The skills
THE NATIONAL CHARITY for Heritage Crafts
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Heritage Crafts was set up just fourteen years ago. Since then it has gone from strength to strength, advocating at the highest levels for crafts, publishing the Red List of Endangered Crafts, and distributing 66 grants through the Endangered Crafts Fund. We have awarded 30 training bursaries, established the Heritage Crafts Awards and shone a spotlight on our world-renowned makers through 30 National Honours successes.
Many more people are now aware of traditional crafts and the objects produced by those who carry in their hands, heads, and also hearts the skills and techniques that have been passed down through the generations.
To continue this work we need your support. Please consider making a donation, however big or small, to help ensure that heritage craft skills in the UK are given the opportunity to thrive.
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#matchMAKER opportunity!
Weaver
Location: Elgin, Scotland
Deadline: 29 April 2026
Founded in 1797, Johnstons of Elgin is a luxury clothing brand celebrating 225 years of experience working with the world’s finest fibres. Across three centuries, the family-owned company has carefully sourced cashmere and fine woollen fibres from around the world, applying the latest technology and highest quality craft expertise in their very own vertical Scottish mills.
They are currently recruiting a Weaver to join their busy and growing weaving department. As a Weaver, you will be operating a set of looms efficiently, as well as repairing any broken warp and weft threads. You will be responsible for monitoring the looms for any weaving defects, evenness of colour or patterns and reporting any defects to our technicians. You will also ensure that weft creels are replenished with yarn, maintain product quality standards and work with attention to detail, you will nonetheless aim to achieve the required output levels to meet their production plan. There are some manual handing tasks and heavy lifting will be required.
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.
In today’s Times, ‘London’s historic sites face ruin as specialist skills dwindle’.
“We are seeing critical gaps in heritage and craft skills and this is naturally imperilling London’s historic buildings,” says Neal Shasore, a Trustee at the Architectural Heritage Fund … “Over 2026 there is an anticipated £6 billion worth of construction works on pre-1919 buildings in London… Meanwhile, 16 per cent of heritage organisations surveyed within London reported workforce skills gaps, with an additional 31 per cent reporting skills shortages.”
https://www.thetimes.com/article/527416e1-beab-4ab2-b246-493de0c5860d (subscription required)
Photo: Grace Impesi, stonemason, by James Glossop
This week’s #MondayMaker is Nigel Armitage @armitageleather , a leatherworker using box, tub and saddle stitching in the traditional and modern styles. He is also a designer and educator.
Nigel has 30 years’ of experience in the industry, and has built a strong reputation as a maker of quality bespoke goods. He maintains the ethos that quality matters.
His items are completely handmade, using traditional and timeless techniques. He runs courses for absolute beginners to adept and advanced leatherworkers, including many other teachers – in the UK and abroad.
Nigel believes that sharing his knowledge is crucial to ensuring that the old skills are not lost and the craft is kept alive.
He has published two leather working books, ‘Leathercraft’ and ‘Belts’, and is currently planning a third. He has also produced a large number of instructional online videos to help budding leatherworkers, which can be found on his website and on YouTube.
Read more about his work on the Makers Directory at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/maker/nigelarmitage/
#craft #leathercraft #heritagecrafts
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Blacksmithing Craft Fellow
Location: Balfron, Glasgow
Historic Environment Scotland’s @histenvscot Craft Fellowship programme offers hands-on experience in traditional skills and building conservation, enabling you to work on live projects, expand your knowledge and build a professional network. As a Craft Fellow, you will receive expert mentorship, group training, and support for your continuous professional development goals, combining practical work with learning from industry experts.
You will be based at Two Ravens Forge @two_ravens_forge where you will receive mentoring, training and experience in blacksmithing, traditional metal forging techniques and modern metal work technology.
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.
It was a delight to hear from @jessica_light_, the ‘Tassel Queen of Bethnal Green’ and London’s last working passementerie weaver and maker. 🧵
We recorded the talk and you can find in the ‘In Conversation’ section of our website (under ‘The Makers’), where you can find a whole library of great talks.
Jessica is one of the last of a long line of passementeriers to be trained within what is now an extinct London industry. She is known for making innovative, design-led passementerie that is hand-woven and hand-made to order in her East London workshop using techniques dating back to the 16th century.
Jessica considers all the elements, from colour to material to concept, to create unique collections of tassels, trims, tiebacks, rosettes and one-off bespoke pieces.
She uses these historic skills, like a potter using throwing techniques, as a means to create original passementerie designs that go beyond the traditions of perceived passementerie and look to the future.
🔗 https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/in-conversation/
⏰ 1 hour in length
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Trainee Multiskilled Cloth Production Operative
Location: Guiseley, Leeds
Abraham Moon & Sons @abrahammoonsons is an international brand with a long-standing reputation for innovation, design and premium quality – producing authentic, woollen fabrics and accessories for leading fashion brands and interior designers worldwide.
The company is looking for an enthusiastic Trainee Multiskilled Cloth Production Operative to join its team. You’ll work alongside experienced weavers, twisters and tuners, learning all of these technical crafts while completing the in house training program. The role plays a key role in preserving Abraham Moon & Sons’ craftsmanship and heritage while building the foundations of a skilled career.
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.
The Wales Members meet up was wonderful!
Co-ordinated by volunteer Gavin Davidson @mrgdfd and hosted by Gill Jones at her @RuralSkillsCentre in South Wales, Heritage Crafts Members had the opportunity to meet, eat cake and share their crafts with each other.
The importance of these sorts of socials is invaluable, and we are certain that everyone who attended gained something from the day. There is something special about meeting other people who care about the same things you do.
If you would like to support heritage crafts or join in on an event, consider becoming a member.
Here are the wonderful members that we got to meet:
James Ashwell of @Mottes_Pots who is a clay pipe maker who completed a Heritage Crafts funded residency with the @ironbridgegnt Trust in 2024.
Paul Morgan who was the former King’s Assay Master.
@IsabellaOssett a bursary recipient, who is doing an apprenticeship with master @goldpolisher for polishing.
@SamanthaJonesQuilts who is a recipient of the @jw_anderson bursary for quilt making in the frame.
@MandyNash, who is a jewellery and textile designer who has a love of British wool and felting.
@little_robin_red who has been working with and teaching the heritage craft of strawcraft and is working to gain more recognition for Welsh heritage crafts.
@scarecrowcottage crafts original and unique art dolls as objects of power and interpretations of cultural influences. She uses dollmaking as a form of craftivism and is interested in the ancient and historical use of effigies and elementals.
Thank you so much to @ruralcraftscenter for hosting us and providing delicious food and cake and thank you to our volunteer Gavin for your support in organising this.
Thank you to the Heritage Crafts team who spent the day with us and specifically @elizabeth.bizz.fretty, our membership manager who shared her last day with us on Friday.
#wales #heritagecraft #livingheritage
This week’s #mondaymaker is Ruth Osborne @ruthosborne_art.
Ruth is a Northern Irish textile artist and print maker based in rural County Down. Her work is linked to place, seasonal transitions and heritage.
She uses a range of printmaking processes – particularly the historic process of nature printing, and the heritage crafts of natural dyeing and ink making – to create original artworks on Irish linen.
View Ruth’s full profile on our Makers’ Directory: https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/maker/ruthosborne/
#craft #printing #naturaldyes #heritagecrafts
