Heritage Crafts is a registered United Kingdomcharity (registered as The Heritage Crafts Association) set up to support and promote traditional crafts. It has been operating under the name Heritage Crafts since October 2021.
The charity was launched at the Victoria & Albert Museum in March 2010, with a membership programme for supporters. Its founders included Robin Wood MBE (professional wood turner and co-founder of Spoonfest with
Barn the Spoon
Barnaby Alexander Carder, known as Barn the Spoon (born 1981), is a British artisan spoon carver, teacher, author and co-founder of Spoonfest, the annual international festival of spoon carving in Edale in Derbyshire, UK. He is also founder of t ...
),
Patricia Lovett
Patricia Lovett is a British scribe, calligrapher and illuminator from Kent. She is the author of several books and teaches calligraphy, illumination and manuscript skills in the UK and worldwide. She was chair of the Heritage Crafts Associati ...
MBE (professional scribe, calligrapher and illuminator) and current executive director Daniel Carpenter.
Heritage Crafts initiated a 30-minute adjournment debate on the state of traditional crafts in the House of Commons in June 2009.
In May 2017, in association with The Radcliffe Trust, the Association published the Red List of Endangered Crafts, which was repeated again in 2019, 2021 and 2023, when it was funded by The Pilgrim Trust. This publication was also covered on Woman's Hour.
In 2020, the charity's patron, King Charles III (then Prince of Wales), launched The President's Award for Endangered Crafts, which was won in 2020 by Ernest Wright scissor makers, in 2021 by watchmaker Dr Rebecca Struthers and in 2022 by pargeter Johanna Welsh.
Trustees and patron
The patron of Heritage Crafts is King Charles III, confirmed by the patronages review that followed the
royal succession
An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.
It is run by a board of trustees, including co-chair Jay Blades MBE (furniture restorer and presenter of BBC1 The Repair Shop).
Ambassadors include:
*
Will Kirk
William Kirk (born 14 May 1985) is a British furniture restorer primarily known for his work on BBC's restoration programme ''The Repair Shop.'' He is an Ambassador of the Heritage Crafts Association.
Education and early career
Kirk studied G ...
– furniture restorer and television presenter
*
Kaffe Fassett
Frank Havrah "Kaffe" Fassett, MBE (born December 7, 1937) is an American-born, British-based artist who is best known for his colourful designs in the decorative arts—needlepoint, patchwork, knitting, painting and ceramics. While still a child, ...
– textile designer
*
Alex Langlands
Alex Langlands is a British archaeologist and historian, also known for his work as a presenter of educational documentary series on British television and a lecturer of medieval history at Swansea University.
Education
Langlands has degrees ...
– archaeologist and star of ''
Victorian Farm
''Victorian Farm'' is a British historical documentary TV series in six parts, first shown on BBC Two in January 2009, and followed by three Christmas-themed parts in December of the same year. The series, the second in the BBC historic farm ser ...
'' and ''
Tales from the Green Valley
''Tales from the Green Valley'' is a British historical documentary TV series in 12 parts, first shown on BBC Two from 19 August to 4 November 2005. The series, the first in the historic farm series, made for the BBC by independent production co ...