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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In case you missed Craftland author, Dr @jamesfox283 wonderful speech at the Living Legacies exhibition at @theleathersellers Hall during @londoncraftweek, he’ll be joining @heritagecrafts in the Marquee of Endangered Crafts at @craftfestival in Bovey Tracey on Saturday 13 June at 11.30am.
James is a huge supporter of the work we do and we’re looking forward to welcoming him back. He argues that to keep that Red List updated, to keep the bursaries flowing and to keep the advocacy alive Heritage Crafts need our support. So come along, watch live demonstrations, listen to makers and celebrate craft!
Tickets to the Festival available at https://craftfestival.co.uk, but once you are in all our talks and demonstrations are free to attend.
#craftfestival #heritagecrafts #craftland
Live demonstrations of endangered crafts, talks and more at @craftfestival with @heritagecrafts, in the Marquee of Endangered Crafts at Bovey Tracey.
Witness live demonstrations from:
✨Ed Griffiths and Sarah Spicer (@dartmoorshoemakers – shoe making
✨@zoegilbertson and @sophie_scanlon of LIFLAD, flax processing
✨Simon Nobs of @sthcoaststudio – woodgraining and marbling
✨ @nick_hand from the Department of Small works – letterpress
✨James Ashwell from @mottes_pots – clay pipe making
@stephs.midnight.flit – wagon painting
Talks Friday:
✨10.30am – @mashbonigala from the @theenglandarchive
✨ 11.30pm – @amy.goodwin.signwriter, fairground artist in conversation
✨2pm – @wheelwrightgreg and @wheelwright.sam – wheelwrights in conversation
✨ 3pm – @bramblecarpentry interviews @lacebynicholas – lacemaker
Talks Saturday:
✨ 10.30am – Sarah Liscoe, sail maker, in conversation
✨ 11.30pm – @jamesfox283 , author of ‘Craftland’
✨ 2pm – Elizabeth Jarvis interviews @johnwilliamson.dartmoor, Devon stave basket maker.
✨ 3pm – @katestrasdin author of ‘Dressing the Queen – 200 years of Making and Monarchy’
Talks Sunday:
✨ 10.30am – @thistlemetimbers and Harri Emery – boatbuilders in conversation
✨ 11.30am – @papilionaceouspuresilk – ribbon maker in conversation
✨ 2pm – @sarahvigarsart – marionette maker – talk and performance
Join us from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 June
#craftfestival #boveytracey #heritagecrafts #endangeredcrafts
🏴 Just over two weeks left to apply for one of three training bursaries of up to £4,000 for heritage crafts trainees in Wales who require financial support to gain the hand skills they need to set themselves on a path to success, supported by the Ashley Family Foundation.
Bursaries are also currently open for applicants across the UK.
➡️ Apply now via the linktr.ee in our bio or directly at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/opportunities/training-bursaries/
📅 Deadline: 5pm, Friday 12 June.
📷 2024 recipient Lily Thomas
Less than three weeks left to apply for one of three heritage crafts training bursaries of up to £4,000 for former British military personnel whose talent might otherwise be lost to the sector due to the high costs of training and other barriers.
The bursaries are supported by the Royal British Legion, recognising the need for gainful employment utilising a range of practical skills gained through military service, along with the mental wellbeing benefits of such employment.
Applicants are invited to propose training that is tailored to their needs, whether institution-based courses or one-to-one workplace-based training, accredited or non-accredited.
Other bursaries are also currently open for application.
➡️ Apply now via the linktr.ee in our bio or directly at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/opportunities/training-bursaries/
📅 Deadline: 5pm, Friday 12 June.
📷 2025 recipient Harry Walkeden
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Craft Apprenticeships (x2)
Deadline: 30 June 2026
Location: Tottenham Hale, London
@coxlondon is an art-forward studio crafting furniture, lighting and objects driven by a shared reverence for beauty and nature. By nurturing creativity, fostering curiosity and cultivating empathy, they seek to inspire a future where artistry enriches lives, always pushing the confines of what’s perceived to be possible further and further.
These two apprenticeships are three-year, full-time placements where you earn as you learn. In your foundation year, you will get a 360-degree view of Cox London and Guild Bespoke Metalworks, with hands-on training from warehouse and production to commercial sales and finance, alongside learning ancient crafts. You will also benefit from a Level 3 Diploma in Craft Skills for Creative Industries, awarded by City & Guilds.
At the end of the first year, you will choose one area to specialise in during years two and three. Combining on-the-job, hands-on training with studying, you will engage with mentors, managers, and a close-knit community daily, who will support your journey and provide the guidance and insight you need to thrive.
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.
📷 @mollybrennanart
Less than three weeks left to apply for one of ten training bursaries of up to £4,000 for Black and ethnically diverse trainees in fashion, accessory and jewellery crafts – for those whose talent might otherwise be lost to the fashion sector due to the high costs of training and other barriers.
The bursaries are offered in partnership with the Capri Holdings Foundation for the Advancement of Diversity in Fashion, and highlight a growing imbalance in the fashion sector, where design-focused roles often overshadow the more foundational hand skills (such as pattern cutting, sewing and garment construction) that underpin luxury craftsmanship.
Applicants are invited to propose training that is tailored to their needs, whether institution-based courses or one-to-one workplace-based training, accredited or non-accredited. Successful candidates will receive funding to cover training costs, mentorship opportunities and access to industry networks.
Other bursaries are also currently open for application.
➡️ Apply now via the linktr.ee in our bio or directly at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/opportunities/training-bursaries/
📅 Deadline: 5pm, Friday 12 June.
📷 2025 recipient Aminat Seriki @s.i.l.e.nt.t by Aisha Seriki
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Trainee Curtain and Blind Maker
Location: Berkeley, Gloucestershire
The Boys Who Sew provide premium soft furnishing services to some of Britain’s best interior designers. They offer an end-to-end experience, which includes measuring, making, and installing, and including curtains, blinds, cushions, tracks and poles and upholstery. They sew for some of the finest public and private properties throughout the land.
The Boys Who Sew are seeking a Trainee Curtain & Blind Maker to join their growing team of soft furnishers at their workroom set in the beautiful Granary in Berkeley Castle Estate in Gloucestershire. The successful candidate will be assisting Curtain Makers with hand-sewing high-end soft furnishings.
Training will be provided. You should have good hand-eye coordination, a solid work ethic, an ability to maintain consistent standards, high levels of attention to detail and a pride in making things.
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.
“Beyond the Algorithm” a provoking panel hosted by @theforgespace for @londoncraftweek. @heritagecrafts Head of Craft Sustainability, Mary Lewis (@maryeluned_craft), spoke alongside, chair @rachaeltaylorgram (Journalist & author), tf_chan (Director of @collectartfair), @karinpaynter (craft strategist and advocate) and @rajeshgognasilver (silversmith and design academic, De Montfort University).
What happens to the value of handmade work, when more and more can be generated, rendered and simulated? As AI and digital culture continues to reshape how we see, make, buy and value things, this is a question every designer, maker, craft-led business, enthusiast and buyer should be thinking about.
The panellists explored why real space, real skill and real presence may matter more, not less, in this moment.
Thank you so much to @theforgespace for hosting us we had a wonderful time contributing to this discussion.
#londoncraftweek #algorithm #craft #heritagecrafts
