14 new training bursaries awarded

Heritage Crafts is delighted to award 14 new bursaries for trainees from across the UK to learn heritage craft skills, supported by The Royal Mint, the Costume Society, the Leathersellers’ Foundation, the British Leather Industry Development Trust, the Cordwainers’ Company, the Society of Scribes & Illuminators and the International Guild of Knot Tyers.

These are the first of 44 bursaries to be awarded in 2025, providing up to £4,000 to support heritage crafts trainees whose talent might otherwise be lost to the sector were it not for vital additional hands-on training at the start of their career.

• William Appleby, from Cornwall, will train with Sheffield-based Warren Martin in the craft of silver spinning, a critically endangered craft on Heritage Crafts’ Red List of Endangered Crafts with fewer than 15 practitioners in the UK. William will use his new skills to spin for the trade as well as for his own designs.
  William’s bursary is funded by The Royal Mint.
• Felix Gillies Creasey, from Cornwall, will train in rigging with shipwrights Huw Jackson and Spike Davies, focusing on creating a new traditional rig for a 1901 Cornish Lugger. He will also undertake rope access training, with the hope of eventually setting up as a traditional rigger in Falmouth.
  Felix’s bursary is funded by the International Guild of Knot Tyers.
• Megan Graham, from Belfast, will train in advanced pattern cutting and product development under the guidance of pattern cutter and dress maker Manuel Vadillo. Following the training, she plans to launch her own sustainable fashion brand inspired by heritage textiles and historical dress.
  Megan’s bursary is funded by the Costume Society.
• Annie Higgins, from Birmingham, originally trained as a blacksmith and has since worked as a technical assistant at the Birmingham School of Jewellery. She will develop skills in silver raising, fabrication and non-ferrous TIG welding with Loewe Craft Prize finalist Kevin Gray. On completion she plans to set up her own business while continuing to support others.
  Annie’s bursary is funded by The Royal Mint.
• Eleni Kai, from Norwich, will train in hand-welted shoe making with bespoke shoemaker Jim McCormack. Her intention is to help re-establish Norwich as a centre for the craft of shoemaking, and one day teach others in order to help keep the shoemaking craft alive for the future.
  Eleni’s bursary is funded by the Cordwainers’ Company.
• Rebecca Oldfield, from South Wales, will train in silver chasing and repoussé with master silversmith Ray Walton. The skills she acquires will directly enhance her ability to take on more complex commissions, including restoring silverware; diversifying her work and attracting a broader range of clients.
  Rebecca’s bursary is funded by The Royal Mint.
• Amar Patel, from London, will train in leather bag making with leatherworker Yusuf Osman. Alongside the craft skills training, they will develop a plan to launch Amar’s online business with a core collection that he can start making from his home workshop after his training is complete.
  Amar’s bursary is funded by the Leathersellers’ Foundation.
• Emily Perigaud, from Brighton, will complete her studies with Mark Romain MBE at the Saddlery Training Centre in Wiltshire. Her ambition is to work as a saddle maker or harness maker before branching out on my own. She would particularly like to work for the film industry, making tack fit for both horse and rider.
  Emily’s bursary is funded by the Leathersellers’ Foundation.
• Rob Price, from Cumbria, will train in leather shoemaking from the Ottowin Shop in Bristol and Carreducker in London. Predominantly self-taught in oak bark tanning and leatherworking, he is looking to elevate his work by being able to make high-quality, hand-stitched boots and shoes from leather he has tanned himself.
  Rob’s bursary is funded by the Leathersellers’ Foundation.
• Ryan Rix, from Swansea, will train in bespoke tailoring at the Tailoring Academy in Macclesfield, before securing a job in high-end fashion, theatre or film. His long-term ambition is to be a self-employed tailor, while safeguarding the craft by teaching the next generation of tailors.
  Ryan’s bursary is funded by the Costume Society.
• Lesley Romano, from Swansea, will train in calligraphy and illumination with three Fellows of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Lesley is a self-employed graphic designer sub-contracted to a local printer, but is now ready to take up the opportunity to establish a career in the craft she loves.
  Lesley’s bursary is funded by the Society of Scribes & Illuminators.
• Johnette’ Taylor, from London, will train in traditional leatherworking skills from April Mai, including wet moulding, with the aim of developing a thoughtfully designed collection of leather travel bags. The training will enable her to create intricate pieces without sacrificing quality.
  Johnette’s bursary is funded by the Leathersellers’ Foundation.
• Tilly Whitehouse, from Walsall, will train in various jewellery making and stone setting techniques at the School of Master Jewellers, the JQ Set, the Stirchley School of Jewellery, the Quarter Workshop and the Jewellers Academy. She aims to create eco-conscious jewellery as an alternative to mass-produced items, as well as offering online courses to inspire others.
  Tilly’s bursary is funded by The Royal Mint.
• Michelle Wong, from London, will train in leatherworking from master craftsman Nigel Armitage, including bag construction, wet moulding, leather marquetry and box stitching, which will enable her to expand into new accessories and homeware product ranges, commissions and teaching.
  Michelle’s bursary is funded by the British Leather Industry Development Trust.

There are currently 30 more bursaries open for application, with a closing date of 27 June 2025 sponsored by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation, Capri Holdings Foundation, City & Guilds Foundation, Army Benevolent Fund, Royal British Legion, Ashley Family Foundation, Sussex Heritage Trust and Malcolm and Rosalind Gammie. Click here to find out more and apply.

Click here to see the previous 67 bursaries awarded since 2021