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
Craft inspiration direct to your inbox
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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.
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Upholstery assistant
Deadline: 15 December 2025
Location: South West
Atlas Contract Furniture Ltd designs and manufactures quality, bespoke and long-lasting contract furniture for the hospitality, leisure and Marine industry across the UK, in Europe and beyond. As part of the Upholstery team, you will be joining a dedicated group of skilled individuals who take pride in their work and ensure quality at all points of the process. You will assist in producing consistently superior quality furniture to client expectations and in line with company procedures and practices.
Core responsibilities:
-Accurate fitting of springs, foam, hessian as per handovers ensuring exacting standards, and that Company processes and procedures are always adhered to.
-Organising own work in line with production schedules, ensuring seating is always produced on time, whilst maintaining high quality standards.
Visit #matchMAKER via the linktr.ee in our bio to find out more.
Join Heritage Crafts in conversation with experimental archaeologist and heritage educator @sallypointer on Zoom on Tuesday 27 January, 7pm.
Sally Pointer is an award-winning experimental archaeologist and heritage educator who specialises in tracing craft techniques from their earliest origins to the present day. Her work bridges research and hands-on practice, exploring how ancient skills and materials can be understood through making.
Sally teaches widely — through in-person workshops, her books, online courses, and a popular YouTube channel — sharing her passion for traditional crafts and archaeological reconstruction with audiences around the world.
When not teaching, she is often to be found hedge-bothering (her term for exploring natural landscapes in search of inspiration and materials). Sally is also an Honorary Associate Research Fellow in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Exeter, where she continues to combine creative practice with academic research.
The session will take place on Zoom and attendees must register in advance via the linktr.ee in our bio. Attendees will also have the opportunity to submit questions in advance.
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
Over 36 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.
Scott Macfarlane, from the Scottish Highlands, served for 15 years in the Royal Air Force and the British Army. He seeks to train in the critically endangered craft of sporran making, complementing his wife’s kiltmaking business. His bursary will fund training with leatherworker @armitageleather to get a well-rounded foundation in the craft.
Scott’s bursary is funded by the @armybenevolentfund.
Scott said: “I am delighted to have received funding to train in sporran making. This support not only allows me to develop my skills but also gives me the opportunity to begin turning my passion for craft and Scotland into something more sustainable.”
