FAQs
Here are a list of frequently asked questions. If your question is still not answered, please check out the contact us page.
General
What is Heritage Crafts in one sentence?
Heritage Crafts is the UK 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.
What is a heritage craft?
Heritage Crafts defines a heritage craft as a craft that:
- employs manual dexterity and skill at the point of production;
- requires an understanding of traditional materials, design and techniques; and
- has been practised for two or more successive generations.
How do I get an entry added or updated on the crafts list?
Please email Mary at [email protected] with your query about the crafts list.
What is the difference between the crafts list and the Maker Directory?
The crafts list is the research list compiled and updated by Heritage Crafts on all of the heritage crafts in the UK, which is updated alongside the Red List of Endangered Crafts every two years.
The Makers Directory is a Heritage Crafts membership benefit that allows any of the charity’s members to have a profile to showcase their work as a maker.
Where is Heritage Crafts based?
The charity is 100% remote and does not have a bricks-and-mortar office.
Membership
Who can be a member of Heritage Crafts?
Anyone. Heritage Crafts membership is open to all, whether you are a professional craftsperson, an amateur maker, or someone who is craft curious.
Can I become a member if I am international?
Yes. We have members from across the world and are grateful for our international members’ support.
Is Heritage Crafts membership an accreditation for makers?
No. Our membership is a program that provides support to the charity while simultaneously building a community of makers and craft curious people alike who wish to support, engage and learn more about Heritage Crafts.
Should I be an individual member or business member as an independent entrepreneur?
If you run your own business solo, become an individual member. If your business has multiple people who would like to receive membership benefits, then become a business member (up to five people can receive membership digital content).
Grants/Bursaries/Awards
Can I apply for funding more than once?
Yes.
If I volunteer for Heritage Crafts, am I allowed to apply for funding?
Yes.
How long will it take to hear back about my application?
It depends on the funding opportunity and the amount of applicants.
Which funding scheme is right for me?
The Endangered Crafts Fund is for practitioners of at-risk crafts featured on the Red List of Endangered Crafts to overcome an obstacle or undertake a project to make their craft more likely to survive.
Training bursaries are for new entrants or early career craftspeople who are unable to progress because of the cost of training.
Heritage Crafts Awards are for recognition of something you have achieved, and usually come with a cash prize.
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This week’s #craftfocus is screen printing.
Screen printing is a printing technique that uses a mesh screen, ink, and a squeegee to transfer a stencilled design onto a flat surface.
The basic method involves creating a stencil on a fine mesh screen, then pushing ink (or paint, in the case of artwork and posters) through to create an imprint of the design on the surface beneath.
The way the stencil is created can vary depending on the materials used. Different stencilling techniques include using masking tape or vinyl to cover the desired areas of the screen, painting the stencil onto the mesh using ‘screen blockers’, such as glue or lacquer, and using a light-sensitive emulsion to create a stencil – then developed in a similar way to a photograph.
Some designs may use only one shade of ink, or many – in which case each colour must be applied in individual layers using separate stencils for each ink. One reason screen printing is so widely used is due to its ability to produce vivid colours, even on darker fabrics.
Issues affecting the viability of screen printing include competition with digital printing technologies, which offer quick turnarounds and the ability to print complex designs with low setup costs. This has also resulted in a reduced number of skilled practitioners.
Traditional screen printing uses inks and chemicals that can be harmful to the environment, which is why it is crucial for screen printing businesses to invest in environmentally friendly alternatives.
Images: Sarah Martinez @berkshire_printmakers
#heritagecrafts #craftfocus #screenprinting
Chair of Trustees sought
Deadline: 15 August 2025
With the charity growing as a result of successful awareness-raising campaigns, advocacy around the role of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and direct sector support and with a new strategic period commencing in January 2026, now is an exciting time to be leading Heritage Crafts as Chair of Trustees.
We are currently looking for a Chair to lead our dynamic Board of Trustees through the next stage of Heritage Crafts’ strategic and operational development.
Please note:
• This role is open to applications from both external candidates and internal candidates / existing Trustees.
• Former Chair experience is not compulsory, with support to be made available for less experienced candidates.
For more information and instructions on how to apply, please visit the linktr.ee in our bio.
Our ongoing governance development is funded by the @heritagefunduk thanks to money raised by National Lottery players.
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Apprentice trouser cutter
Deadline: 18 July 2025
Anderson and Sheppard Ltd are seeking an Apprentice Bespoke Trouser Cutter to join their team. As part of the role, Anderson & Sheppard will train the successful applicant on site in all aspects of Trouser cutting & bespoke tailoring, with the expectation that the candidate will graduate to eventually become a fully-fledged trouser cutter for the store. This role requires a keen eye for detail and the ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
Visit #matchMAKER via the linktr.ee in our bio to find out more.
#matchMAKER is the online platform for work-based training and entry-level employment opportunities hosted by @heritagecrafts and supported by @soanebritain.
Discover tools and resources designed for maker businesses on the Heritage Crafts member portal.
Become a member here: https://www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/join-us/
🎀Silk weaving by Heritage Crafts Member: @s.bye.design at @whitchurchsilkmill
#endangeredcrafts #craft #maker #heritagecrafts #silkweaving #silkribbonmaking
This week’s #mondaymaker is Jof Hicks – a withy pot maker.
Jof grew up on the Isles of Scilly on a small farm, and has always been making. Around 25-30 years ago, Jof was taught how to make withy pots by Brian Richard. Fascinated by the natural cycle of withy pot making, Jof planted a lot of willow around Scilly, making pots every winter. Six years ago, Jof decided to make the craft a full time pursuit. Jof seeks to close circles of the distance between the different processes around pot fishing.This not only includes the growing, making, and fishing, but also limiting transport and carbon footprint, etc.
If you want to read an exclusive interview about Jof’s work, become a member of Heritage Crafts and learn more in the members portal: https://www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/join-us/
#heritagecrafts #mondaymaker #withypotmaking
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Trainee metal spinner apprentice
Deadline: 31 August 2025
PETA Ltd are looking to source a Trainee Metal Spinner Apprentice for their client, Calibre Metal Spinning. As a Trainee Metal Spinner Apprentice, you will need an interest in joining a workshop environment, learning a range of engineering techniques with a special skill of Metal Spinning.
Visit #matchMAKER via the linktr.ee in our bio to find out more.
#matchMAKER is the online platform for work-based training and entry-level employment opportunities hosted by @heritagecrafts and supported by @soanebritain.
#matchMAKER opportunity!
Apprentice fabricator
Deadline: 1 August 2025
The Red7Marine apprentice fabricator is a developing apprentice position working in support of in-house fabrication works. Continually developing their welding and fabrication capabilities on live jobs and in the attainment of knowledge of fabrication, by learning from the experienced fabrication team within Red7Marine and college attendance.
Visit #matchMAKER via the linktr.ee in our bio to find out more.
#matchMAKER is the online platform for work-based training and entry-level employment opportunities hosted by @heritagecrafts and supported by @soane
This week’s #craftfocus is marionette making.
The making of traditional wood and string marionette puppets has a rich history that traces back thousands of years, with origins believed to lie in ancient civilizations such as Egypt, India, and Greece.
There is evidence of puppetry originally taking place in the UK around 600 years ago in the 1400s. The earliest recorded puppet show took place at Bartholomew Fair around 1600.
In the Victorian era, marionettes were a popular form of entertainment for adults and children in England. However, by the 1860s, permanent marionette shows were no longer popular, and traveling shows became more common.
More recently the tradition was continued with John Wright Marionettes (1952 in South Africa, then in Hampstead London by 1957) who then founded the Little Angel Theatre by the late John Wright and his wife Lyndie in 1961.
Marionette making techniques include:
-Drafting and designing
-Wood carving
-Joint making
-Treating and finishing
-Marionette control design
-Stringing
Classified as endangered on our crafts list, threats to marionette making include a lack of professional training opportunities; there is reduced opportunity to practice due to a limited number of productions, alongside an ageing workforce and few remaining teachers / practitioners.
Makers also encounter small business issues, reflecting general challenges to funding within the arts sector.
Images: Oliver Hymans @buddyollie
#heritagecrafts #craftfocus #marionettemaking
