A voice for craft
The national charity for heritage craft skills
Supporting craft heritage
We are the national charity set up to celebrate, support and safeguard traditional craft skills, and to facilitate a national conversation about their importance to everyone now and in the future.
We are passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to craft skills that have developed over generations, and which we believe will be vital in helping us tackle the challenges of the future – and to be able to enjoy making as part of a fulfilled life.
Our Patron is His Majesty King Charles III.
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Heritage Crafts was set up just fifteen years ago. Since then it has gone from strength to strength, advocating at the highest levels for crafts, publishing the Red List of Endangered Crafts, and distributing 95 grants through the Endangered Crafts Fund. We have awarded 131 training bursaries, established the Heritage Crafts Awards and shone a spotlight on our world-renowned makers through 33 National Honours successes.
Many more people are now aware of traditional crafts and the objects produced by those who carry in their hands, heads, and also hearts the skills and techniques that have been passed down through the generations.
To continue this work we need your support. Please consider making a donation, however big or small, to help ensure that heritage craft skills in the UK are given the opportunity to thrive.
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This week’s #mondaymaker is Ruth Osborne @ruthosborne_art.
Ruth is a Northern Irish textile artist and print maker based in rural County Down. Her work is linked to place, seasonal transitions and heritage.
She uses a range of printmaking processes – particularly the historic process of nature printing, and the heritage crafts of natural dyeing and ink making – to create original artworks on Irish linen.
View Ruth’s full profile on our Makers’ Directory: https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/maker/ruthosborne/
#craft #printing #naturaldyes #heritagecrafts
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Bespoke Staircase Timberwork Trainee
Location: Lewes, East Sussex
Founded in 1966, Spiral specialises in the design, manufacture and install of bespoke feature staircases, serving both residential and commercial clients all over the world.
Spiral is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Bespoke Staircase Timberwork Worker/Trainee to join its specialised team. This paid position offers an excellent opportunity to develop skills in timber craftsmanship, manufactured and installing within a high-end bespoke staircase environment.
The successful candidate will gain hands-on experience in timberwork processes while supporting various organisational tasks. A proactive attitude, strong communication skills, and a willingness to learn are essential for this role.
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.
Northern Ireland is home to an incredible wealth of traditional skills. We are thrilled to announce that nominations are now OPEN for the Northern Ireland Maker of the Year Award 2026 supported by @mournetextiles.
We want to recognise a heritage craftsperson in Northern Ireland who has made an outstanding contribution in the past 12 months. Whether you’ve pushed your craft to new heights or worked tirelessly to promote its survival, we want to champion the simple, humble and essential skills that define our communities.
There is a £1,000 prize for the winner to be presented at a high-profile Winners’ Reception in November. Plus, one winner from the four UK nations will have their prize topped up to £2,000, supported by the Marsh Charitable Trust.
📅 Deadline: Friday 21 August 2026 (at 5pm)
➡️ Nominate someone (or yourself) today via the linktr.ee in our bio or directly at https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/our-awards/northern-ireland-maker-of-the-year-award/
📷 2024 finalist Aaron Leach @swiftsforge
#heritagecrafts #craftskills #northernirelandmaker #madeinnorthernireland #traditionalskills
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Heritage Craft Brickwork Apprentice
Location: Hampton Court Palace
Deadline: 7 May 2026
Historic Royal Palaces is the independent charity responsible for the management of six royal palaces and their associated content and landscapes. In collaboration with Simpson Brickwork Conservation and The Building Craft College, Historic Royal Palaces is recruiting for a Heritage Craft Brickwork Apprentice to train to become a skilled craftsperson specialising in the conservation, repair, and restoration of historic brick structures.
Working alongside experienced heritage bricklayers and conservation professionals, the apprentice will develop traditional skills, technical knowledge, and an understanding of historic materials and methods, while completing a Level 3 apprenticeship qualification. This role is ideal for someone passionate about traditional construction, historic buildings, and high-quality craftsmanship who will work and train under the expert mentoring of Simpson Brickwork Conservation.
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.
Over three posts we are profiling three additional recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.
Rosy Cousins, from Manchester, is a self-employed environmental scientist retraining in the critically endangered craft of pietra dura, a decorative technique that involves inlaying precisely cut stones into a surface to create intricate designs. She will train with @greenawaymosaics, as well as undertaking short courses in allied crafts.
Rosy’s bursary is supported by @heritagefunduk and made possible by players of the National Lottery.
Rosy said: “I simply wouldn’t be able to do this without the support of a bursary from Heritage Crafts and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It comes at a crucial time in my career, as I try to develop quite an unusual set of historic stoneworking skills, with very few opportunities for training. The bursary makes it possible for me to access the technical support and guidance I need, allowing me to continue on my journey. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”
This week’s #mondaymaker is Jenny Beattie @jenny_beattie_millinery – milliner.
Jenny uses traditional millinery techniques to make innovative, bespoke headpieces for individuals, fashion and theatre. She uses tools and techniques ‘borrowed’ from different craft disciplines to produce uniqueness, and prides herself on having a high level of technique and skill.
With fine art and millinery training, she has a materials-led practice with a unique aesthetic. She has a reputation as someone with an interest in transforming rubbish or leftovers into ‘Trash Hats’, in which eccentric fabrics such as cat food pouches or used teabags are transformed into stunning headpieces.
She says that craft has always been enormously important to her, as well as the cross pollination from other disciplines.
View Jenny’s full profile on our Makers’ Directory: https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/maker/jennybeattie/
#craft #millinery #heritagecrafts #mondaymaker
This week’s #craftfocus is cut crystal glass making.
British cut crystal glass, known for its brilliance and intricate designs, has become a hallmark of craftsmanship. In 1674, George Ravenscroft, a glassmaker based in London, patented a new method for producing glass with lead oxide, making it easier to work with, heavier and more brilliant, giving it a high level of clarity and sparkle due to its increased refraction of light. This lead crystal became highly suitable for cutting, as it could be deeply engraved and polished, giving rise to intricate designs and brilliant finishes.
During the 19th century, the British crystal industry reached its height. Crystal glass was highly sought-after, and many of the cutting patterns that we associate with traditional crystal glassware today were developed. From the mid-20th century onwards, British glassmakers shifted focus from mass production to preserving the artisanal quality and heritage of glass cutting.
The glass is cut using various diamond or carborundum grinding wheels. The wheels cut grooves into the glass with straight, sharp angles to increase the sparkle of the glass by adding more light-reflecting surfaces. Surfaces can then be cut a second time, a process known as smoothing, to create a finer finish. Few people do the second cut anymore as it adds considerable time to production.
Cut crystal glass making is classified as critically endangered on our Red List of Endangered Crafts. Recruitment has become very challenging due to a lack of training provision. High setup costs and lack of specialist equipment hinder training, and insufficient job security prevents guaranteed employment after training.
https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/craft/cut-crystal-glass-making/
Images: @cumbriacrystal
#heritagecrafts #craftfocus #cutcrystalglassmaking #crystalglass
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Furniture Making Apprenticeships
Location: Hampshire
Deadline: 20 May 2026 (they advise anyone who is considering applying to make contact well before the closing date)
An Edward Barnsley Workshop furniture making apprenticeship provides a thorough practical training in a commercial environment. Almost all of their former apprentices continue to work successfully as furniture makers. Most work as employees, while some have gone on to set up their own furniture-making businesses. In recent years two of their apprentices have represented the UK in cabinet-making at the WorldSkills finals.
The majority of the apprentices’ time is spent at the bench. The rest is spent in the machine shop and helping with jobs around the workshop. Apprentices are expected to do some essential workshop tasks including sweeping up and machine maintenance. This thorough and comprehensive woodworking apprenticeship teaches the skills needed to succeed as a professional furniture-maker.
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.
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