Red List Comment Submission

Commenting on: Illumination

Section one - About you

Section two - Description of the craft

If you are commenting on an existing craft, please select it here and skip the next two questions

Please enter the name of the craft you would like us to add here.

If this is a new craft type please select the most suitable category

Please identify country, region, county or town

Please identify country, region, county or town

Please identify an era/century/approximate historic period.

Heritage Crafts uses a system of four categories of risk to assess the viability of heritage crafts. A heritage craft is considered to be viable if there are sufficient craftspeople to transmit the craft skills to the next generation. For more information on definitions see http://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/categories-of-risk/

Section three - Current numbers of those practising the craft in the UK

People earning their main craft income from this craft (selling, commissions, conservation/ restoration and/or teaching).

People practicing this craft commercially (selling, commissions, conservation/restoration and/or teaching) but as less than half of their income.

People acquiring skills in order to become a professional in this craft, they probably have to work under supervision even if they are earning money while training.

People whose knowledge and ability is at a level of the most skilled practitioners of this craft.

People who do not intend to practice this craft professionally or at the highest level.

Section four - Issues affecting the viability of the craft

Existing content:
  • Market issues: Demand for traditional illumination work is low: very few commissions insist on strictly traditional methods, so often illuminated work is carried out using more modern techniques and materials.
  • Skills issues: There are very few people who have the knowledge and expertise to gild in a traditional way as in mediæval manuscripts, replicating the craft processes, and the cost of doing so hinders those who may wish to learn (gold is expensive, and the tools and other materials are not cheap either), and also those who want to commission.
  • Cost of materials and training: Illumination is expensive to do and so even going on a course requires a degree of financial outlay.
  • Sourcing raw materials: Preparing traditional paints from scratch is time-consuming and often challenging, and demand for work created using these materials is low.
  • Skills issues: As well, authentic tradition-based work requires the practitioner to have considerable understanding of the history and uses of pigments over historical time, how they work with one another, etc, which is highly specialised knowledge that takes time and study to acquire: and again in this case, demand for the use of traditional materials is low as most commissions are adequately fulfilled by using modern commercial materials.
  • Training and recruitment issues: There are no full-time courses being taught; there are a few part-time courses (in the south east) and unquantifiable occasional workshops.
  • Ageing practitioners: Most practitioners are in their mature years and there is no systematic approach to passing skills to young potential craftspeople

e.g. lack of qualifications, funding for training etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. lack of demand for products/skills etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

Tick the box if there are difficulties with the supply of raw materials, allied materials or tools

If yes, please describe the issues below

i.e. issues around running any small business, not just crafts

If yes, please describe the issues below

Is the main workforce made up of people who are approaching retirement age?

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. legal restrictions on materials, health and safety etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. Brexit, Covid-19, conflict

If yes, please describe the issues below

Please describe any other issues

Section five - Current Initiatives to preserve craft skills

Please describe any UK projects or schemes

Section six - Main players in the craft – please tell us who you know about

Please list any known practitioners of this craft — add a row item for each person or business and complete the fields to the best of your knowledge. To get started click the `Add practitioner` button below.

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Section seven - Optional additional information

It may include when and where the craft developed, how it has changed over time, etc.

e.g. festivals, religious celebrations, agricultural practices, music, dance etc.

e.g. religious, ethnic, social class. Please give an overview of the techniques involved in the craft.

This may involve different materials, techniques, styles or finished products.

e.g. books, websites etc.