About
the national charity for heritage crafts
What we do
Heritage Crafts is the national charity for traditional heritage crafts. Working in partnership with Government and key agencies, we provide a focus for craftspeople, groups, societies and guilds, as well as individuals who care about the loss of traditional crafts skills, and work towards a healthy and sustainable framework for the future.
We are a UNESCO accredited NGO for Intangible Cultural Heritage and an official Community Support Hub for the UK Governments’ Living Heritage in the UK inventory, having advocated for UK ratification of the UNESCO Convention of the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010.
Our Mission
To support and promote heritage crafts as a fundamental part of our living heritage.
We do this through:
- Knowledge – researching the status of heritage crafts and identifying those crafts in decline or in imminent danger of being lost.
- Advocacy – communicating the vital importance of heritage craft skills to the public, Government, key agencies and organisations.
- Safeguarding – ensuring that the highest standard of heritage craft skills are passed from one generation to the next and are recorded for posterity where necessary.
- Support – supporting heritage craftspeople to continue to practice, nurture and pass on their craft.
- Engagement – actively raising awareness and interest in heritage craft skills with the wider public and offering opportunities to engage.
Our Values
Equity and inclusivity
Removing barriers to participation and fostering appreciation of heritage crafts across diverse communities
Credibility and authority
Reflecting the extensive expertise of our heritage craft communities
Collaboration and cooperation
Facilitating connection between makers, supporters and partner organisations
Sustainability and stewardship
Being mindful of the cultural, social, economic and environmental impacts of heritage crafts
Integrity and honesty
Operating openly, accountably and fairly
Continual learning and development
Safeguarding heritage skills by adapting to changing social, cultural and economic contexts
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Five-day Passementerie Masterclass with Jessica Light @jessica_light_, the ‘Tassel Queen of Bethnal Green’ – supported by @goldsmithsfoundation. 🧵
📍 Where: Weavers Works @weavers.works, Walthamstow, London E17 7BH
⏰ When: 25 to 30 October 2026, 10am to 4pm each day with a lunch break (lunch provided)
💰 Cost: £300 (three free bursary places available for those from under-represented communities or facing financial hardship – subject to availability)
Join the ‘Tassel Queen of Bethnal Green’ for a five-day intensive course on passementerie aimed at intermediate textile practitioners. With over three decades of experience in the trade, a well-established authority on the historic techniques and one of only a few contemporary practitioners, Jessica Light is a leading figure in the endangered craft of passementerie.
This is a unique opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time with Jessica, gaining hands-on experience, close tuition on a range of weaving and table work techniques, guidance on materials and colour, and a look at passementerie notation.
At the end of the course, trainees will be able to create highly ornamental or pared-back embellishments for furniture, lighting, clothes, and costumes through a rich interplay of materials, techniques, patterns, colours, and textures.
This course is not intended as an ‘experience’; it is for working practitioners who intend to incorporate these skills into their textile practice. Both masterclasses cover the same areas and each have five places available, providing a focused and supportive learning environment.
To ensure equitable access to this vital training opportunity, we are providing three free bursary places for individuals from under-represented communities or facing financial hardship – subject to availability.
Please note, places will be allocated based on suitability. Please fill in the application form and Heritage Crafts will contact you with news of whether you have been accepted onto the course.
📲 For more details and to apply, please visit the linktr.ee in our bio or https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/our-stories/passementeriemasterclass/.
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Trainee Jeweller
Where: Cambridgeshire
Chloe’s Jewellers & Repairs has been family-owned business for over 100 years, serving the high streets of Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Leicestershire, Essex and Norfolk with high quality jewellery sales and repairs.
This paid internship is designed to nurture your talent while offering invaluable industry insights. Grow your skills alongside expert artisans in a vibrant environment that celebrates creativity, precision, and innovation.
You will gain hands-on experience in various aspects of jewellery making, from initial design concepts to finishing touches, while contributing to the creation of beautiful, high-quality pieces.
Find out more including how to apply at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/matchmaker.
#matchMAKER is the online platform for work-based training and entry-level employment opportunities hosted by @heritagecrafts and supported by @soanebritain.
We are delighted to announce our expert judging panel for this year’s Emerging Metalworker of the Year Award supported by Lucy and Laurence Butcher. This award celebrates the talent, grit, and artistry of those in the first five years of their professional metalworking journey. ⚒️
• Russell Lownsbrough @russell_lownsbrough – award-winning master craftsman, wax carver and goldsmith with over thirty years of professional experience in the trade, Russell is renowned for his bespoke jewellery, silverware and medals using traditional lost-wax casting methods alongside direct metalworking. A Fellow of the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths and a judge for the Goldsmiths Craft and Design Awards, he is passionate about passing on specialised bench skills through masterclasses and industry mentoring.
• Lisa Wisdom @lisawisdomartist – acclaimed traditional blacksmith and jeweller who transforms salvaged, rusted metals into evocative landscape collages, Lisa utilises the natural weathering, minerals and textures of reclaimed copper, zinc, lead and iron. An Associate of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths and member of the Cornwall Crafts Association, she champions sustainable, regenerative material use and creative improvisation.
This award is open to any craft where metal is the primary material, including blacksmithing, coppersmithing, tinsmithing, silversmithing, goldsmithing, swordsmithing, knife making, cutlery making, bronze casting, brass instrument making … and more!
There is a £1,000 prize for the winner to be presented at a high-profile Winners’ Reception in November.
📅 Deadline: Friday 21 August 2026 (at 5pm)
➡️ Nominate someone (or yourself) today via the linktr.ee in our bio or directly at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/our-awards/emerging-metalworker-of-the-year/
📷 2024 finalist Caitlin Murphy
Become a Heritage Crafts member in time for our next online member Book Club meeting on Wednesday 9 September 2026, at 6.30pm.
Following the success of our second members’ Book Club that discussed Tracey Chevalier’s The Glassmaker, the next book club meeting will discuss Art Cure by @daisy.fancourt, the award-winning scientist and world-leading expert on psychobiology.
Once you’re a member you can get the link for the meeting and find some reading prompts in the Heritage Crafts member portal.
heritagecrafts.org.uk/join-us
We are delighted to announce our expert judging panel for this year’s Emerging Leatherworker of the Year Award supported by the @theleathersellers. This award celebrates those in the first five years of their professional practice who are already making their mark. 💼👞
• Bill Amberg @billambergstudio – internationally renowned master leather craftsman, designer and industry pioneer with four decades of expertise, Bill has revolutionised the architectural use of leather, pioneering structural, interior and furniture applications alongside bespoke luxury leather goods. He is a passionate advocate for sustainable material sourcing, traditional hide processing and training the next generation of artisans.
• Maisie Hill @ravenhill.leather – leatherworker, marquetry artist and 2025 Emerging Leatherworker of the Year Award winner, Maisie specialising in fine leather restoration, bespoke box-making and intricate leather marquetry at luxury furniture studio Silverlining. Her practice blends meticulous hand-tool mastery with innovative surface manipulation and contemporary aesthetics.
• Yusuf Osman @yussico – formerly a practising solicitor, Yusuf transitioned into craft to pursue traditional leatherworking, specialising in hand-stitched leather goods made using centuries-old saddle-stitching techniques and natural vegetable-tanned hides. Selected for the prestigious Homo Faber Guide, he is a dedicated tutor who actively demystifies the craft through workshops and outreach.
This award is open to any craft where leather is the primary material, including fashion and accessories, saddlery, bridlery and harness making, shoemaking, tanning and more!
There is a £1,000 prize for the winner to be presented at a high-profile Winners’ Reception in November.
📅 Deadline: Friday 21 August 2026 (at 5pm)
➡️ Nominate someone (or yourself) today via the linktr.ee in our bio or directly at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/our-awards/emerging-leatherworker-of-the-year/
📷 2025 finalist Ana Del Rio Mullarkey @_anadelrio
Exclusive Makers’ Content Lab 📱✂️
Our Makers’ Content Lab is exclusive for Heritage Crafts members and recipients, led by content creator @daisybow_craft.
Social media and content creation have become essential skills for promoting your work, sharing your practice, and building community around your craft/trade. Yet there are few opportunities for makers to learn how to participate meaningfully in this digital space.
The Makers’ Content Lab is a new programme of online sessions designed to help you build confidence, develop practical skills, and explore what social media can look like for you and your craft.
The last session saw Daisy guide us through the process of creating an ‘about me’ post for Instagram.
The next session will take place online on Wednesday 26 August. If you are interested in taking part, and you are not already a member or recipient, please consider signing up as a member!
heritagecrafts.org.uk/join-us
We are delighted to announce our expert judging panel for this year’s Emerging Building Craftsperson of the Year Award 2026, supported by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings @spab1877. 🔨🪜🪚🧱
• Nicola Duncan-Finn @duncanfinnnicola – with over 25 years championing traditional skills and sustainable approaches to heritage management, Nicola’s strategic leadership has helped conserve significant historic sites across England, including castles, ecclesiastical ruins, windmills and vernacular buildings. She has led national partnerships that culminated in the publication of the first Historic Environment Skills and Careers Action Plan for England in 2024.
• Claire Vidler – specialising in traditional timber framing and vernacular architecture, Claire’s practice integrates hands-on craft with academic research, having worked on landmark sites such as Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Palace. She serves on the SPAB Education and Training Committee and Carpenters Fellowship Board, edits Mortice and Tenon magazine, and lectures for the Weald & Downland Living Museum.
This award is for the rising stars in stonemasonry or gauged brickwork, timber framing or carpentry, heritage tiling or plastering … or any other craft focused on the construction, conservation or repair of buildings or structures.
There is a £1,000 prize for the winner to be presented at a high-profile Winners’ Reception in November.
📅 Deadline: Friday 21 August 2026 (at 5pm)
➡️ Nominate someone (or yourself) today via the linktr.ee in our bio or directly at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/our-awards/emerging-building-craftsperson-of-the-year/
📷 2024 finalist William Blackmore
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Knitwear Trainee
Where: Hawick, Scotland
For over 150 years, Alex Begg Group has been creating luxury textiles recognised globally for their craftsmanship, innovation and attention to detail. By joining them as a trainee, you’ll become part of a talented team dedicated to preserving and developing these skills for future generations.
As a trainee, you will:
• Learn from experienced colleagues and industry experts.
• Develop practical, hands-on skills within your chosen area.
• Participate in structured training and development programmes.
• Gain valuable workplace experience in a supportive team environment.
• Contribute to the production of world-renowned luxury products.
• Build the knowledge and confidence needed for long-term career progression.
Find out more including how to apply at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/matchmaker.
#matchMAKER is the online platform for work-based training and entry-level employment opportunities hosted by @heritagecrafts and supported by @soanebritain.
