Our leadership team
Natalie Melton, executive director
Natalie Melton joined the Crafts Council as creative director in January 2019 and has spent more than a decade working in craft. From 2012- 2018 she was co-founder and managing director of The New Craftsmen, a business which curates, commissions and sells unique contemporary objects rooted in craftsmanship and narrative and made by makers from across the British Isles.
As commercial director at Arts & Business (2005-2011), she oversaw the development of Crafted, a business support & mentoring programme for highly skilled makers.
Nicky Dewar, director of learning and skills
With over twenty years of working within arts education, Nicky Dewar is the Learning & Skills Director at the Crafts Council leading our work to provide professional business support for makers, formal education initiatives, and participation activities for people of all ages to engage with craft and making.
Previously, Nicky worked for decade within music education in London and before that within Local Authorities supporting collaborations between schools and the art sector. She is a trustee of Intoart, a primary school governor, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and sews in her spare time.
Adele Hill- King, finance and commercial director
Adele Hill-King leads the finance function at Crafts Council, playing a strategic role in implementing the financial strategy set by the trustees. She also oversees facilities and administration functions. Her primary aim is to inform lead decision makers, whilst ensuring efficiency of operations and support services, so that the Crafts Council can create maximum positive impact upon UK craft, makers and audiences.