This conference will bring together industry professionals in heritage craft, conservation, and rural skills to explore the challenges and opportunities within the sector.

The theme is the sustainability of heritage skills. We’ll be exploring their loss and decline, and the ingenuity and innovation of individuals and organisations keeping them alive through business modelling, education and engagement.

Representatives from the Heritage Crafts Association, Bishopsland Education Trust, the Household department of the Royal Household and the National Trust will give talks to set the scene of working in heritage crafts today, and discuss what the future might hold. Skilled makers will give further talks and demonstrations of their crafts.

Teas and coffees are available during the day. A meat or plant-based lunch can be provided at an additional cost (see ticket options). If you don’t purchase lunch with your ticket, please bring a packed lunch with you, or you can purchase lunch from Blake’s Kitchen on site.

The conference takes place on Friday 20 September, 10.15am-4pm. A total of seven 20-30 minute talks will be spaced throughout the day, and there’ll be 1.5 hours in the middle of the day for lunch and demonstrations. There’ll also be an opportunity for questions as the conference closes.

About the conference:

• Mary Lewis – Head of Craft Sustainability, Heritage Crafts Association   
  • Setting the scene for the landscape of crafts in the 21^st century, through the importance of intangible cultural heritage and the HCA’s red list. 
• Claire Murdoch – Chief Executive Bishopsland Educational Trust
  • Excellence in Vocational Skills Training, opportunities to pursue a sustainable career as a craftsperson requires a number of pathways for young people to follow.  These may encompass formal education and/or an apprenticeship, but one of the fundamental success factors for all makers is a mastery of the skills required to transform their designs into objects with a commercial value.  Bishopsland has been delivering vocational training for 30 years and we will share some of our insights on how to develop the next generations of skilled craftspeople. 
• Lucy McGrath – Designer-maker, Marmor Paperie 
  • The growth of paper marbling, how social media can benefit an endangered craft
• Brian Hall – Director, Hall Conservation and Chair of National Heritage Ironwork Group  
  • Sharing the work of the National Heritage Ironwork Group in supporting Heritage Skills 
• Tom Ball – de Laszlo Senior Woodcarving Tutor, City and Guilds of London Arts School  
  • What do you do when you make a mistake! A dive into the carving process and career of a professional carver. 
• Suz Williams – Designer-maker, Coppice Co  
  • Exploring wellbeing and craft the wider impacts of skills on makers and students alike
• Thomas Van Kampen, Historic Interiors Conservator and Caroline Gudge, C branch, Masters of the Household department, Royal Household
  • The role of the branch, the skilled craftspeople who make up the team, and the methods and systems used to preserve and conserve their working historic collection to the highest standards. 
• Fleur Gordon – Head of Skills and Crafts, Skills National Trust
  • Sharing an overview of some of the challenges, what research and working groups are looking at and what the Trust is doing for heritage building skills through its Specialist Crafts teams and the linked apprenticeship programme.