Opportunities

Over 20 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Libbie Watson @lwatson_design, from Kent, began her leathercraft journey in 2017 as a creative outlet during a period of long-term illness. Her bursary will fund a series of structured training modules, including a five-day pattern-cutting course at @handsoftym and ten days of one-to-one bag-making tuition at @the_london_leather_workshop.

Libbie’s bursary is supported by @theleathersellers.

Libbie said: “I’m delighted to have been awarded a Heritage Crafts bursary funded by The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers. Securing this funding is a meaningful step in my journey as a largely self‑taught leatherworker. It allows me to invest in specialist training I wouldn’t ordinarily have access to, while connecting me to a wider craft community full of support, encouragement, connections and new opportunities.

“This recognition means a great deal and will help me continue developing my practice with the confidence and knowledge to build a sustainable heritage craft business while keeping traditional skills alive. I can’t wait to get started and I’m excited to see where this opportunity takes me.”

📷 @mistereb

Over 20 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Theo de Búrca @deburcastonework, from County Down, is a self-employed stonemason and contractor for the National Trust and the Mourne Heritage Trust who transitioned from upland conservation into full-time stonework in 2022. His bursary will fund the first two residential modules of a Professional Development Diploma in Building Conservation at @westdeancollege in Sussex.

Theo’s bursary is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the All Ireland Heritage Skills Programme.

Theo said: “This funding will start me on the journey to complete the Professional Development Diploma in Historic Building Conservation and Repair. As a self-taught conservation stonemason, this will help me network and and gain skills I would not have the chance to learn on my own job sites.”

Over 20 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Katy Warriner @warriner.leather, from Devon, is a mid-career leatherworker who has spent a decade working as a leather prop maker for the film and television industry. Her bursary will fund intensive one-to-one training with specialist makers John Macdonald and Francis Roche @windsor_and_henley_bridles, allowing her to pivot to the endangered disciplines of traditional collar making, wooden tree construction and fine harness work.

Katy’s bursary is supported by the @saddlerscompany.saddlershall.

Katy said: “Heritage crafts are not just about keeping traditions alive; they are about mastering skills that keep our hands working, our minds alive and our communities connected. None of us work alone. Harness makers rely on the tanners, the blacksmiths, the loriners, the coppicers, the carriage drivers, the tool makers – we are all interwoven, intertwined and interdependent within a living chain of knowledge, materials, wisdom and tradition. This support allows me to become part of that living chain of craft and contribute to the future of British leatherwork and harness making.”

Mark Romain MBE, from the Saddlery Training Centre, said: “Katy Warriner has attended courses regularly at my centre since around 2020 achieving several City&Guilds qualifications in bridle, saddle and harness making. Since completing her training with me, Katy has developed a passion for harness making. She is extremely driven and has achieved a high level of skill and knowledge and is in a good position to work and learn from two of the best harness makers in the UK. I know that Katy will make the very best of this unique opportunity.”

📷 @paulreadphoto

Over 20 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Olive Shaw @oliveshoemaker3, from Northampton, works as a trainee bespoke shoemaker and assistant at @gazianogirling and previously served as a course leader for footwear manufacturing apprenticeships. Her bursary will fund eight intensive sessions of one-to-one training in traditional wooden last making with @bespokeshoes_the_elek, alongside essential materials, tools and travel.

Olive’s bursary is supported by the @worshipfulcordwainers.

Olive said: “Receiving this funding from Heritage Crafts and the Cordwainers’ Company is an important step for me as I work towards becoming a bespoke shoemaker. As the first female shoemaker at Gaziano & Girling, I’m committed to developing my skills and helping to broaden representation within the craft. Training with a master shoemaker in bespoke last making will help me develop a fundamental skill at the heart of true bespoke shoemaking.”

Andrew Peal, @masterofthecordwainers, said: “The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers is delighted that Olive and Ella are to receive the 2026 shoemaking bursaries. It is incredibly important to the Company that we promote and support the craft of shoemaking so that it continues not only as a heritage craft but also as an important business sector in the UK. We are pleased that we can assist Olive and Ella in the development of their skills which will benefit their shoemaking careers and the UK’s footwear industry.”

Over 20 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

@katefossey, from Belfast, is a signwriter and full-time student on the All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme with a background in politics, community work and art facilitation. Her bursary will fund intensive one-to-one training with @moore_letters in Belfast, focusing on water and surface gilding and hand-lettering styles.

Kate’s bursary is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the All Ireland Heritage Skills Programme.

Kate said: “Securing this support from Heritage Crafts means a lot to me. Being given the opportunity to undergo specialised heritage craft training, and take time and space just to learn is wonderful.”