APCA is Here!
30th October 2025 | Cheongju, South Korea
We are proud to announce the official launch of the Asia Pacific Crafts Alliance (APCA).
This new organisation has been developed in response to the changing needs of the crafts sector and its ecosystems in our vast region, and the importance of a broader membership base with clear democratic rights. There is a need for enhanced advocacy to support the community, cultural and economic impacts of the craft sector in the Asia Pacific Region.
We thank the Cheongju Craft Biennale for their generous hospitality in hosting our launch at the end of October, and for hosting the Global Craft Experts Meeting. Enormous congratulations too on Cheongju being awarded the UNESCO Creative City for Craft.
We are so grateful to have a wealth of supporters and collaborators to help get APCA off the ground.
Patroness - We are deeply honoured that Her Majesty the Queen Mother of Bhutan has honoured us by becoming Patroness of APCA. Her Majesty recognises the importance of culture and the arts and particularly the deep contribution the craft artisan sector makes to society. You can read her full statement here.
Founders - We are also grateful to our Founding Patrons and Founding Members who have committed funds and support to enable APCA to begin providing services to our existing WCC-APR and new APCA members. Learn more about them here.
Partnerships - We are very pleased to announce a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Strategic Cooperation between APCA and the European Crafts Alliance. Our organisations share the same values and are committed to a vision whereby the global nature of craft practices can be expanded through an alliance and united voice. We both see opportunities for shared knowledge, research, representation by artisans and artists and the organisations that support them in regional and international forums.
Collaborations - In the spirit of collaboration we will be working closely with Cheongju Craft Biennale and Garland Magazine, with more agreements still to be announced. This will allow us to amplify opportunities for our members to reach larger audiences, and grow capacity. And of course we will continue to work closely with our member organisations many of whom are represented on our inaugural international board.
Images L-R: Members of the APCA board & advisors; Jaein NOH, Gwangsub BYEUN (Cheongju Craft Biennale), Jude van der Merwe & Joseph Lo (APCA) at the signing of the agreement between the two organisations; Members of APCA and international delegates visiting the Cheongju Craft Biennale.