The mandate of Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design is to promote excellence in the field of craft and design through education and training, exhibitions and special events. They are committed to developing programs that preserve, elevate, expand, and enhance the creation of craft and they serve the craft community of Cape Breton Island from beginners and recreational practitioners to highly accomplished professionals, offering instruction as well as resource and support services.
The Centre offers a variety of educational opportunities in both contemporary and traditional craft, promotes and markets Cape Breton craft through exhibitions, special events, and a variety of traditional and social media platforms, and operates a permanent, year-round store-front Gallery and Gallery Shop representing over 90 Cape Breton artisans.

Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design offers an Emerging Artist Residency program, with duration of one year for emerging artists in ceramics, textiles, printmaking and metal/jewellery who have graduated from a craft program in the last five years. At Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design, participants in the emerging artist residency, will be given access to equipped shared studio space, in ceramics, metal/jewellery, or textiles, in exchange for community involvement. Emerging Artists are also expected to spend one day a week hosting an open studio day, where they will act as studio technician for their respective studios: maintaining the studio and assisting community members currently enrolled in classes.