HCA/NADFAS grant to support an apprentice or trainee

HCA is delighted to announce this new award made by NADFAS for a joint training bursary. Initially this will be for one year. More details and applications to be announced later.

The National Craft Skills Awards were announced by John Hayes, Skills Minister, on 29th February 2012. The aim of the awards scheme is to raise the craft sector's ownership of, and involvement in, the teaching and learning of craft skills.

The Heritage Crafts Association's first forum for traditional craftspeople took place at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London on Tuesday 23 March 2010.

• HCA forum summary report
• Professor Ewan Clayton's keynote speech
• List of delegates>

The over-subscribed forum was the first chance for those involved with heritage crafts – practitioners and associations alike – to be able to come together and consider the current situation, share problems, and suggest solutions and ways forward.

Craftspeople as diverse as blacksmiths, hand engravers, straw workers, watch and clock makers, stained glass artists, calligraphers, thatchers, wood turners and many more heard first why it is crucial to stand up and be counted for heritage crafts.

Chair of HCA, Robin Wood, explained that heritage artifacts are usually preserved well for people to see in museums and galleries. Innovative and contemporary crafts are looked after and promoted by the Crafts Council. And the heritage building crafts are supported by English Heritage and the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment. But the crafts that go into the buildings, the skills required to make those craft items, which include furniture making, upholstery, picture framing, basket making, bowl turning, book binding – and so many more – have no overall organisation to support, promote and speak up for them.

Professor Ewan Clayton gave the keynote speech. His wide-ranging and inspirational talk gave delegates much food for thought, and with his interest and connections with Japan, he was able to explain how in some ways things are far better there for craft, but in other ways, mechanisation has caused craft skills to be lost. Click here to read a transcript of Professor Clayton's talk.

The group discussions all agreed that heritage crafts were not only important but crucial to our understanding of who we are and where we came from. As Patricia Lovett, HCA Vice-Chair, quoted in her welcome during the afternoon launch session: "Crafts make us feel rooted, they give us a sense of belonging, and they connect us to our history" (Phyllis George).

The recent HCA survey showed that a majority of those working in the heritage crafts sector were concerned that their craft was in decline, and that there were fewer coming in to learn the skills and techniques to produce craftworks.

The suggestions of what could be done to remedy this were, like the craftspeople themselves, many, varied and innovative (the full report can be viewed here).
 

Press launch event

There were demonstrations of crafts at the beginning of the afternoon HCA Launch. Owen Jones showed his swill basket making, Samantha Marsden was hand engraving a beautiful silver bowl, Cliff Denton and Eric Stones brought their work bench and equipment from Sheffield and showed how hand-made scissors were put together, Janet Mehigan demonstrated her marvellous calligraphy, and Andrea and Phebe Virgo were quilt making (linking up with the Quilts exhibition at the V&A), showing in a clear way how craft skills are passed down through the generations, and they also had on display the St George's quilt, made by the children themselves at a school in a deprived area of Peckham.

The HCA was delighted by an attendance of over fifty, including a number of peers, MPs, heads of various organisations and institutions such as the Crafts Council, NADFAS, CCS, SPAB, English Heritage, craft guilds and societies, as well as journalists from the press and from different craft and design magazines.

Robin explained to them how crucial it is to act now. Owen Jones, one of our demonstrators, is the last swill basket maker, Trevor Ablett is one of the few remaining folding knife makers. When they retire, their skills will be lost forever.

In December 2009, the HCA posted a survey for traditional craftspeople. It was publicised specifically to craftspeople who had already shown support for the HCA, as well as more publicly on the HCA website and other websites. The survey had 206 respondents.

Click here to view a summary of the report (PDF, 29kb). For a full transcript of the responses, please contact us

This word cloud shows the most common words in all of the responses to the survey (the larger the word the more often it occurred):

None of the research publications listed below deal directly with the full range of traditional crafts skills in the UK. The HCA hopes to see some serious research into the subject to supplement the wealth of anecdotal evidence.

• The Craft Blueprint: a workforce development plan for craft in the UK (Creative & Cultural Skills, 2009)
• Crafts in the English Countryside: towards a future, edited by Professor EJT Collins (The Countryside Agency, 2005)
• Intangible Cultural Heritage in Scotland: the way forward (Napier University, 2008) 
  - and the ongoing follow-up project with AHRB funding
• Scotland's Crafts, by Louise Butler (NMSE Publishing Ltd, 2000)
• Sustaining Our Living Heritage (Heritage Lottery Fund, 2000)
• Glorious Obsession: Scottish Indigenous Crafts Today (Scottish Arts Council, 2000)
• The availability of traditional materials and professional and craft skills (Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland, 2006)
• Traditional Building Craft Skills: Skills Needs Analysis of the Built Heritage Sector in England (National Heritage Training Group, 2008)
• Traditional Building Craft Skills: Skills Needs Analysis of the Built Heritage Sector in Scotland (National Heritage Training Group, 2007)
• Traditional Building Craft Skills: Skills Needs Analysis of the Built Heritage Sector in Wales (National Heritage Training Group, 2007)
• Traditional Building Craft Skills: Skills Needs Analysis of the Built Heritage Sector in Ireland (National Heritage Training Group, 2009)
• Built Heritage Sector Professionals: Skills Needs Analysis of the UK Built Heritage Sector (National Heritage Training Group, 2008)
• A Survey of Building Contractors' Views on Traditional Building Craft Skills in the West Midlands (National Heritage Training Group, 2008)
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador

November 2011

• HCA organise the first meeting of the Skills working group to take forward ideas and issues raised at the Skills Forum held earlier this year.
• HCA become a partner for the Cockpit Arts/NADFAS Award, to be implemented in 2012.

October 2011

• Greta Bertram represents HCA at World Skills event, London.
• Following lobbying from HCA, Creative and Cultural Skills initiate crafts mapping project, that will include traditional crafts.

September 2011

• First enewsletter for HCA Friends is published. Membership now at 250.

August 2011

• Applications open for the first ever Marsh Awards for Heritage Crafts.

July 2011

• HCA exhibit at pretigious craft event 'Art in Action' and HCA Chair, Robin Wood is invited to give a talk.

June 2011

• Complete Councils Survey Report by HCA Trustee, Greta Bertram, is published. 

May 2011

• HCA host a Skills Forum in London. Over 100 craftspeople and organisations came to discuss how craft skills can best be passed onto the next generation. Event kindly sponsored by The Balvenie. 

March 2011

• HCA Spring Conference with Professor Tanya Harrod, Alex Langlands of the BBC Edwardian Farm programme, and makers at the V&A.
• We have also had meetings and/or detailed talks with over seventy craft associations, and are currently following up as many others of the rest that we can contact.

January/February 2011

• Meeting with Skills Minister John Hayes.
• Meeting with significant leaders in the world of heritage and craft, organised by Lord Cormack.

November 2010

• Meeting with Caroline Felton, CEO, Creative & Cultural Skills.
• Meeting with John Edwards, English Heritage lead on skills.
• Meeting with Andrew Sich, Head of Policy & Corporate Affairs, City and Guilds.
• Meeting with John Taylor, Livery Company Skills Council.
• Meeting with John Penrose, Minister for Tourism and Heritage. Mr Penrose issues statement recognising crafts as 'valuable parts of our heritage'.
• Appointed first Administrator Sally Dodson, funded by the Headley Trust.
• Sheffield Metal Trade Audit meeting to agree scope and staff appointed.

August 2010

• Patricia Lovett represents HCA on the CCS committee formed to take the Crafts NOS to the next stage.
• Robin Wood meets with Sheffield City Council to initiate survey into metal trade skills.
• Robin Wood speaks at Carpenters Fellowship annual Frame event.

July 2010

• Robin Wood represents HCA at the Norfolk Show.
• Meeting with Sir Patrick Cormack.
• Unofficial meeting with Theresa May, Home Secretary, with follow-up information sent.
• Awarded £15,000 for two years from the Headley Trust for an administrator.
• Frank Hassard gives HCA presentation: Intangible Heritage - ideas, challenges, opportunities to heritage and culture conference with representatives from the Cameroons, UK, Saudi Arabia, USA and Estonia, to emphasise the importance of heritage craft to the new global ecology – for both human and environmental concerns.
• Robin Wood attends round table meeting organised by Radcliffe Trust to look at heritage and craft issues.

June 2010

• HCA at the Open Day at the Museum of English Rural Life with many of the committee demonstrating and talking to visitors.
• Robin Wood represents HCA at Glastonbury.
• Patricia Lovett gives HCA presentation at CCS Crafts Blueprint 'One Year On' conference.

May 2010

• Launch of map of craftspeople on the HCA website.

April 2010

• Follow-up leaflets and information sent to those attending the launch and forum, and other interested parties.
• HCA helps the last sieve and riddle maker find a successor, saving the craft from extinction.

March 2010

• The first forum of heritage craftspeople, keynote speech by Professor Ewan Clayton, and discussion groups, with results on the HCA website held at the V&A.
• Launch of HCA, with Phil Harding, TV presenter and flint knapper, at the V&A.
• Launch of HCA Friends' and Affiliated Groups Scheme.

January 2010

• Online HCA survey of craftspeople.

December 2009

• Charitable status granted.

November 2009

• Research into National Living Treasures/Craft Champions carried out for future action.

October 2009

• Meetings with Mick Elliot (DCMS, Director of Culture), Jeremy Hunt (Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport), Sir Patrick Cormack.

September 2009

• Dr Roy Brigden, Professor Ted Collins, Sir Mark Jones and Alex Langlands agree to be HCA Patrons.

August 2009 to January 2010

• Patricia Lovett, on behalf of HCA, wrote the National Occupation Standards for Craft with the Standards Officer at CCS.

July 2009

• Meetings with David Bell (NADFAS), Ben Bradshaw (Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport), Ed Vaizey (Shadow Minister for Culture), Mark Jones (V&A), National Trust, ICON, British Council and Royal Warrant Holders Association.

June 2009

• Crafts Blueprint launched by the Creative and Cultural Skills (CCS) sector council; Brian Crossley and Patricia Lovett attended as Blueprint committee members and Robin Wood as Chair of HCA.

April 2009

• Adjournment Debate in the House of Commons by Tom Levitt, MP for High Peak, on heritage craft, with a follow up meeting with the Minister for Culture, Barbara Follett.

March 2009

• Meetings with Lord Tony Young (Minister for Skills and Apprentices), Artworkers Guild, English Heritage, HLF, Arts Council England, Crafts Council and VAN.

• HCA website launched.
• Proposals for a suggested education outline for a craftworker.

February 2009

• Heritage Crafts Association established.

Our aim is...

To support and promote heritage crafts as a fundamental part of our living heritage.

We will do this by:

• Surveying - researching the status of heritage crafts, identifying those crafts in decline or in imminent danger of being lost, and addressing the issues to ensure their survival.
• Advocating - communicating the vital importance of the heritage crafts to Government, key agencies and organisations.
• Celebrating - raising awareness and raising the status of heritage craft skills with the wider public through a programme of public relations, communications and showcase events.
• Safeguarding - working in partnership with key agencies in the education and learning sectors to identify and support new and innovative ways to ensure that the highest standard of heritage skills are passed from one generation to the next and where necessary recorded for posterity.
• Supporting - to support heritage crafts through a range of means, including advice, networking, training and access to public and private funding.

HCA Constitution, Rules and Strategic Plan

• Constitution of the Heritage Crafts Association May 2011 (.pdf, 155kb)
• Rules of the Heritage Crafts Association May 2011 (.pdf, 85kb)
• HCA Strategic Plan 2010-2012 website.pdf (.pdf, 185kb)

HCA Annual Reports

• Annual Report 2011
• Annual Report 2010

HCA AGM Minutes

• HCA_AGM_Minutes_11_5_11.doc
• HCA_AGM_Minutes_13_2_10.pdf

HCA Agenda for AGM 24 March 2012

• Agenda_HCA_AGM_2012.doc  

HCA Appointment of Trustees at AGM 24 March 2012

• Appointment_of_Trustees_24_3_12.pdf