The National Centre for Craft & Design facts for kids

Hub

Former name	The National Centre for Craft & Design
Established	October 2003
Location	Navigation Wharf, Carre Street, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England, NG34 7TW
Type	Gallery and arts venue
Visitors	90,000 (2011–12)

The Hub is an exciting arts centre located in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, England. It's a special place where you can explore amazing craft and design. In fact, it has the largest exhibition space in England dedicated to these art forms! The Hub is home to a shop, a cafe, art galleries, a dance studio, and workshops where artists create. It offers a space for modern artists and makers to show their work. You can also find workshops, talks, classes, and even performances here. The Hub works closely with local schools and is a key spot for the Design-Nation creative network.

The Hub's Journey: From Warehouse to Art Centre

The Hub first opened its doors in October 2003. It started in an old warehouse that used to store seeds for a company called Hubbard and Phillips. When it first opened, it was simply known as 'The Hub'.

Becoming a National Centre

In 2011, the centre changed its name to The National Centre for Craft & Design (NCCD). This change was supported by money from the North Kesteven District Council and Arts Council England. Before moving to Sleaford in 2003, the building was a seed warehouse from 1939 to 1972. After that, it was used for storage.

The Hub Today

Today, the Hub is part of a special group called the Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. This means it's a very important arts venue in England. It is owned and supported by the North Kesteven District Council. A charity called Lincs Inspire Limited helps to run it. In May 2021, the Hub had a big makeover costing £1.2 million. This happened after it had to close for a while because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hub is also part of Lincolnshire One Venues (LOV). This group helps ten arts centres in Lincolnshire to promote their work and get funding.

Exciting Events at the Hub

The Hub often hosts interesting events and exhibitions. These events bring art and design to life for everyone.

Designing Beach Huts

In 2011, when it was still the NCCD, the centre held a fun international competition. Architects and artists from all over the world were invited to design beach huts for the Lincolnshire coast. People sent in small models of their designs from places like North America, Europe, and Asia. The winning design was then built as a real, full-sized beach hut!

The Museum of Broken Relationships

In January 2012, the Hub became a stop for a unique international exhibition. It was called The Museum of Broken Relationships. This exhibition featured special items from Croatia. These items were personal memories, or mementos, from people's past relationships. It was a very thought-provoking display.

Made in the Middle Exhibition

The Hub also helped to organize a big exhibition called Made in the Middle. This show happens every three years and features modern design. The Hub worked with the Crafts Council and mac (Birmingham) to put it together. It was first shown at the mac centre from February to April 2012. After that, the Arts Council funded Design Factory announced that Made in the Middle would visit the Hub itself from April to July 2012.