Heritage Crafts Association news

The Marsh Awards for Heritage Craft 2011

2011-06-17T02:33:00.000-07:00

Deadline: 31 October 2011

The Heritage Crafts Association and the Marsh Christian Trust are delighted to offer two brand new awards for the heritage crafts sector. These awards will recognise and celebrate the exceptional individuals that contribute so much to our rich living heritage. The awards have been created to encourage the passing on of skills from one generation to another and to acknowledge the great work that volunteers do to raise the profile of heritage crafts across the UK.

This year, there are two awards and the winner of each award will receive £500. The deadline for both is 31 October 2011. The award winners will be publicly announced and presented with a cheque and certificate at the Heritage Crafts Association Spring Conference, March 2012.

I. Trainer - £500
One of the Heritage Crafts Association’s key aims is to ensure that heritage crafts skills of the highest standard are passed from one generation to the next. The enthusiasm, knowledge and experience of key individuals can really influence the number and quality of skilled craftsmen in the UK. Broadly classified as ‘trainer’, the award winner could be anything from a teacher, tutor, workshop leader, master or simply a craftsperson who offers one-to-one advice. The trainer might give anything from taster sessions for beginners to masterclasses for professionals. Trainers may nominate themselves, or be nominated by a trainee or a craft organisation.

II. Volunteer - £500
In heritage crafts, there are many people who do a tremendous amount on a voluntary basis. Whether independently, or as part of a craft organisation, these volunteers put in huge amounts of time and effort, sometimes over many years to make a real difference to their craft. Their role is often unsung. The award winner could have volunteered their time on anything from event organising to administration to running craft websites to initiating new projects in the heritage crafts sector. This award is a chance to recognise such unsung heroes. Nominations for the award can come from craft organisations, or individuals who have benefitted from the volunteer’s work.

For information on how to apply, visit www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/marshawards.html.

Royal support for crafts initiative

2011-03-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Craftspeople delighted by support from HRH the Prince of Wales

The Prince of Wales has always had wonderful respect for craftspeople working with tradition, and now he has taken on the presidency of a new organisation created by craftspeople themselves. The Heritage Crafts Association brings together all the crafts to celebrate and support the knowledge and techniques that have successfully been passed down through the generations and which now form an important part of the country’s cultural heritage.

From saddlers in Walsall and cutlers in Sheffield, to shoemakers in Northampton and basketmakers in Somerset, crafts have been an integral part of our towns and countryside. Our most common surname of Smith, and others like Thatcher, Potter, Turner or Cartwright, show that we are a nation of craftspeople. Some of these crafts are alive and well and others could see a resurgence given a little encouragement. Often a simple story in the press is all that is needed to turn a business round from struggling to thriving.

Traditional crafts have tended to receive little recognition or support, falling between the areas of heritage (buildings) and the arts (where only cutting edge innovative work is supported). Around the world, countries are beginning to recognise traditional craftsmanship as part of their living heritage.

Twenty years ago, locally sourced food, carefully produced by hand, was a quirky and alternative idea, yet it has seen a great resurgence. The Heritage Crafts Association believes that a similar resurgence of interest is underway in traditional crafts. People are looking for quality British-made products that last. Trevor Ablett, one of the last Sheffield pocket knife makers, has an order book full until Christmas. There are also people who would like to work in the crafts. After some press coverage last year, Alistair Simms, the country’s last master cooper, received 1,000 letters asking to be his apprentice. With a little support, the traditional crafts could see tremendous growth.

Robin Wood, Chair of the Heritage Crafts Association and a craftsman himself, said “We are absolutely delighted that His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has become our President. There is strong interest in the crafts at the moment and tremendous scope for a resurgence. The traditional crafts have been rather overlooked, falling between arts and heritage organisations, and not within the remit of either. Particularly, the industrial crafts of our towns have been sadly neglected. We hope the presidency of His Royal Highness will bring more attention to this overlooked part of our national heritage.”

Whilst it may seem incongruous for a traditional craft organisation, the Heritage Crafts Association has grown rapidly through the use of social networking and the internet, proof perhaps that traditional crafts are not backward-looking but a part of a vibrant future.

Sign up for the HCA Skills Forum

2011-03-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 11 May 2011, 1pm to 5pm
Chelsea College of Art and Design, 16 John Islip Street, London SW1P 4JU

Want to shape the future of traditional craft skills?

With generous support from The Balvenie, the Heritage Crafts Association has organised a Skills Forum on 11 May 2011 at Chelsea College of Art and Design, London. It is free to attend and the afternoon will include:

Keynote speech by Jo Reilly, Heritage Lottery Fund
Discussions facilitated by Hilary Jennings, Crafts Consultant
Summary by Robin Wood, Chair, Heritage Crafts Association
Networking with other industry professionals
Whisky tasting following the Skills Forum, kindly arranged by The Balvenie, the most handcrafted Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Can you add knowledge and experience to the debate?

The HCA are looking for representatives from craft groups, guilds and membership organisations, livery companies, training providers, government bodies and support organisations to participate. We need you to debate, share training experience and set in progress a strategy for ensuring the continuance of traditional craft skills training in the UK.

Sign up to attend the Skills Forum

Places will be allocated to ensure a good cross section from the crafts sector. To apply, please contact us quoting 'Skills Forum'.

The Balvenie Masters of Craft Awards

2011-01-24T02:23:00.000-08:00

The Balvenie has launched The Balvenie Masters of Craft awards, celebrating handcrafted goods from across the country.

The awards scheme aims to shine a light on the talent in the field of handcrafts - working with metal, leather, wood, stone, food and drink, glass and ceramics and textiles. It is not a history project - youthful exuberance is helping to drive these skills on and making them relevant in the 21st century and commercially viable.

Joining HCA Chair Robin Wood on the judging panel is Kevin McCloud, the presenter of Channel 4’s Grand Designs. Kevin has employed craftsmen in his design business, and witnessed their skill on the set of Grand Designs. It is, he says, “an enormous privilege” to watch a craftsman at work. But he is concerned for the future. “We have lost touch with the value of things,” he says. “We don’t understand the skills required to make things anymore.”

Kevin feels it is time to honour our craftsmen. “When we talk about value these days we talk about money don’t we? Rather than time and gifts, love and commitment. So I think the idea of being able to champion craftsmanship, to thank craftsmen, promote them, to show off whatever disciplines there are – leather, metal, wood – is hugely important.”

Read more

THE COMPETITION

Nominations
Nominations are sought for craftspeople who uphold elements of traditional artisanship and recognise the importance of working to innovate and develop sustainable markets for their products in today’s world.

Awards categories
Nine awards will be given in total. One for each of the seven craft categories (Stone, Wood, Metal, Glass and Ceramics, Textiles, Leather, Food and Drink), one for The Balvenie Young Master of Craft 2011 (those 30 years of age and under, who symbolise the successful passing on of skills to a new generation) and one for the overall Master of Craft 2011. Craftspeople can nominate themselves.
The judges
The distinguished judging panel includes television presenter Kevin McCloud, Robin Wood, chairman of the Heritage Crafts Association, Nick Hand, professional crafts photographer, and David Stewart, The Balvenie’s malt master.

Requirements
The judges require no more than 500 words about the individual craftsperson and their work, their vision and their business. Include a brief history of the business, how the individual trained in their specialist skills and developed their work and what they do. Where possible, give information of sales performance, markets and materials. Any customer or other testimonials would be helpful to any entry.

Up to 10 captioned photographs of their work will be accepted. Any other promotional materials such as fliers, brochures and advertising will be accepted as part of the entry, but craftwork itself will not be accepted. Personal information about the craftsperson’s beliefs and approach to their work and its development, survival and future would also be helpful.

Send nominations to...
Please submit any nomination via the application form available at www.thebalveniemastersofcraft.com. Entries can be sent by post to: The Balvenie Masters of Craft Awards, c/o Seventy Seven PR, 77 Kingsway, London WC2B 6SR. Electronic entries welcomed: email entries@thebalveniemastersofcraft.com.

Images sent do not have to be originals; scanned copies will be accepted. Photographs and any attachments should be in jpeg or PDF form. Electronic entries should not exceed 10MB. For further information, visit www.thebalveniemastersofcraft.com.

Closing date
The Balvenie Masters of Craft competition will be open from Sunday January 23. All entries must be in by Thursday April 21 2011.

Winners
Each winner will receive a specially handcrafted trophy and a bottle of The Balvenie single malt. Winners will be invited to attend an awards ceremony in London in May.

For full terms and conditions go to www.thebalveniemastersofcraft.com.

Bookings are now open for the HCA Spring Conference 2011

2010-11-17T03:50:00.000-08:00

When: Saturday 19 March 2011, 10am to 4.30pm
Where: Sackler Centre, Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London

This is the first day conference organised specifically for those working in heritage crafts and others who are interested and/or concerned about their future. A number of heritage crafts may be in danger of decline, but this is a day to celebrate the ways in which craft workers contribute to the rich tapestry of British heritage, and are a significant part of tourism and the economy.

After a short guest speech, Professor Tanya Harrod, well-known authority on crafts, journalist and author of The Crafts in Britain in the 20th Century, will talk on Craft Matters. This will be followed by a presentation of life and crafts on the Victorian and Edwardian Farm by Alex Langlands, one of the three people involved in living the life on the BBC programmes The Victorian Farm and The Edwardian Farm.

We have scheduled a long lunch hour which is a chance for you to bring in a piece of your craft for an Instant Gallery. You can either put a notice about how it was made beside it, or stay with your artefact and explain to others at the Conference how it was made, and the tools and materials you used to make it.

Then in the afternoon we have three short presentations from craftspeople, telling us their approach and how they run their businesses, and we finish with positive heritage craft news.

Programme for the day:

10·00am - Arrival, register and coffee/tea available
10·30am - Welcome, Patricia Lovett, Vice-Chair of HCA
10·40am - A brief history of the Heritage Crafts Association, Robin Wood, Chair of HCA
10·50am - Guest speaker (to be announced)
11·10am - Keynote speech ‘Craft Matters’, Professor Tanya Harrod
12·00pm - Break
12.15pm - ‘Life and craft on a Victorian and Edwardian Farm’, Alex Langlands
1·00pm - Lunch available (please pre-order)
Instant Gallery of Craft
2·30pm - Sophie Hussain – stained glass
2·50pm - Stewart Linford – chair maker
3·20pm - Break
3·35pm - Gail McGarva – boat builder
4·00pm - Good news! Recent successes of the Heritage Crafts Association
4.30pm - Conference ends

Cost:

HCA Friends - £25 (click here for details of our Friends Scheme)
Non-HCA Friends - £30

To book:

For more information and to book, visit www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/events.html.

Skills Minister calls for a new Arts and Craft Movement

2010-10-27T02:51:00.000-07:00

Skills minister John Hayes has signalled a new vision for craft and vocational skills as he spoke of the re-emergence of the Guilds and announced an ambition to create a new and prestigious award for Craft.

The minister was at the RSA to deliver a speech on how practical and skills have evolved through history and the role they must now play in contributing to both the growth of the economy and an individual’s employability prospects and wellbeing.

John Hayes, said:

“For decades, people have been calling for greater parity of esteem between academic and vocational qualifications. But those calls have invariably fallen on deaf ears. Instead, we’ve seen the demotion of practical learning.

“The Arts and Crafts movement recognised the unbreakable link between satisfaction in work and quality of life – between craft and beauty.

“It’s been clear since even before guilds and livery companies existed that different sectors require specific skills, and that it therefore makes sense for sectoral bodies to be closely involved in designing training and qualifications and in setting standards.

“I know that the sector skills councils, trade organisations, livery companies and others are keen to build on the good work they already do. That’s why the Government will work to establish a circle of Guilds to be at the heart of the re-evaluation of the power of practical learning”

In his speech to an audience of RSA fellows, employers and members of the FE and skills sector, the minister called for a “revaluation” of the way that skills are seen and the value they add to individual employment prospects, life experience, national economic prospects and the character of a civil society and to the economy in order to stimulate and maintain growth.

The four ways in which the minister says the system can grow are:

Continuing and intensifying efforts to re-establish the apprenticeship as the primary form of practical training;
Re-evaluating and redefining what sector led skills system with a place for Guilds might look like;
Continue to support and protect adult community learning and the role it plays in enriching the lives of individuals and contribute to local communities; and
Break down the barriers to progression so the route for any individual from basic skills to higher learning is accessible and effective.

The government is now working to support a new award for excellence in the crafts, John Hayes added. He said:

“I think it is right that excellence should be rewarded and the Government will work over the next few months with those working to support the crafts, including the various charities under the Patronage of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, to encourage and reward excellence in this area.”

View the full speech at www.bis.gov.uk/news/speeches/john-hayes-skills-and-their-place.

HCA seeks a part time Administrator

2010-10-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hours: 2.5 days per week
Salary: £18,000 pro rata (£9,000)
Location: home-based, with occasional travel to London (or London/Sheffield depending on the location of the successful applicant) and other locations as required.
Contract: two year initial contract, with the possibility of extending the contract should further funding be made available.
Deadline: Tuesday 9 November 2010, 5pm

The HCA is now seeking a paid part-time Administrator to work from home. This post will provide administration assistance to the Association’s dynamic board of trustees in helping to achieve the charitable aims of the organisation. The Administrator should be genuinely interested in the work of the Association, have a high standard of general administrative skills, experience of setting up effective administrative systems and good IT literacy.

To apply, please download an application pack (.doc, 125kb).

Please return your completed application form to the email or postal address provided by 5pm on Tuesday 9 November 2010. Shortlisting will be based on the application form alone – CVs will not be accepted.

If you have any queries about the post or the application process please contact HCA Chair Robin Wood (robin@robin-wood.co.uk, 01433 670321 or 0753 174 2617).

Interviews will be held in London on Friday 19 November 2010.

The Heritage Crafts Association is registered with the Charity Commission as charity number 1133646. It is an equal opportunities organisation and welcomes applications from people of all backgrounds.

David Canter Memorial Fund 2010 Craft Awards – call for applications

2010-08-12T03:55:00.000-07:00

The David Canter Memorial Fund offers awards to give financial assistance to those working in the crafts. The fund is open to those who have finished their formal training and are working full-time or part-time in the UK but need money for specific projects, e.g. setting up a workshop, buying equipment, educational work or for research and travel.

Awards, which usually range between £500 and £1,000, are made every other year, each time focusing on specific craft disciplines. For 2010 these will be Paper, Calligraphy and
Lettercutting and the submission deadline is 17 September 2010.

To request further information and an application form, please send a SAE to the address below or email rachel.mackie@crafts.org.uk.

Rachel Mackie
The David Canter Memorial Fund
c/o The Devon Guild of Craftsmen
Riverside Mill
Bovey Tracey
Devon
TQ13 9AF
01626 832223

Headley Trust support for HCA

2010-07-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Heritage Crafts Association (HCA) is delighted that the Headley Trust has agreed to support it with a grant of £30,000 to pay a part-time administrator for two years.

The HCA trustees hope that, amongst other tasks, an administrator will help the Association expand its map of traditional craftspeople, to create a searchable database which will help folk find craftspeople more easily and link directly to their websites. The new administrator will also help the HCA work towards commissioning some more detailed quantitative research into the state of traditional crafts in the UK.

It will take the trustees a little while to draw up a job description, person specfication and advertise the post, but they hope to attract a talented and committed person who can help them move HCA on to the next stage of its development and continue to make real differences to working craftspeople.

Read more from HCA Chair Robin Wood on the Traditional Crafts blog.

Crisis in craft skills training

2010-06-10T04:19:00.000-07:00

The college that trained many of the country’s top craftspeople, including three of the mentors from Monty Don’s BBC Mastercrafts series, will soon close its doors to heritage crafts trainees in spite of the Heritage Lottery Fund just having announced £17m in Lottery funding for skills training.

Closure of the New Entrants Training Scheme (NETS) at Hereford College, with its excellent record of getting students straight into full time employment, has prompted an outcry from crafts organisations. It highlights a national crisis in training provision - there are jobs available, master craftspeople willing to pass the skills on and people wishing to learn - but the support and infrastructure for craft training is inconsistent.

Ian Peake principle at Hereford College said, “It is with great regret that the college faces the closure of these courses due to changed national funding priorities and cuts in adult learning funding.” The courses in forgework, thatching, woodwork, wheelwrighting and upholstery have been running for over 30 years and are widely recognised by the industries concerned. However, because they do not offer a low-level NVQ level 2 qualification, they are not priority funding for the Skills Funding Agency, and so are being axed.

There is a similar problem in other trades. There is only one master cooper left in England. Following press coverage last year, Alastair Simms at Wadworth Brewery had a thousand letters from people wanting to learn the trade and he is happy to pass his skills on, but there is no government funded training scheme to cover the costs. An apprentice could get funding to take a low-level NVQ in woodwork on day release, but not for one-to-one tuition under a master craftsman.

Mike Turnock is the country’s last sievemaker, weaving wire garden riddles onto steam-bent wooden rims. He will retire this September aged 65 and local man, Damian Bramhall, would like to take the trade on and stop it from dying out. However, again there is no funding for Mike to pass his skills on. Such craftspeople are not interested in NVQs, quangos, priority provision or the endless paperwork which may be appropriate to large scale training in industry. They care about their skills and want help to pass them on to the next generation.

Robin Wood, of the Heritage Crafts Association, said, “The problem stems from traditional crafts falling outside the remit of all government agencies. Recognised by neither arts nor heritage organisations, there is nobody to protect traditional skills in the way that English Heritage protects buildings.” The problem is compounded because the crafts cross many boundaries - skills training is the responsibility of Sector Skills Councils, but the crafts fall within the remit of of Creative and Cultural Skills, Construction Skills and LANTRA.

Tuesday’s HLF press release announced £17m “for training in Heritage skills” and said “Trainees will learn traditional skills like dry-stonewalling and boat-building.” However, as with previous schemes, the majority of the funding is for building and conservation crafts. Robin Wood said, “When we see the annual budgets of quangos like the SFA (£4bn) and Sector Skills Councils it is very frustrating to see a centuries old crafts skill such as sievemaking in danger of dying out for the sake of £5,000, which is all it would cost for Mike Turnock to train his successor.”

Meanwhile, at a very human level, the decision to cut NETS is a sudden blow for many people, particularly those part way through the two-year course, who will not be able to complete their studies when funding is cut abruptly in July.

Notes:

NETS students are trained for 12 weeks over a two-year period. There are currently 72 trainees.

Heritage Crafts Association (Chair: Robin Wood, 01433 670321 or mobile 0753 1742617)
British Artist Blacksmiths Association (Chair: Terrence Clark)
Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths (Chris Jeal, hammerandhand@supernet.com)
Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights
Guild of Traditional Upholsterers
Hereford College (Principal: Ian Peake, 01432 365300)
Mike Turnock, sievemaker, 01663 732607

Tuesday's HLF announcement of 808 heritage training placements is great news for 'The Heritage Industry' but sadly most crafts fall outside that industry's remit.

Of those placements 241 are in countryside conservation, 148 in heritage building skills, 142 in museum and archive skills, 46 in horticulture, 39 in education and information management, 18 in new media, 27 in archaeology, 12 in oral history, 21 increasing ethnic diversity and here are the crafts at the bottom, 16 in heritage ironwork, 12 in boatbuilding and 4 in bookbinding.

New map of traditional craftspeople in the UK

2010-05-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Heritage Crafts Association (HCA) is putting together an online map of traditional craftspeople working in the UK. When fully populated, this will help the HCA in its advocacy work, demonstrating the diversity and geographic spread of traditional crafts across the country, including those with skills that are in danger of dying out. It will also be useful for members of the public to become more familiar with, and better appreciate, the particular crafts of their local area.

You can access it the map directly at www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/map.html (if this link does not work, please copy and paste the address into your browser's address bar). There you will be able to view the map and, if you are a traditional craftsperson, sign up for free inclusion (please allow up to a week for entries to appear on the map).

Traditional craftspeople who have signed up as Friends of the HCA feature on the map as red pins, while all other entries feature in blue. For more details about the HCA Friends’ Scheme and to sign up, visit www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/signup.html.

Traditional craftspeople come together at the HCA launch and forum

2010-03-26T08:52:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 23 March saw the official launch of the Heritage Crafts Association at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The HCA also played host to the first forum for traditional craftspeople across the spectrum of craft forms.

Traditional craftspeople may not be the most likely of campaigners, but representatives of most of the country’s top crafts organisations – from the British Artist Blacksmiths’ Association to the Association of Master Upholsterers – met for the first time in response to what is widely seen as a traditional skills crisis.

The afternoon launch featured Phil Harding, presenter of Time Team and one of the best flintknappers in the country. Phil expressed his delight at being asked to speak, not as an archaeologist or TV personality, but as a traditional craftsman – something he cares passionately about: “Thank goodness there are still people who care and are collaborating to save these crafts, which are still very relevant today.”

The launch also featured demonstrations by basketmakers, calligraphers, hand engravers, quilters and the last scissor makers from Sheffield, along with most of the mentors from the recent BBC2 Mastercrafts programme fronted by Monty Don.

The crisis faced by many traditional craftspeople is largely due to the fact that their crafts fall outside the remit of the current support agencies. In England for example, the Crafts Council exists to support contemporary and innovative crafts, whilst English Heritage’s remit is to protect the nation’s buildings and monuments, not its inherited knowledge and skills.

In 2004, the report Crafts in the English Countryside recommended the establishment of a ‘vernacular Crafts Council’ to support the traditional crafts, but unfortunately this recommendation was never acted upon, while in 2003, international cultural agency UNESCO passed a Convention that recognised traditional crafts as a key part of national heritage. The Convention was signed by 117 countries, but the not the UK.

Robin Wood, Chair of HCA said: “The V&A is home to some of the finest craftwork in the world, but the skills that produced much of that craftwork are under threat. It was wonderful to see people actually engaged in making things in the V&A and we hope this highlights the plight of some of these endangered skills.”

The HCA also launched its Friends Scheme at the launch. For more information and to sign up, either as an individual Friend or an affiliated group, visit www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/signup.html.

To read Robin Wood's blog on the forum and launch, visit http://traditionalcraftsblog.blogspot.com.

To view more pictures from the event, visit the new HCA Flickr group.

Photos ©2010 Heritage Crafts Association, all rights reserved:

Left to right: Matt Williams (Mastercrafts thatcher), Andy Oldfield (Mastercrafts stonemason), Sophie Hussain (Mastercrafts stained glass artist), Dave Bragg (Mastercrafts thatcher), Robin Wood (HCA Chair) and Guy Mallison (Mastercrafts greenwood worker).
Phil Harding, flint knapper and archaeologist from Channel 4’s Time Team, addressing delegates at the HCA launch.
Samantha Marsden, hand engraver, demonstrating at the HCA launch.
Delegates at the HCA forum for traditional craftspeople.

HCA launches Friends' Scheme - sign up now!

2010-03-22T15:47:00.000-07:00

The Heritage Crafts Association’s Friends’ Scheme launches today (Tuesday, 23 March 2010). Since its website went live less than a year ago, it has attracted hundreds of supporters all keen to help ensure a sustainable future for traditional heritage crafts. The Friends' Scheme brings a new way of supporting the charity.

The Friends' Scheme has been set up to be as effective as possible in helping the HCA to achieve its charitable aims. It will spend as minimal amount of money as possible on administration and will not provide extensive membership benefits in the form of glossy magazines or other promotional materials. As such, the HCA Friends’ scheme is a very cost-effective way of supporting the charity and having the opportunity to be involved in shaping its future.

As a Friend of the HCA you will:

know that 100% of your fee will go on helping the HCA achieve its charitable aims;
be invited to the HCA's General Meetings, where you will have an opportunity to vote on significant issues affecting the charity;
have priority on invitations to other events run by the HCA;
have your name and website details featured on the HCA website if you wish, and be able to use special HCA Friends’ graphics on your own website, emails and stationery.

Inclusion in the HCA Friends’ scheme costs:

£12 per year for individuals (each friend receives one vote at a general meeting);
£24 per year for organisations (each organisation receives one vote at a general meeting).

In addition, if you are a UK tax payer you can help the HCA make your contribution even more efficient by claiming Gift Aid.

For more details and to sign up, visit the HCA Friends' Scheme page.

Heritage Crafts Association in the Guardian

2010-03-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

On the eve of its press launch and first major event, the HCA is featured in this fantastic and thought-provoking write up by Jon Henley in the Guardian:

'"I'd estimate that more people in the world today eat with stainless steel knives and forks than speak English," says Robin Wood, chair of a newly formed lobby group, the Heritage Crafts Association, which is being launched today [Tuesday, 23 March 2010] at the Victoria & Albert Museum. "You could argue it's our biggest cultural export. So it seems quite extraordinary that we can protect the bricks and mortar of a place like this, but not care in the least about the skills and craftsmanship that are so much of this city's culture and identity."

'Modern Britain, it seems, is not much fussed about the skills and knowledge that exist only in the minds, eyes and hands of people who make things – our living vernacular heritage. We like them, in a rose-tinted, nostalgic kind of way, but we don't do much to support them.

'"And yet," says Wood, "they're every bit as much a part of our cultural heritage as grand museums, fine buildings and admired works of art or literature." They helped, too, make us who we are: how many people in this country bear the name Smith? Or Cooper, Turner, Cutler, Wright?'

Read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/22/heritage-crafts-at-risk.

You can also see a collection of Jon Henley's 'Disappearing Acts' slides, compiled to coincide with the HCA press launch.

HCA survey of craftspeople

2010-03-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

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 closed on 28 February 2010 with 206 respondents.

One of the most interesting outcomes of the survey was that 53 per cent of respondents stated that they believed that skills within their craft were in danger of dying out.

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

The word cloud below shows the most common words in all of the responses to the survey (the larger the word the more often it occurred - click here for a closer view):

Preview to the HCA forum and press launch

2010-03-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

The Heritage Crafts Association has been working hard to raise the profile of traditional crafts in the past few months. On Tuesday (23 March 2010), it is holding a forum and press launch event at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London to consolidate the support it has received so far, and to focus attention of its efforts to campaign to keep traditional crafts alive and flourishing in the future. Due to high demand, both of these events are now fully booked up.

The morning forum will play host to representatives of organisations representing a diverse range of crafts including basketmaking, pole lathe turning, pottery, calligraphy, woodcarving, feltmaking, lacemaking, upholstery, weaving, blacksmithing and many more. Under discussion will be the importance of traditional crafts and why they should be promoted, the issues that face traditional crafts today and how these differ across different disciplines, and, finally, how craftspeople can work together to ensure that traditional craft skills survive and flourish in the future.

The official press launch will take place in the afternoon, with journalists from publications such as Crafts magazine, craft&design, Country Life and The Guardian. There will be working craftspeople showing off their skills to invited guests including politicians from the Lords and Commons, craft consultants from funding agencies and trusts, and the Chief Executives of the Crafts Council, Craft NI, craftscotland and The Makers' Guild in Wales, amongst many others, including most of the BBC Mastercrafts mentors and the producers of both the TV series and accompanying book.

Also on Tuesday, the HCA will be launching its Friends' Scheme, allowing supporters to take a more active role in the organisation but signing up as a Friend and paying a small annual subscription of £12. This is intended as a very cost-effective way of supporting the Association - the HCA will not spend this money on expensive membership benefits, nor will it spend much time and money actively recruiting. Rather, it hopes that support will spread as it has done so far by word-of-mouth. Friends will get a chance to vote at General Meetings of the charity, as well as receiving priority invitations to future events.

Reports and photographs from Tuesday's events will be published here in the coming week. The Friends' page will go live on the HCA website on Tuesday.

Prof Edward Collins becomes a patron of HCA

2010-02-19T01:39:00.000-08:00

The Heritage Crafts Association is very pleased to welcome Professor EJT Collins as a patron. Prof Collins major publication 'Crafts in the English Countryside' is the most in depth recent research into traditional crafts in the UK and is highly recomended reading.

One of the key recommendations of the 2004 report was "the establishment of a Vernacular Crafts Council to compliment the fine arts and contemporary crafts remit of the Craft Council, and to serve as an umbrella organisation for all crafts operating in the heritage sector."

The report was widely welcomed and publicised in the press but the key recommendations were not taken up by government. It was the lack of action on this point that led to the setting up of the Heritage Crafts Association.

Monty Don champions traditional crafts in peril

2010-02-12T02:02:00.000-08:00

The Heritage Crafts Association welcomes the new BBC2 Mastercrafts series which highlights traditional British crafts – but warns of a crisis in the continuation of these skills.

Tonight (12 February 2010) sees the broadcast of the first episode of Mastercrafts presented by Monty Don. Each week three TV ‘apprentices’ are put through their paces by the country's leading practitioners of traditional trades like woodcraft, metal work, thatching and stone masonry.

Robin Wood, the last professional pole-lathe bowl turner in the country and Chair of the Heritage Crafts Association, said:

“There is a growing interest in traditional crafts, and Mastercrafts shows the dedication that is needed to master these wonderful techniques. Unfortunately the Mastercrafts ‘apprenticeships’ are not matched by formal training opportunities in reality.

“Many of the skills that form part of our living heritage are endangered because there is no way for makers to pass their knowledge on.”

Despite the resurgence of public interest in the crafts featured in the series, many of our nation’s heritage crafts, from boat building to scissor making, now find themselves teetering on the brink of extinction due to lack of training schemes.

Some crafts have declined so much that only one craftsman remains – once this knowledge is gone, it will be lost forever.

Even the high-profile crafts featured in the series, such as blacksmithing and green woodwork, face a crisis in how they pass on skills, with training institutions like CoSIRA and Hook Park College (where two of the Mastercrafts experts learned their trades) no longer operating, and government apprenticeship schemes unworkable for the small niche businesses that characterise this highly productive sector of Britain’s workforce.

Mastercrafts airs at 9pm on Friday 12 February on BBC2.

Craftspeople - register now to attend the HCA forum

2010-02-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

Please note - due to unprecedented levels of demand this event is now full!

The Heritage Crafts Association is holding a forum event for craftspeople, on the morning of Tuesday 23 March 2010, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

The HCA’s aim is to support and promote heritage crafts as a fundamental part of our living heritage. Since its website went live earlier this year, it has attracted hundreds of supporters all keen to help ensure a sustainable future for traditional heritage crafts.

In order to consolidate this support the HCA wishes to bring together representatives of as many traditional craft forms as possible, to help prioritise its aims and ensure that its actions remain in line with the interests and needs of the UK’s traditional craftspeople.

The forum will start at 10.15am (for 10.30am), with introduction by HCA Chairman Robin Wood, followed by a keynote address by Professor Ewan Clayton. There will then be a facilitated discussion and summation, before the event draws to a close at 12.45pm.

The forum is absolutely free to attend. However, the HCA is a non-profit organisation without core funding, and refreshments and hire of venue are both costs it has to meet, so any contributions, however small, would be very gratefully received, to help towards the costs of refreshments and venue hire. To make a donation, please visit our donations page at www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/donate.html where you can donate by credit card or PayPal. Please make a note that you are a Heritage Crafts Forum attendee and you will be formally acknowledged in the event literature.

If you would like to attend, please email Daniel Carpenter at info@heritagecrafts.org.uk. Please note that places are limited and it is anticipated that the event will become fully booked very quickly. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis, with all subsequent expressions of interest being placed on a reserves list.

Further information and joining instruction will be sent prior to the event.

NB: In anticipation of the Heritage Crafts Forum, a short questionnaire has been put online to identify some of the pertinent issues – if you haven’t already done so, you can fill this in online at www.surveymonkey.com/s/6FNQF6L. The survey closes on 28 February 2010.

The Traditional Crafts Blog

2010-01-28T02:14:00.000-08:00

The Heritage Crafts Association has set up a new blog, written by Robin Wood, HCA Chair. The blog has been pre-loaded with over 70 previous items written by Robin and will be updated regularly with the latest opinions and observations about the traditional crafts sector and the work of the HCA.

To view the blog, go to http://traditionalcraftsblog.blogspot.com or if you use an RSS reader you can access the feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/traditionalcraftsblog.

The HCA is now also on microblogging site Twitter. To follow its tweets, go to http://twitter.com/heritage_crafts.

Heritage Crafts Association achieves charitable status

2010-01-22T05:51:00.000-08:00

Less than a year after being formed, the Heritage Crafts Association is now a UK charity.

Charitable status will help underpin the HCA's work in supporting and promoting traditional heritage crafts for the benefit of everyone.

The Heritage Crafts Association is registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales - charity number 1133646.

The Heritage Crafts Association seeks input from craftspeople

2009-12-11T02:45:00.000-08:00

Deadline: 28 February 2010

Dear supporter,

The Heritage Crafts Association’s aim is to support and promote heritage crafts as a fundamental part of our living heritage. Since the HCA website went live earlier this year, we have attracted hundreds of supporters all keen to help ensure a sustainable future for traditional heritage crafts.

Going into 2010, we are looking to consolidate this support, building upon our advocacy work with politicians and representatives of key agencies. In order to achieve this, we would like to complement the huge amount of anecdotal evidence we have gathered to date with a statistical analysis of our supporters’ opinions and experiences. To that effect we are asking as many traditional craftspeople as possible in the UK to fill in a simple survey.

The survey consists of ten questions and should take no longer than fifteen minutes to complete. To do so, please go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/6FNQF6L.

We would also be very grateful if you could forward this notice to as many of your craftspeople friends and colleagues as possible, and, if you work for a crafts organisation, to post it in your newsletters and email circulars.

Many thanks in advance for your continuing support.

Best wishes,
Robin Wood, HCA Chair

Traditional crafts matter to the HCA

2009-11-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

Craft Matters is a Crafts Council initiative to highlight the importance of crafts in people's lives. It believes that craft matters and it wants to show that it matters to thousands of people across the UK. The Heritage Crafts Association supports this initiative in the field of heritage crafts.

In the next few months, the Crafts Council will be posting the names of all its signatories on its website so that it can demonstrate the real support for craft. It wants to launch the new webpage with over 1,000 signatures, so please ask your friends and colleagues to show that craft matters to them too.

To sign up to the statement 'I'm signing up to Make Craft Count because Craft Matters to me', visit www.craftscouncil.org.uk/craftmatters.

Craft Club – a national campaign for craft in schools (England)

2009-11-19T05:11:00.000-08:00

Craft Club is a national campaign for craft in schools. It aims to unite skilled and enthusiastic craftspeople with children and young people through after-school clubs. Working together they can engage learners beyond the curriculum and enthuse them about making.

Crafts Club believes that the future of craft lies in nurturing talent – children and young people must be able to learn about craft at school and have access to excellent teaching throughout their education. It offers advice, resources and support to inspire teachers, pupils and volunteers to set up clubs during lunchtimes or after-hours in their school or venue.

Register an interest at www.craftclub.org.uk.

Traditional Crafts on Radio 4 Farming Today

2009-11-16T06:03:00.000-08:00

Rural crafts are being featured on BBC Radio 4's Farming Today program this week. For those who are not up at 6am to listen you can listen online using BBC iplayer (just click the link then drag the slider to 9.25 when the feature starts).

We hear quite a lot of press on good stories in the traditional crafts at the moment, though most are in conservation or building crafts. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has put nearly £10 million into these crafts over the last five years through its bursary scheme.

HLF is a reactive rather than proactive funder and, in part, it has been a result of the smaller traditional crafts themselves not having an organised voice to campaign for support that has led to them being left out. We look forward seeing support and promotion for the basketmakers, potters, weavers and urban crafts such as Sheffield cutlery in the future.

Thanks to HCA supporter Julian for pointing this one out.