A voice for craft

At our recent Heritage Crafts Awards Winners’ Reception at @wentworth_woodhouse, bursary recipient Aminat Seriki @s.i.l.e.nt.t gave this wonderful speech about the difference her bursary had made.

“Whilst at university, I realised that I wanted to be a craftsperson through the emphasis I placed on textile materiality and craftsmanship in my design projects. Although my passion for machine knitting wasn’t directly connected to my Fashion Design with Marketing degree at Central Saint Martins, I discovered that I enjoyed the endless possibilities knitwear offered and the technical problem solving involved. I found real satisfaction in working from scratch with yarn rather than starting with woven fabric.

“One of my biggest obstacles was the financial barrier as the cost of specialist training and equipment made it difficult to progress. I had reached the limits of what I could achieve through self-directed learning from online forums and YouTube. I was no longer progressing due to gaps in my technical knowledge and lack of confidence to develop my ideas into fully realised garments.

“Receiving the bursary has truly changed the course of my knitwear journey. It has provided me with the one-on-one guidance I have long needed. It gave me time to immerse myself fully in experimentation and to learn from my mistakes. It opened doors to new training such as knitwear programming that I wouldn’t have had access to and introduced me to a community of machine knitters who have supported my development. More than anything, it showed me that others believe in my craft and my potential, and that has meant more than I can say.”

Aminat’s bursary was funded by the Capri Holdings Foundation for the Advancement of Diversity in Fashion.

This week’s #mondaymaker is Kate Doig @firewolfglass, a stained glass artist.

Kate creates painted glass art pieces as well as taking occasional commissions. She also repairs and restores old leaded panels, and offers a full re-leading service from her studio in Somerset. Kate began studying the basics of leaded stained glass alongside metal work and forging in 2000. She refined her glass studies at the Bristol School of Art in 2004, learning the art of glass fusing, silk screening, acid etching, sandblasting and various techniques using glass paints and stains.

Kate now enjoys teaching the craft and has been running regular workshops from her studio in Somerset, as well as occasionally teaching in external venues, for the last fifteen years.

View Kate’s full profile on our maker’s directory: https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/maker/katedoig/

#heritagecrafts #mondaymaker #stainedglass

Over 36 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Molly Richards @mol.bags, from Leeds, is a self-taught bag maker who uses reclaimed materials. Her bursary will fund a tailored training programme in London, including a masterclass and one-to-one sessions at @the_london_leather_workshop, to help her develop her skills in leathercraft, design and business.

Molly’s bursary is supported by Malcolm and Rosalind Gammie.

Molly said: “Receiving this training bursary from Heritage Crafts means I can take an exciting step with my bag-making practice into learning a new material and way of working!”

Over 36 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Erik Warner, from Birmingham, has done various short courses in tailoring. As well as a couture collection focusing on sustainability, he would also like to act as a role model and inspiration for young people. His bursary will fund one-to-one training with tailor @jojoremeny.

Erik’s bursary is supported by the Capri Holdings Foundation for the Advancement of Diversity in Fashion

Erik said: “Receiving the Heritage Crafts bursary will not only galvanise and broaden my skills in traditional tailoring and fashion but give me the confidence to pursue my ambitions and goals. At the same time, it will allow me to explore sustainable practices that honour both craft and conscience…..rooted in heritage, avant-garde creativity and responsibility.”

At the recent Heritage Crafts Awards Winners’ Reception at @wentworth_woodhouse we took the opportunity to celebrate 23 of our 50 training bursary recipients from this year, all of whom are acquiring the key hand skills they need to have a successful and fulfilling craft career.

Image 1:
• Reianna Shakil @studiozrx, furniture maker
• Zein Harfouch @zeinhh.design, furniture maker
• Emily Salinas @emilysalinas_, signwriter
Supported by the @cityandguildsfoundation

Image 2:
• Winta Afewerki @winta_a_, tailor
• Leah Jennings @threadsoflobo, weaver
• Kuljit Jandoo @_sparklesandcraft, jewellery maker
• Angel Nkomo @Iamangelnkomo, fashion textile maker
• Aminat Seriki @s.i.l.e.nt.t, machine knitter
Supported by the Capri Holdings Foundation for the Advancement of Diversity in Fashion

Image 3:
• Michelle Wong @mwmakes, leatherworker
• Rob Price @oldnorthnature, shoe maker
• Emily Perigaud @wildstyledogs, saddler
• Johnette Taylor @netteleathergoods, leatherworker
• Eleni Kai @elenikai, shoe maker
Supported by @theleathersellers, the British Leather Industry Development Trust and @worshipfulcordwainers

Image 4:
• William Appleby @willapplebysilversmith, silver spinner
• Annie Higgins @annie_higs, silversmith
• Rebecca Oldfield @rebeccaoldfieldjewellery, silversmith
Supported by @royalmintuk

Image 5:
• Clare Sikorsa @rm07_studio, tailor
• Rachel Spence @rachel.luthier, luthier
• Freya Bletsoe @@isabellaossett, polisher
• Kerrie Hanna @kerriehanna, stained glass artist
Supported by the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, the Angelicat Trust, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund

Image 6:
• Jenni Bangs @thistlesandtimber, boatbuilder
Supported by the William Grant Foundation

Image 7:
• Lesley Romano, calligrapher and illuminator
Supported by @ssi_uk

Image 8:
• Phoebe Harris @phonservation, timber frame conservator
Supported by the @sussexheritagetrust