Heritage Crafts and the Costume Society have joined forces to launch two training bursaries to ensure that new and early-career fashion textile makers have the skills they need to succeed.
Many people are dissuaded from training in the hand skills of fashion textiles because of the cost, and therefore the make-up of the sector is not truly representative of the UK as a whole. This bursary has been set up to help cover or subsidise the training of someone who would otherwise be prevented from pursuing this career path as a result of the cost.
They could be just starting out on your journey in fashion textiles, or at the point where they want to turn a hobby into a career, or they could already be a maker or designer who is looking to further develop their hand skills.
Fashion textile crafts can include, but are not limited to, dressmaking, tailoring, pattern cutting, hat making, millinery, glovemaking, fabric pleating, corset making, etc. Applications for training that prioritises the acquisition of practical hand skills will be favoured over training that is predominantly theoretical or design-oriented.
If you are new to the craft and you would like assistance with finding a trainer, please get in touch and we will do what we can to help. The two successful applicants will benefit from up to £4,000 in funding each, and be supported by the Heritage Crafts team to help them achieve their aims. For more information on how to apply for the bursaries (deadline 23 February 2024) visit https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/fashion-textile-bursaries/.
The Costume Society is a UK membership organisation formed in 1964 to promote the study and preservation of historic and contemporary dress. Its new partnership with Heritage Crafts will also see a brand-new Fashion Textile Maker of the Year Award launched this summer, with a £2,000 prize and a trophy to be presented at a special Winners’ Reception in November.
The fashion textiles bursaries announced today sit alongside others in precious metal skills (supported by The Royal Mint) and musical instrument making (supported by the Golsoncott Foundation and Jennifer Chen). Additional bursaries for other crafts will open in May.
Prof Natascha Radclyffe-Thomas, Vice Chair of the Costume Society, said:
“The Costume Society is delighted to be launching two new training bursaries and a new Fashion Textile Maker of the Year Award in collaboration with Heritage Crafts to mark our 60th anniversary year. The bursaries and award extend the Costume Society’s mission to support the study and promotion of historic and contemporary dress by enhancing and protecting the skills of makers that are so central to fashion textiles. These opportunities are made possible by a legacy from founder member Anne Thomas, who worked tirelessly to celebrate excellence in makers and making.”
Jay Blades MBE, Co-Chair of Heritage Crafts, said:
“At Heritage Crafts we believe that great design is rooted in hand skill, so that designers can fully understand the properties and behaviours of materials, and appreciate the labour and skill involved in using them to produce garments and accessories. We are delighted to be working with the Costume Society to bring fashion textile skills to talented individuals who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to develop them.”
Photo: © Leeds Museums and Galleries; photograph by Sara Porter.
A thatching spar maker, a pigment maker, and a boatbuilder are among the recipients of a new round of grants to help safeguard some of the UK’s most endangered craft skills.
Heritage Crafts has awarded the grants through its Endangered Crafts Fund, which was launched in 2019 to increase the likelihood of at-risk craft skills surviving into the next generation. Six of this round’s grants are funded by the Sussex Heritage Trust, the Ashley Family Foundation for Wales, and the Essex Community Foundation and were ring fenced for crafts practitioners within those areas.
In May this year Heritage Crafts published the fourth edition of its groundbreaking Red List of Endangered Crafts, the first research of its kind to rank the UK’s traditional crafts by the likelihood that they will survive into the next generation. The report assessed 259 crafts to ascertain those which are at greatest risk of disappearing, of which 84 were classified as ‘endangered’ and a further 62 as ‘critically endangered’.
The nine successful recipients are:
- Andy Basham from Essex, for himself and others to learn to make thatching spars from the last spar maker in East Anglia, and equip himself for production from his hazel coppice.
- Will Holland from Carmarthenshire, to develop his arrowsmithing skills and master the reproduction of historically forged arrowheads, and to teach the craft to others.
- Charlotte Kenward from West Sussex, to train and equip herself to offer traditional reverse gilded house numbers and signage to heritage properties.
Lucy Mayes from London, to purchase equipment to produce a range of innovative and sustainable pigments from processing construction waste.- Gail McGarva and the team at Building Futures Galloway, to equip a community workshop on the Solway Firth with tools needed to teach young people traditional wooden boatbuilding.
- Rob Shaw and team, from North Yorkshire, to equip the new coach trimming workshop of Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, offering a space to train more of their volunteers.
- Travis Smith from Hampshire, to train in hand hewing of timber and apply his skills to the restoration and reconstruction of historical building and the construction of new ones.
- Stephanie Turnbull from Newport, to trial the use of alternative types of limestone and other stone substrates for lithographic printing, and to publish her findings.
- Jessie Watson-Brown, Matthew Bailey and Jamey Rhind-Tutt from Devon, to equip a new tannery to produce traditional bark-tanned leather from wild deer skins.
These nine projects follow 57 others awarded in previous rounds, covering endangered crafts such as coppersmithing, Highland thatching, sailmaking and many more. Previous funders have included the Radcliffe Trust, the Pilgrim Trust, the Dulverton Trust, the Swire Charitable Trust and others, as well as individuals who have donated sums from £5 right up to several thousands of pounds.
As usual the fund was oversubscribed, and Heritage Crafts hopes to work with many of the unsuccessful candidates to identify other funding and support opportunities.
Mary Lewis, Heritage Crafts Endangered Crafts Manager, said:
“The survival of endangered craft skills relies on the people who make a positive choice to learn, make and teach these crafts. These projects will provide future generations with opportunities that they might not otherwise have, to become productive and healthy members of our shared craft community and to safeguard this important part of our national heritage.”
View the full list of the 66 grants awarded to date
Traditional sign painter Andrew Grundon has won Maker of the Year in the 2023 Heritage Crafts Awards, which was presented at a prestigious Winners’ Reception at the College of St George, Windsor Castle on 15 November 2023, sponsored by The Royal Mint.
The award, supported by the Marsh Charitable Trust, was one of 14 revealed at the ceremony introduced by Heritage Crafts Co-Chair Jay Blades MBE, including the fourth annual President’s Award for Endangered Crafts set up by Heritage Crafts President the former Prince of Wales and won by straw hat maker Lucy Barlow, the inaugural Precious Metalworker of the Year Award sponsored by The Royal Mint and won by watch dial enameller Sally Morrison, and the Woodworker of the Year Award sponsored by Axminster Tools and won by woodcarver Tom Ball.
The Heritage Crafts/Marsh Maker of the Year award was won by traditional sign painter Andrew Grundon. Andrew is a specialist in the rare craft of hand painting, lettering, and carving of pictorial signs. He has established an international reputation at the forefront of the revival of traditional handcrafted work, particularly for his highly-accomplished pictorial pub signs. His clients include Liberty of London, the Tower of London, television chef Rick Stein, BT Sport and ITV. Last year Andrew worked with potter Hannah McAndrew on this Coronation Platter for which he redesigned each element of the Royal Coat of Arms, injecting a distinctive perspective into the familiar heraldic design.
The President’s Award for Endangered Craft was won by straw hat maker Lucy Barlow. Lucy apprenticed with Phillip Somerville of Bond Street in the late 1970s and then went on to Paris to assist master milliner Jean Barthet on the collections of Yves St Laurent, Chanel and others. Recently completing an MA in Menswear Millinery at the Royal College of Art, Lucy’s dissertation ‘The Last Straw?’ looks into strategies for the regeneration of the stitch straw industry in the UK. Read more about Lucy’s award here.
The Precious Metalworker of the Year Award sponsored by The Royal Mint was won by Sally Morrison. Sally is a graduate of the Edinburgh College of Arts and specialises in engraving and enamelling watch dials at the watch company anOrdain. Her interest in champleé enamelling, the art of applying translucent enamel over a textured precious metal background, has made her the best of a very small and elite group of craftspeople working in this field. Read more about Sally’s award here.
The Woodworker of the Year Award sponsored by Axminster Tools was won by Tom Ball. Tom is the de Laszlo Lead Woodcarving Tutor at City & Guilds of London Arts School, and in 2021 was awarded the Master Carver Certificate by the Worshipful Company Of Joiners and Ceilers. Recent projects include restoration of Grinling Gibbons’ carving at Trinity College Chapel, Oxford, and carving the canopy columns for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. Read more about Tom’s award here.
The inaugural Environmental Sustainability Award in partnership with the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust was won by Lulu Harrison. Lulu’s journey in glass started during her MA in Materials Futures at Central St Martins, where she was particularly interested in finding environmentally sustainable materials from the fishing industry. Her project ‘Thames Glass’ incorporated the shell powder of invasive quagga mussels into unique glass batches.
The Young Woodworker of the Year Award sponsored by Axminster Tools was won by Harry Morris, who starting woodworking at the age of 13 in his dad’s garage, carving spoons and watching instructional videos on YouTube. He dedicates much of his energy to teaching, believing that communicating in a positive and encouraging way can have a big impact on an individual, and in their craft journey, and has been overwhelmed with feedback from his students.
The Young Upholsterer of the Year Award sponsored by Sonnaz was won by Florence Egan, who attended her first upholstery course at the age of 14 paying for it by working two jobs on the weekend. Through her short courses she managed to develop contacts in the industry, and from that came the opportunity to sign up to a Level 2 Modern Upholstery apprenticeship, which she passed with distinction, and is now working in the bespoke workshop, cutting, sewing, templating and upholstering.
The Young Weaver of the Year Award sponsored by Rose Uniacke was won by Lara Pain. Lara first decided she wanted to pursue a creative path when she was 17. During her four-year BA Textile Design course at Central Saint Martins, she opted to undertake a year-long diploma in professional studies, undertaking training and internships at multiple weaving studios, including with Kirsty McDougall, whose clientele includes Givenchy, Burberry, Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen.
The Young Basketmaker of the Year Award sponsored by Sims Hilditch was won by Molly Lovekin. Molly started out making basic stake and strand log baskets, using buff and home grown willow, and then has rapidly moved on to accept a large commission which has meant working to specific shapes and sizes for display at SeaSalt Cornwall. She adds artistic flair naturally to all her baskets and works to a high level of craftsmanship.
The Young Metalworker of the Year Award sponsored by Lucy and Lawrence Butcher was won by Megan Rigby. After studying Jewellery Manufacture at the British Academy of Jewellery, Megan secured an apprenticeship with Rebus Signet Rings. Since starting her traineeship with Rebus she has entered the Goldsmiths Craft and Design Council Awards, known in the trade as the ‘jewellery Oscars’ and won awards every year.
The Heritage Crafts/Marsh Lifetime Achievement award went to Alfred Fisher MBE who has been involved in stained glass for 71 years. He began his training at James Powell and Sons, Whitefriars, in 1952, working his way up from trainee to Chief Designer. In 1957 he won a Religious Arts Scholarship to study art in churches in Europe, which helped him develop his own distinctive style of window design. Alf is Vice-President of the British Society of Master Glass Painters and Liveryman and Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers. For twenty years he was the advisor on stained glass for the National Trust.
The Heritage Crafts/Marsh Trainer of the Year award went to Tom McEwan. Tom graduated from Glasgow School of Art with a degree in Fine Art Sculpture in 1980. He began training as a bookbinder in 2004 at the Glasgow College of Building and Printing, and thereafter enjoyed a string of competition successes including prizes from the National Library of Scotland, Society of Bookbinders, and Designer Bookbinders. In 2013 Tom established a craft bindery in Ayrshire where he continues to work on commissioned design bindings and teaches and mentors art and bookbinding students.
The Heritage Crafts/Marsh Trainee of the Year award went to piano restorer Ellie Wright. Ellie completed a degree in Fine Art in Amsterdam, where she learned woodwork, metalwork and glass skills, before going to the University of Glasgow to do a degree in Physics and Astronomy. Having played classical piano since the age of 7, she found a way to combine her interests, with the opportunity to train as a piano technician at Glasgow Piano City. As her career develops she wants to extend her working radius to the more remote areas of Scotland like the Highlands and Islands, which have very poor access to technicians, tuners and restorers.
The Heritage Crafts/Marsh Volunteer of the Year award was split three ways, with the prize being jointly awarded to Tricia Basham, who held the posts of Treasurer and Membership Secretary of the Knitting and Crochet Guild from 2013 to 2019, Jane Kerr, who has been the secretary of the Wooden Boatbuilders Trade Assocation since it was founded in 1990, and Chris Rowley who founded the Hand Engravers Association of Great Britain and has served as the driving force of the Association ever since.
Lucy Barlow with Heritage Crafts Co-Chairs David Clarke and Jay Blades MBE
Straw hat maker Lucy Barlow has won the 2023 President’s Award for Endangered Crafts. The prestigious award, and £3,000 bursary, was initiated by Heritage Crafts’ President the former Prince of Wales.
Heritage Crafts was set up 13 years ago as a national charity to support and safeguard heritage crafts skills, and has become well known for its Red List of Endangered Crafts, the first research of its kind to rank traditional crafts in the UK by the likelihood they would survive the next generation.
The President’s Award trophy was presented to Lucy at a special presentation at St George’s College, Windsor Castle, on Wednesday 15 November 2023.
President’s Award 2023 made by Eddy Bennett
Lucy apprenticed with Phillip Somerville of Bond Street in the late 1970s and then went on to Paris to assist master milliner Jean Barthet on the collections of Yves St Laurent, Chanel, Balenciaga, Karl Lagerfeld and Claude Montana. Recently completing an MA in Menswear Millinery at the Royal College of Art, Lucy’s dissertation ‘The Last Straw?’ looks into strategies for the regeneration of the stitch straw industry in the UK. She is a 2019 QEST Garfield Weston Foundation Scholar.
Lucy plans to use the prize to equip her garden workshop so that she can teach machine sewing of straw plait into hats. She would repair historical machines and also invest in new machines that are easier to acquire spare parts for. She plans to focus on finding ways to bring the skill to future generations and involve more diverse communities.
Judges for the Award included Heritage Crafts Co-Chair Jay Blades MBE, Kate Hobhouse (Chair of Fortnum and Mason), Patricia Lovett MBE, Simon Sadinsky (Executive Director of The King’s Foundation), and Johanna Welsh (2022 President’s Award winner).
Klay Evaori by Lucy Barlow
Winner Lucy Barlow said:
“Its now up to me to take the baton of support and recognition for this wonderful craft and use this to power for the good and for future generations.”
Heritage Crafts Executive Director Daniel Carpenter said:
“Many people know the former Prince of Wales as a long-time supporter and champion of traditional craft skills, and his passion is all too evident through initiatives such as the Heritage Crafts President’s Award. Lucy is an immensely deserving winner and we know that in her hands the prize will provide a massive boost to the outlook of this endangered craft.”
The two other finalists for the 2023 President’s Award were Michael Johnson and David French. Michael, the UK’s leading artisan coppersmith operating from Newlyn Copperworks in Cornwall, was awarded a finalist prize of £1,000 donated by former Heritage Crafts Chair Patricia Lovett MBE. David, a fifth generation withy crab and lobster pot maker from Devon, and one of only about ten remaining in the UK, was awarded a finalist prize of £1,000 donated by President’s Award judge and Chair of Fortnum & Mason Kate Hobhouse.
Glasgow-based watch dial enameller Sally Morrison has won the inaugural Precious Metalworker of the Year Award sponsored by The Royal Mint, including a £2,000 prize and trophy awarded at a special presentation at the College of St George, Windsor Castle, on Wednesday 15 November 2023.
Heritage Crafts was set up 13 years ago as a national charity to support and safeguard heritage crafts skills, and has become well known for its Red List of Endangered Crafts, the first research of its kind to rank traditional crafts in the UK by the likelihood they would survive the next generation.
This new award sponsored by The Royal Mint celebrates a heritage craftsperson who has made an outstanding contribution to working with precious metal over the past year. It recognises a contribution that is far beyond the ordinary, based on a proven dedication to a particular metalworking skill.
Head of Coin Design Paul Morgan inspecting the Precious Metalworker of the Year Award
Sally Morrison is a graduate of the Edinburgh College of Arts jewellery course and specialises in engraving and enamelling watch dials at the watch company anOrdain. Her interest in champleé enamelling, the art of applying translucent enamel over a usually textured and precious metal background, has made her the best of a very small and elite group of craftspeople working in this field.
The Precious Metalworker of the Year trophy presented to Sally was made by the team of coin designers and craftspeople at The Royal Mint, led by Head of Coin Design Paul Morgan. The piece is intended to take viewers on a journey of metalwork from its molten stage, through hammering, planishing, repoussé/chasing, and finally through to texture and engraving.
Judges for the new award were Leighton John (Director of Operations at The Royal Mint), Dr Rebecca Struthers (the only watchmaker with a PhD in horology), and Paul Morgan (Head of Coin Design at The Royal Mint).
The two other finalists for the award were Rauni Higson, a silversmith whose commissions include the Goldsmith’s Cup for HMS Prince of Wales, and Warren Martin, one of the few remaining silver spinners in Sheffield, a craft that has been listed as critically endangered. Read more about Rauni and Warren here.
The Royal Mint and Heritage Crafts launched their partnership earlier this year, announcing four bursaries at an event held at the House of Lords. Since then, five bursaries have been awarded to those wanting to train or further develop skills in precious metals. As an exemplar of British craftsmanship, The Royal Mint is committed to protecting and celebrating craftspeople and developing skills wherever possible.
Woodcarver Tom Ball has won the second annual Woodworker of the Year Award sponsored by Axminster Tools, including a £2,000 prize and trophy awarded at a special presentation at St George’s College, Windsor Castle on Wednesday 15 November 2023.
Heritage Crafts was set up 13 years ago as a national charity to support and safeguard heritage crafts skills, and has become well known for its Red List of Endangered Crafts, the first research of its kind to rank traditional crafts in the UK by the likelihood they would survive the next generation.
Now in its second year, this award sponsored by Axminster Tools celebrates a heritage craftsperson who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of woodworking over the past year. It recognises a contribution that is far beyond the ordinary, based on a proven dedication to a particular woodworking skill.
Woodworker of the Year Award carved by 2022 finalist David Robinson
Tom Ball is the de Laszlo Lead Woodcarving Tutor at City & Guilds of London Arts School, and in 2021 was awarded the Master Carver Certificate by the Worshipful Company of Joiners and Ceilers. Recent projects include restoration of Grinling Gibbons’ carving at Trinity College Chapel, Oxford, and carving the canopy columns for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.
Global suppliers of woodworking tools and machinery, Axminster Tools has spent 50 years building their family business into the renowned organisation it is today. Working together with makers and creators at all levels, from trade professionals through to craft enthusiasts, their commitment to supporting woodworking skills fits perfectly with the ethos of Heritage Crafts.
Judges for the new award were Alan Styles (Managing Director of Axminster Tools), Sarah Goss (a traditional woodcarver who featured as one of the experts in the recent Prince’s Master Crafters: The Next Generation programme on Sky Arts), and Jonathan Hill (luthier and Woodworker of the Year 2022).
The three other finalists for the 2023 award were marionette maker Oliver Hymans, woodcarver Yichen Li and furniture maker Andrew Watt. Read more about Oliver, Yichen and Andrew here.
