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Heritage Crafts and the British Society of Master Glass Painters @bsmgp have launched a new training bursary for a new or early-career practitioner in stained glass. The successful applicants will benefit from up to £4,000 in funding, as well as one-to-one support from the staff at Heritage Crafts.

The bursaries are provided to help cover or subsidise the cost of training for a new entrant or early-career practitioner who would otherwise be prevented from pursuing this career path as a result of the cost.

Stained glass crafts include stained glass window making, glass painting within a stained glass context, and/or stained glass conservation.

The fashion textiles and costume making bursaries sit alongside others in fashion textiles and costume (supported by the Costume Society), leatherworking (supported by the Leathersellers’ Foundation), saddlery (supported by the Saddlers’ Company), shoe making (supported by the Cordwainers’ Company), maritime rope and twine crafts (supported by the International guild of Knot Tyers) and building crafts in Northern Ireland (supported by CITBNI). Additional bursaries for other crafts will open in April.

To find out more including how to apply (deadline 20 March) follow the linktr.ee in our bio.

📷 2025 recipient @kerriehanna by @katedonaldsonphotography
Heritage Crafts and the @theleathersellers have launched new training bursaries for new or early-career practitioners in leatherworking. The successful applicants will benefit from up to £4,000 in funding, as well as one-to-one support from the staff at Heritage Crafts.

The bursaries are provided to help cover or subsidise the cost of training for a new entrant or early-career practitioner who would otherwise be prevented from pursuing this career path as a result of the cost.

Leatherworking crafts are those which feature leather as a primary material. They can include but are not limited to saddlery, shoemaking, harness making, tanning, fashion, accessory making, and so on.

The fashion textiles and costume making bursaries sit alongside others in fashion textiles and costume (supported by the Costume Society), saddlery (supported by the Saddlers’ Company), shoe making (supported by the Cordwainers’ Company), stained glass (supported by the British Society of Master Glass Painters), maritime rope and twine crafts (supported by the International guild of Knot Tyers) and building crafts in Northern Ireland (supported by CITBNI). Additional bursaries for other crafts will open in April.

To find out more including how to apply (deadline 20 March) follow the linktr.ee in our bio.

📷 2025 recipient @amarpatelstudios
#matchMAKER opportunity!

Rush weaver 

Location: Bedfordshire 

Rush Matters is seeking a part-time rush weaver to join their team, working 3 days per week. The position involves plaiting, sewing rush floor matting, squaring and binding rugs. In the summer, you will also be involved in the rush harvest, unloading bolts on the farm and turning them everyday. No previous experience is necessary.

Find out 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.
Heritage Crafts and the @costume_society have launched new training bursaries for new or early-career practitioners in fashion textiles and costume making. The successful applicants will benefit from up to £4,000 in funding, as well as one-to-one support from the staff at Heritage Crafts.

The bursaries are provided to help cover or subsidise the cost of training for a new entrant or early-career practitioner who would otherwise be prevented from pursuing this career path as a result of the cost.

Fashion textile crafts can include, but are not limited to, dressmaking, tailoring, pattern cutting, hat making, millinery, glovemaking, fabric pleating, corsetry, and so on. Costume making can include garments and accessories made for theatre, film, television, musical performance, historical re-production, role play and so on.

The fashion textiles and costume making bursaries sit alongside others in leatherworking (supported by the Leathersellers’ Foundation), saddlery (supported by the Saddlers’ Company), shoe making (supported by the Cordwainers’ Company), stained glass (supported by the British Society of Master Glass Painters), maritime rope and twine crafts (supported by the International guild of Knot Tyers) and building crafts in Northern Ireland (supported by CITBNI). Additional bursaries for other crafts will open in April.

To find out more including how to apply (deadline 20 March) follow the linktr.ee in our bio.

📷 2025 recipient @megan.eleanor.graham
#matchMAKER opportunity!

Ceramic Decorator Apprentice 

Location: Stoke-on-Trent 

Local heritage ceramics manufacturer, Middleport Pottery, is seeking a ceramic decorator apprentice to join their team in Stoke-on-Trent.

What you will do:

-Pad Printing – decorating plates and bowls from an engraved design using a printing machine
-Colour mixing – preparing decorating colours for application.
-Lithography – application of printed water slides to glazed ceramics.
-Tissue Decorating – decorating holloware shapes with Burleigh’s world famous technique.
-Assist in maintaining a healthy, safe and secure working environment and act in accordance with the company policies and procedure.
-Undertake any other work required by management which is commensurate with the responsibility of the post.
-Training/knowledge will be given in associated production areas to ensure a knowledge of any up/down stream processes are fully understood.

Middleport pottery is the home of Burleigh Pottery.

Find out 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.
Find out more about our funding and awards

When: 20 January and 7 April 

We are providing training bursaries, Endangered Crafts Fund grants and awards in 2026. To find out more and to ask questions about the opportunities on offer, please do consider coming along to one of our two Q&A sessions on Zoom.

Visit the linktr.ee in our bio to register for the session on Tuesday 20 January at 4pm or Tuesday 7 April at 6pm.

📷 @fashionnatascha from @costume_society and 2025 Fashion Textile Maker of the Year @rachelfrosthatter