<p><strong>Hosted by Plymouth College of Art, <em>Making Futures</em> brings together an international cast of practitioners, academics, curators, campaigners, activists, and representatives from associated organisations and agencies, to investigate contemporary craft as a 'change agent' within 21st century society. This 2013 edition is probably the most ambitious in the series to date, with abstracts received from over eighteen countries from all regions of the world.</strong></p> <p>The conference, held on Thursday 26th &amp; Friday 27th September, coincides with the opening of the first phase in a new workshop development at Plymouth College of Art. Part of a £7.7m project, the new craft wing provides students with access to industry standard equipment including rapid prototyping, a letterpress, stone litho and 3D printing, a glass factory and wet and dry textile print workshops.</p> <p>Also at the college this week,award-winning designer-maker, Gareth Neal opened his exhibition, <em>Process, Place, People</em>, in The Gallery. Neal’s furniture design practice seeks a reconsideration of furniture design and our perceptions of the contemporary, by questioning history and processes, in relation to people and place. The show kicks off Plymouth College of Art’s new contemporary craft season. “These shows are really a celebration of the new craft building we have – a fantastic new facility for the college that has just opened” says Gallery Co-ordinator Hannah Jones.</p> <p><strong><em>Making Futures 3</em></strong><strong> conference - 26th-27th September 2013</strong></p> <p><strong>Gareth Neal – <em>Process, Place, People</em> - 23rd September – 26th October 2013</strong></p>