luxury ready-to-wear, and high-end interior design. With over a decade of expertise in textile and embroidery design, she currently serves as the Creative & Development Manager at Vermont / Christian Dior.
Throughout her career, Charlotte has led collection developments and design departments for prestigious Parisian ateliers, including Lesage, Cécile Henri Atelier and D. Porthault. Driven by craftsmanship and heritage, she thrives on translating artistic visions into exquisite, meticulously crafted embroidery collections.
Véronique Lamotte | General Manager, Maison Vermont Broderies, Paris (DIOR)
15 years as General Manager of Fine Crafts Studios and Workshops. Véronique has in-depth expertise in the high-end craftsmanship value chain for the luxury sector (Lanvin, Dior, Chanel, Saint Laurent), built over 7 years leading Vermont Broderies and 7 years directing Maison Hamon—spanning development, sourcing, manufacturing, subcontracting, and assembly for embroidery, fine fashion jewellery, and leather goods accessories.
Eolas Imeachta
- Dáta: Dé Luain, 9 Samhain 2026
- Suíomh: RIAM, Baile Átha Cliath
- Time: 10:30 – 2:30pm
- Mar chuid de Sheachtain Dearaidh na hÉireann 2026.
- Scaoilfear tuilleadh sonraí faoin gclár agus fógraí faoin gcainteoir go luath.
Inrochtana do Chathaoireacha Rothaí • Oiriúnach do Gach Aois
