The Red List

of Endangered Crafts

Pilgrim Trust From blacksmithing to basketry, from weaving to woodturning, we have an incredible range of heritage craft skills in the UK and some of the best craftspeople in the world. But many of these skills are in the hands of individuals who have been unable to make provision to pass them on.

The Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts, first published in 2017, was the first report of its kind to rank traditional crafts by the likelihood they would survive to the next generation, based on intangible cultural heritage safeguarding principles, led by Heritage Crafts, the only UK UNESCO-accredited NGO working primarily in the domain of traditional craftsmanship.

The list attracted extensive media coverage both in the UK and abroad, shining a light on heritage craft practices under threat from a number of identifiable issues. It is our hope that this research will act as a call to action to those who have it within their power to resolve or alleviate these issues, and that this project will mark the start of long-term monitoring of heritage craft viability and a shared will to avoid the cultural loss that is borne each time a craft dies.

View the full list

Heritage Crafts committed to updating the list on a regular basis, and so between September 2022 and May 2023 over 900 organisations and individuals were contacted directly by email and telephone and invited to contribute to the research. Participants were asked to provide background information about each craft, such as its history, techniques and local forms, as well as current information relating to the number of skilled craftspeople and trainees, and the ongoing issues affecting the viability of the craft. In May 2023 the fourth edition was published, increasing the number of crafts examined to 259, with five new critically endangered crafts and 17 new endangered crafts added.

Each craft was then classified into one of four categories of endangerment using a combination of both objective criteria (such as numbers of crafts people and trainees) and subjective criteria (issues affecting the future viability of the craft including training opportunities and market trends). Issues affecting the viability of heritage crafts vary on a craft-by-craft basis, though many can be grouped, and possible solutions devised that will help many crafts practices become more viable.

For the purposes of this research, a heritage craft is defined as ‘a practice which employs manual dexterity and skill and an understanding of traditional materials, design and techniques, and which has been practised for two or more successive generations’. The research focuses on craft practices which are taking place in the UK at the present time, including those crafts which have originated elsewhere, and on those aspects of each craft with a high reliance on hand-work and which involve high levels of hand skill.

If you have any queries about the research, are aware of a heritage craft that is not listed, or have further information to add about any craft, please contact [email protected].

Suggest an addition to the Red List

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Join Heritage Crafts in conversation with embroiderer Hanny Newton, online at 7pm on Wednesday 20 November.

@hannynewton is an embroidery artist who specialises in a contemporary approach to metal thread embroidery, and is currently exploring the potential of straw and other plant fibres as a ‘natural gold’.

In 2023 Hanny was awarded the QEST Broderers Company Scholarship to further her study of the techniques, tools and historical context of straw embroidery, and has recently been announced as the winner of the inaugural Sanderson QEST Rising Star Craft Award, which will enable her to study rare collections and make important contributions to the scarce knowledge and tools of straw embroidery.

From her studio in North Shropshire Hanny works with interior designers and art consultancies, applying her creative approach to historical techniques to large-scale international projects, including with 3-star Michelin restaurant Core by Clare Smyth. She currently teaches at Hand & Lock London and West Dean College, and has taught embroiderers worldwide, including in Australia, America and the Netherlands.

The session will take place on Zoom and attendees must register in advance via the linktr.ee in our profile. Attendees will also have the opportunity to submit questions in advance.