QEST Magazine Spring 2018

Issue 37 Spring 2018

Spectacle making by QEST Apprentice Mila Chielman, cubitts.co.uk Photograph: georgebaxter.co

THE QUEEN ELIZABETH SCHOLARSHIP TRUST MAGAZINE

In this issue QEST Apprentices 2017

HCA Radcliffe Red List of Endangered Crafts

QEST Alumni News

My QEST Trustee Alec McQuin

www.penhaligons.com

Issue 37 Spring 2018

Welcome to the Spring 2018 Edition I am delighted to introduce you to our new QEST Apprentices, awarded at the end of 2017. Their enthusiasm for their chosen crafts is infectious and they are in good hands with the masters training and guiding them. It’s exciting to plant the seeds for these new craft careers; I look forward to seeing them flourish.

Nick Crean, QEST Chairman

Thank you as always to the Royal Warrant holders, brands, livery companies, trusts and individuals who continue to give so generously. I hope to see many of you and meet new supporters at our third QEST Celebration of Craft Fundraising Gala Dinner at the Victoria & Albert Museum on 6th March and at the many other events planned this year to raise the profile of QEST and showcase the incredible work of our Alumni.

The publication of The Radcliffe Red List of Endangered Crafts by The Heritage Crafts Association (HCA) has drawn attention to the need to ensure the transfer of high-level skills for traditional crafts or lose these threads of our cultural heritage forever.

Chair of the HCA Patricia Lovett, MBE has written about this timely research and it is encouraging to hear from three QEST Scholars training and working in crafts flagged on the Red List as endangered (two critically).

QEST Magazine is published with the kind support of our advertisers.

This has strengthened our resolve more than ever to support excellence in British craftsmanship. I hope the stories that you are about to read from our 2017 QEST Apprentices and Alumni of professional craftspeople will inspire you to support the next generation of QEST Scholars and Apprentices in any way you can.

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QEST

Apprentices 2017

QEST Apprentices 2017 Since QEST Apprenticeships launched in 2014, funding has been granted for 42 trainees to learn from masters of their crafts or in companies committed to the highest standards of craftsmanship.

Jewellers, shoemakers, woodcarvers, embroiderers, textile conservators‌ it is now a rich list of craftspeople who have found the opportunity of skilled-trade employment to be extremely rewarding. They have become great ambassadors for the programme and repaid the investment with their enthusiasm, commitment and progress.

Thanks to the continued generosity of the donors, sponsors and supporters, QEST has been able to supplement the wages and training costs of 12 new QEST Apprentices who would otherwise be unable to take this path.

QEST Apprentice Jack McGonigle at Adam Frew Ceramics

Two QEST Scholars who have developed their skills and businesses to the next level have been welcomed back as masters: QEST Worshipful Company of Saddlers Scholar (2013) Clare Barnett applied with Joanna Murphy, now a QEST Alborada Trust Apprentice in saddle fitting, and Thatcher Adam Nash (2005) will train new recruit Paul Fallows during his QEST Pilgrim Trust Apprenticeship. We also have our first spectacle maker, two bee farmers and three ceramicists.

An apprentice farrier, jacquard textile designer, gunmaker and stonemason complete this latest group of fresh craft talent.

Photograph: georgebaxter.co

We look forward to following the progress of the 2017 QEST Apprentices as they work with their employers to become industry ready over the next few years.

QEST Garfield Weston Foundation Apprentice spectacle maker Mila Chielman at Cubitts

QEST 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust Apprentice bee farmer Oliver Pont at Lincolnshire Apiaries

Issue 37 Spring 2018

Chika Iwenofu QEST ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER FOUNDATION APPRENTICE WOVEN JACQUARD TEXTILES

Photograph: Polly Eltes

Central Saint Martins graduate Chika Iwenofu is putting her BA (Hons) in Textile Design into practice on a three-year apprenticeship under the guidance of design manager Dominique Caplan at The Gainsborough Silk Weaving Co, fine weavers and dye house.

Soane’s Column for the Sir John Soane Collection

The entire production process takes place at its factory in Suffolk, giving Chika the opportunity to develop the key technical skills to design and produce bespoke Gainsborough fabrics, from using specialised weaving software to traditional design methods for weaving on its 1930s Hattersley looms.

“Gainsborough's reputation was built on innovation and its designs run from the traditional to the avant garde. I am thoroughly enjoying immersing myself in its archive of over 7,000 designs, and looking forward to using this rich history to grow as a designer.”

gainsborough.co.uk gainsboroughweaving Gainsweaving chikacouture.com

Henry Middleton QEST DULVERTON TRUST APPRENTICE FARRIERY

The UK has high standards for farriery; four years of training are required to shoe a horse. Henry Middleton is focusing on mastering the traditional handmade skills that are in decline.

During his apprenticeship with master Karn Herbert in Oxfordshire, Henry will work on horses in many disciplines - polo, racing, dressage, show jumping, eventing - to give him experience in shoeing to suit different lines of work. He will also complete practical and theoretical assessments towards a diploma.

“The apprenticeship covers the anatomy of the equine limb, and I am very interested in remedial work. This combines modern materials and traditional skills – a method of shoeing that can only be made by hand and where I see my future.”

middleton_farrier

Jack McGonigle QEST APPRENTICE CERAMICS

The potter's wheel, an interest in functional pottery and a desire to produce domestic vessels was central to Jack McGonigle's work during his studies at the Cardiff School of Art & Design.

Having completed his BA (Hons) in Ceramics, Jack is embarking on an apprenticeship with Adam Frew Ceramics in Portstewart to master contemporary pottery and ceramics skills. QEST funding will smooth the transition for the business so Adam can spend time tutoring Jack while his work becomes of a standard to sell.

“Adam Frew’s spontaneity and experimentation with process, form and colour are so inspiring. His advice on running a viable craft business will be equally valuable for my career.”

adamfrew.com adamfrewceramics jackmcgonigleceramics.com

jackmcgonigleceramics

QEST

Apprentices 2017

Gabriel Noble QEST APPRENTICE BEE FARMING

The Bee Farmers' Association has developed a threeyear apprenticeship in partnership with Rowse Honey and Defra to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to make a career in the industry.

Gabriel Noble has been accepted onto this programme, which will lead to an Excellence in Bee Farming Diploma from the Worshipful Company of Wax Chandlers. Employed by Becky’s Beezzzs, Gabriel will work on 100 honey producing colonies across Berkshire and Hampshire and help to produce over 200 nucleus colonies.

Ben Fairgrieve QEST ROBERTSON TRUST APPRENTICE STONEMASONRY

Ben Fairgrieve has been selected for a four-year apprenticeship at St Mary's Cathedral Workshop in Edinburgh, founded in 1987 to restore the Cathedral’s exterior stonework and train young apprentices.

Apprenticed to master masons Andrew Ramsay and Jordan Kirk, Ben will learn the traditional craft skills required for restoration and conservation work - ‘Young Hands for Old Skills’ - and study for a Scottish Vocational Qualification in stonemasonry at Edinburgh College.

Bluebell Hill QEST GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION APPRENTICE CERAMICS

Two years ago, Bluebell Hill started helping artist potter and tutor Richard Phethean one day a week during classes at the Tresabenn Studio in Cornwall. By watching throwing demonstrations and with Richard's encouragement, she began to develop her own pottery skills.

Bluebell has now begun a formal apprenticeship. She will spend three years working alongside Richard to learn the craft of the potter’s wheel and technical aspects of studio practice: preparation, storage and recycling of clay; mixing and applying slips and glazes; kiln packing and firing.

“The QEST funding will enable me to become sufficiently skilled to work as an independent potter, and by dealing with customers and attending fairs with my master, I’ll learn to market and sell ceramics effectively.”

richardphethean.co.uk

“Thanks to QEST, I am able to work with Becky Chadd as my host trainer on producing quality local honey, expanding the number of hives for honey production, and putting bees out for pollination of farm crops and orchards.”

beckysbeesonlineshop.co.uk BeckysBees

“I look forward to following in the footsteps of former St Mary’s apprentices who have passed out as master masons with the rare hand skills of stonework restoration, many having won awards, all now employed in the trade.”

cathedral.net

StMarysCathEdin

Issue 37 Spring 2018

Paul Fallows QEST PILGRIM TRUST APPRENTICE THATCHING

Paul Fallows has swapped life as a personal fitness trainer in London for the physical challenge of pursuing a career in thatching.

He approached QEST Scholar Adam Nash (2005), now a master thatcher, who agreed to take him on for a three-year apprenticeship. They are working together on buildings in Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset, with other thatchers inspecting Paul’s progress periodically for quality control.

On completion, Paul will become a journeyman thatcher, able to tackle any roof single-handedly.

“Thanks to QEST I will earn a living whilst training to keep alive one of the UK's oldest rural traditions and pursuing my passion for the use of sustainable materials.”

adamnashthatcher.co.uk thatcher_fallows

Matthew Foster QEST STANLEY PICKER TRUST APPRENTICE CERAMICS

Photographs: ©Anil Leach

Fine Arts graduate Matthew Foster has been awarded a QEST Apprenticeship for his final year of training in the production of tableware in Cornwall at Leach Pottery, considered by many to be the birthplace of British studio pottery.

Working with lead potter Roelof Uys and five others, Matthew is developing his own distinctive style influenced by the studio’s aesthetics, as well as learning more about kiln firing, decorating and how to make larger pieces. He is also gaining an understanding of marketing and selling his work.

“I hope to use the knowledge from my apprenticeship in accordance with the ideals of Bernard Leach to teach, inspire and continue his legacy whilst helping to preserve the cultural asset of pottery for future generations.”

leachpottery.com leachpottery

Asten Metters QEST JOHN APTHORP CHARITY APPRENTICE GUNMAKING

The UK is one of the few places in the world manufacturing fully handmade guns, yet there is no dedicated school teaching the craft. It relies on the one-to-one passing on of specialist skills.

Stephane Dupille, master gunmaker and owner of Stephen & Son Gunmakers, has taken on Asten Metters as an apprentice at his Bedfordshire workshop. He has found Asten to be patient and committed to Stephane’s motto ‘quality always’, and is showing good aptitude as he learns to make bespoke guns for the trade.

“The game and clay shooting market is strong and demand for makers is high. I feel extremely fortunate to be working in this trade and learning from a top craftsman to become a gunsmith.”

stephenandson-gunmakers.co.uk

QEST

Apprentices 2017

Joanna Murphy QEST ALBORADA TRUST APPRENTICE SADDLE FITTING

A passion for horses, being a riding coach and working for Marcus Tregoning Racing as a groom and assistant to the vets and chiropractor has made Joanna Murphy aware of the importance of saddle making and fitting, a craft she now aims to master.

bearhousesaddlery.co.uk bearhousesaddlery Bearhouse Saddlery

Photograph: georgebaxter.co

She has started a three-year apprenticeship with master saddler and QEST Worshipful Company of Saddlers Scholar Clare Barnett (2013) at Bearhouse Saddlery, one of the UK’s few makers of side saddles. As well as learning to make leather tack and saddlery, Joanna is studying for City & Guilds qualifications in bridle and saddle making.

“My intention is to create well-crafted saddles that consider the horse’s welfare and allow both horse and rider to perform at their best, and use traditional leathercraft to create modern products for competitive riding.”

Mila Chielman

Oliver Pont

QEST GARFIELD WESTON FOUNDATION APPRENTICE

QEST 29TH MAY 1961 CHARITABLE TRUST APPRENTICE

SPECTACLE MAKING

BEE FARMING

Cubitts, founded in London in 2012 with a mission to revive the craft of hand-making spectacles in the UK, has welcomed Mila Chielman as an apprentice.

Following his grandfather into the trade, Mila is working with in-house spectacle maker Matthew Havercroft and Lawrence Jenkin, a master with over 50 years’ experience. Each frame begins with top quality material – including cellulose acetate from Italy, sustainably farmed water buffalo horn from India and Scotland and 18ct gold

– that Mila is learning to shape, polish and hinge.

“I share Cubitts’ obsession with traditional making and am grateful to QEST for supporting my training as I master the 50 stages of crafting a pair of spectacles at professional pace.”

cubitts.co.uk cubitts CubittsKX Cubitts

Oliver Pont is the fourth generation of his family’s bee farming business, Lincolnshire Apiaries, established in 1936.

Eager to continue the craft and develop new skills, Oliver is in the second year of the three-year Bee Farmers’ Association and Rowse Honey apprenticeship with his father Neil Pont. He would like to grow the number of colonies (he hopes to be managing at least 100 by next year) and develop queen breeding so the business is self-sufficient.

“My father learned his bee farming skills from his father. QEST’s financial contribution to my wages will enable me to do the same, and helping to ensure the continuity of our Ponts’ Honey and the services we offer to other British bee keepers.”

pontshoney.com LincsApiaries

Championing traditional artisan skills, Sleepeezee design and hand make pocket spring beds By Royal Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales, underlying our reputation for creating superior products and delivering excellent service.

The QEST range of beds is available exclusively through Furniture Village stores nationwide and online www.furniturevillage.co.uk/brands/sleepeezee Additional 10% discount off all sale prices on QEST mattresses and divans on presentation of this advert

T: 44 (0) 1634 723 557 | E: sales@sleepeezee.com | www.sleepeezee.com /RMKLX 6SEH 6SGLIWXIV /IRX 1) &4 9RMXIH /MRKHSQ

QEST

HCA Radcliffe Red List

RED ALERT

The Heritage Crafts Association (HCA) was founded eight years ago to safeguard and promote traditional craft skills in the UK. HCA Chair Patricia Lovett, MBE, FRSA talks about its role in the research and publication of The Radcliffe Red List of Endangered Crafts 2016-17.

We had anecdotal evidence that some crafts were in decline, but to gain attention and form an effective plan, a more rigorous study was needed. In 2015, we received a generous grant from The Radcliffe Trust that enabled us to assess the vitality of traditional heritage crafts in the UK and identify those most at risk of disappearing.

HCA Chair Patricia Lovett, MBE, FRSA

We defined heritage craft as ‘a practice that employs manual dexterity and skill, an understanding of traditional materials, design and techniques, and which has been practised for two or more successive generations’. Knowledge tends to lie within the communities practising these types of craft, so we took a grassroots approach. Led by project manager Greta Bertram, around 700 individuals and organisations were invited to contribute to a wiki website.

Information was gathered about the history, techniques, local forms, numbers of trainees and skilled craftspeople and challenges being faced for 169 crafts.

HCA and QEST can make a big difference to the future of British craft Oak bark tanning at J. & F.J. Baker & Co. Ltd. Photograph: Jonathan Slack

We found an incredible range of skills in the UK and many of these are in the hands of world-class craftspeople, but in some cases the youngest known is in their 50s or 60s. Other key themes that emerged were market factors, supply of raw materials and tools, and small business issues (research in 2012 showed that 78% of those working in heritage crafts in England are self-employed). Access to quality training and accreditation and the prohibitive costs of training the trainers was raised.

Recruitment is also a challenge, from lack of awareness of career opportunities to finding trainees with appropriate skills.

Photograph: cavendishpianos.com

Photograph: Patricia Lovett, MBE, FRSA

Issue 37 Spring 2018

Piano making (critically endangered)

While short courses are popular, few people go on to take a craft further.

Taking all these factors into consideration, we divided the list into four categories of risk: currently viable, endangered, critically endangered and extinct.

Four crafts have been lost in the past ten years. These include gold beating (making tissue-thin leaves), which as a scribe and illuminator I find hugely disappointing and am shocked at the abruptness with which a 2,000-year-old skill can vanish from the UK. There are 17 listed as critically endangered and many endangered, but we hope the report will act as a call to action.

These craft skills and techniques are part of our intangible cultural heritage, comparable to unique historical buildings or rare precious landscapes, but to be safeguarded for the future heritage crafts must be lived, passed on from master to student, evolving through generations to be vibrant in each new age. This is where the work of QEST is invaluable too.

QEST has supported the HCA Awards since their inception and we can reach makers who would benefit greatly from a QEST Scholarship or Apprenticeship.

The Radcliffe Red List of Endangered

Marbled paper for book endpapers and a scroll case lining (critically endangered)

Crafts has given us even more focus and the stories you are about to read from three QEST Alumni - collar maker Kate Hetherington, clog maker JoJo Wood and bell caster David Snoo Wilson are an inspiration.

We have a clear mission and momentum, and with the right funding the HCA and QEST can make a big difference to the future of British craft to bring genuine economic and cultural benefits for generations to come. heritagecrafts.org.uk heritagecrafts heritage_crafts

QEST Alumni and HCA craftspeople will be demonstrating at the Worshipful Company of Carpenters during London Craft Week on 9th May from 11.30am to 2.30pm. John Makepeace, OBE, furniture maker and designer, will give a talk from 3 to 4pm on how he made the Master’s Chair for the Worshipful Company of Carpenters. The day will end with a Champagne Reception and further opportunity to interact with the makers. londoncraftweek.com

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of those working in heritage crafts in England are self-employed

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crafts listed as critically endangered

QEST

Private View

PRIVATE VIEW

Our conversations with QEST Alumni continue with three Scholars working in crafts identified as critically endangered or endangered on the HCA Radcliffe Red List.

Kate Hetherington Saddle & Harness Making QEST Scholar 2007

What is collar making?

I make traditional horse collars with a leather outer and rye straw filling.

How did you learn your craft?

I did an apprenticeship in 1996, aged 16, with master harness maker John McDonald. I worked for a saddle maker until lack of work due to foot and mouth in 2001 forced me to set up on my own. I discovered an unmet demand for collars and applied for a QEST Scholarship to learn from John: one week gig collar making, one week heavy collar, then hame (the metal part outside the collar that John and I still make in traditional steel and brass plate).

How did you benefit from your QEST Scholarship?

Learning to make collars was the catalyst for business success. I can make everything for the show ring and traditional carriage driving harness, and my made-to-measure collars ensure maximum comfort and strength.

Is there still a demand for collar making?

John and I make 40 to 70 a year. The market today - more for driving than heavy horse collars - would sustain six expert makers in the UK. Knowing that two of the four current practitioners will retire soon is a concern. Further afield, I have just returned from a World Horse Welfare trip to Nicaragua teaching communities that rely on working horses how to make a basic collar easily from local materials.

Pair of cob size collars with leather covered hames

Is training available today?

John only works half the year now; I will take over his collar making course when he retires. Interest in this initial training is good, but people need to invest further money, time and effort to keep the craft alive, as it requires a lot of practice to develop an eye for fit and make accordingly.

What do you think about collar making being ‘critically endangered’ on the HCA Radcliffe Red List?

Until it was published, I hadn’t given it much thought. I’ve been busy working, but I realise now in a cocoon. Our leather all comes from an oak bark tannery – the last remaining – and we get a lot of work from coachbuilders and wagon makers. It was alarming to see us all in the most severe category of risk. I feel a strong responsibility to think and act for the future.

Putting rye straw body onto a patent leather, Private Driving pony collar

katehetheringtoncollarandharness.co.uk worldhorsewelfare.org/Nicaragua

Issue 37 Spring 2018

Constellation clogs by JoJo Wood

JoJo Wood QEST Ernest Cook Trust Scholar 2015

(although arthritis means he will stop soon).

There is so much to master, I know I’ll find it endlessly fascinating.

Were you surprised to see clog making listed as critically endangered?

No. I’ve always been surrounded by craftspeople committed to keeping traditional crafts alive (my father Robin Wood is a founder of The Heritage Craft Association and revived pole lathe bowl turning). Traditional British clogs with hand carved wooden soles and leather uppers are an important part of our history, everybody wore them for hundreds of years. The critical nature of the craft appealed to me; I am passionate about continuing their making.

How is your training going?

The tools are a lot of the reason I have fallen in love with clog making. I felt an instant connection handling the stock knives – blocker, hollower and gripper – which can be remarkably delicate despite being three-feet long. They’ve become my constant companions, my joy, my livelihood. I rough carve soles in green wood, which are left to dry before test fitting and final carving. Jeremy uses sycamore, but I work in alder at the moment as it’s softer and allows me to focus on technique. I’m also refining the design and fit of my upper work.

How did you get into clog making?

I grew up woodworking with my father, particularly spoons, which I’ve made professionally for five years. I was looking for a challenging craft to become my lifelong pursuit.

There are only two skilled clog makers in the UK who hand carve soles: Jeremy Atkinson and Geraint Parfitt. My mother filmed Jeremy teaching Geraint 10 years ago for her PhD on passing on craft skills. He made a pair of clogs for her, which I adopted and started working on, teaching myself to re-sole.

What do you think the future will be for clog making?

Media coverage of the HCA Radcliffe Red List has led to lots of enquiries for clogs, so the demand is there if we can raise awareness.

Carving Jeremy’s shapes is a brilliant way to learn, but by the end of my apprenticeship I’ll have developed my own style, and the beauty of bespoke means I can carve every pair to the perfect curve for its owner. I want to learn leathercraft from shoemakers too so I can blend traditional wooden soles with a range of contemporary forms.

Photograph: Peter Follansbee

Clog Making

Photograph: Robin Wood, MBE

Rough carving soles at Greenwood Fest

Clog lasts over which the leather uppers are formed

How has QEST supported you?

QEST is providing funding towards my apprenticeship with Jeremy, who has spent 30 years researching and practising the craft.

He is beyond retirement age, but still working

jojo-wood.co.uk

jojowoodcraft

Private View

Photograph: Nick Caro

Photograph: Paul Blackmore

QEST

Live casting a bespoke wedding bell

Bell Casting

QEST Scholar 2016

How did you become interested in bell casting?

Bells are one of the most significant instruments created. For centuries they have played a role in communication and ritual, markers of change from hours in the day to births, marriages and deaths. I used to live in an old pub. When the time came to leave, I wanted to cast a bell to ring my final ‘last orders’.

How did this become a business?

The difficulty I experienced finding bell founders to share their knowledge made me determined to acquire the skills and make the craft more accessible for others. I established Ore + Ingot, a Bristol-based travelling foundry, with Jo Lathwood in 2012. It has become a hub for local artists, we run short courses teaching metal casting, and make bells by commission around the world.

Where have you travelled?

In 2014, I was awarded a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship to visit central European bell foundries and witness the performance of iron founders in Latvia. This inspired Song of the Bell, a theatrical piece around folklore and myth with our foundry at the heart. We have also performed live bell pours narrated by Nick Hunt against the soundtrack of the roaring furnace at festivals including Wilderness and Burning Man.

How are you keeping bell casting alive and relevant?

Seeing bell casting as an endangered craft was a reminder of the obstacles I faced. I hope to reduce this risk by education - I teach bronze casting at the Royal College of Art and have made bells with students - and creating bells for different occasions and audiences. Inspired by the reaction to our live pours, we launched Bespoke Wedding Bells. Guests are invited to add pieces of jewellery (a custom to give ‘a nice silvery ring’) or metal with personal meaning to the molten bronze to create a bell and memories for the bride and groom.

What difference has QEST made?

My QEST Scholarship enabled me to conduct research with Marcus Vergette, one of the world’s leading bell designers, into the harmonic consequences of introducing new elements to the traditional bell alloy mix. I have been fortunate to collaborate with Marcus on projects since, including a scale version of The Harmonic Canon, which toured in 2017 with percussionists arx duo playing a musical composition by Dominic Murcott. oreandingot.com bespokeweddingbells.co.uk

Photograph: Paul Blackmore

David Snoo Wilson

QEST

Alumni News

QEST

ALUMNI NEWS

Many QEST Alumni have been busy making names for themselves. Here are a few highlights, including a first solo show for ceramicist Matthew Warner (2012), a new fine jewellery collection by Jessica Poole (2009) and her apprentice Shannon Knight (2015), and the restoration by Eugenie Degan (2007) of a basse de violon bequeathed to Prince Albert in 1846.

EXHIBITIONS QEST Scholar Matthew Warner (2012) is widely admired for the elegant, functional tableware he has made since his apprenticeship with QEST Scholar Julian Stair (2004). Josiah Wedgwood has provided the spark and reference point for a new body of work for Matthew’s first solo show.

Matthew Warner: Social Objects at Contemporary Applied Arts, London until 10th March explores his fascination with how pots embody and articulate details about society and culture.

Through Josiah’s recognisable, neoclassical forms of the industrial age and Matthew’s language of studio pottery, he hopes to start a conversation about how the most social objects in our lives span social divides and convey messages about their owners and environment. matthewwarner.co.uk matthewwarner_ caa.org.uk

Two teapots 2017 by Matthew Warner

Sculptor Andrian Melka (2008) has always been fascinated by mythology; Neptune, Bacchus, Atlas and Venus were subjects of his early commissions.

Accustomed to depicting these gods as idealised human forms, his latest work explores the Vulnerability of the Gods & Humanity through pairs of bronze sculptures: one exquisitely polished representing perfection, heroism and immortality, the other battered and beaten with holes tearing through the bronze alluding to the conflicts and jealousies that blighted their relationships. The collection was exhibited at the Art of Protest Gallery in York. melkasculpture.com Melkasculpture

Calypso, bronze 680mm high by Andrian Melka

Issue 37 Spring 2018

QEST Apprentice ice sculptor Nick Smith (2016) undertook his largest solo snow sculpture to date at Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. In the months running up to the event, Nick worked with fellow craftsmen at Hamilton Ice Sculptors making shoals of fish, deep sea divers, jellyfish, an octopus, shells and mermaids.

On site at -10 degrees, Nick spent three days using chainsaws and Japanese chisels to carve seven tonnes of compacted snow into a 3.5 metre-high Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, with ice trident for the final scene in the Magical Ice Kingdom underwater adventure. icesculpture.co.uk icesculptor

GreatArt, supplier of quality art materials, opened its flagship store in Shoreditch a year ago on the site of a former stained and decorative glass studio. Founded in 1868, the business closed in 2006, but many of its craftspeople continue to practice the creation of stained, coloured and painted glass for architecture of all kinds. QEST Scholar Chris Madlin (2013) collaborated with GreatArt to organise Goddard & Gibbs Exhibitionists in their original home, a celebration of the history of the building and showcase of glass by seven artists, including Chris, who worked there. magazine.greatart.co.uk GlassLightSpace

Andrew Swinscoe (2010) undertook an apprenticeship in affinage (cheese maturing) in France with world-renowned expert HervĂŠ Mons.

In 2012, Andy and his wife Kathy opened The Courtyard Dairy in the Yorkshire Dales to champion small, independent producers and age their cheeses to perfection. In recent months, they have expanded into new premises with a cheese-making room where they are running courses and a museum telling the history of British farmhouse cheeses and how they are made, from pasteurisation to cloth-binding. On display is a 19th century cast-iron cheese press, cheese irons used to take samples as a cheese matures, and his great-grandmother Mary Reid’s notes from 1912 on how to make Double Gloucester. thecourtyarddairy.co.uk thecourtyarddairy Traditional cheese-making equipment at The Courtyard Dairy Museum

QEST

Alumni News

Tableware designer Peter Ting (1997) has been elected to the International Academy of Ceramics (IAC) and selected to present at its 2018 General Congress and Assembly in Taiwan.

The IAC aims to stimulate communication between its 680 members in 56 countries and encourages highest quality production in all ceramic cultures. This is epitomised by Peter’s partnership with porcelain expert Ying Jian. Ting-Ying is a gallery concept launched in 2016 that presents unique and limited edition Blanc de Chine porcelain works made by master craftspeople in Dehua, Fujian Province, China.

They also foster collaborations with other artists around the world. The Flower Cylinder series, created by Peter with accomplished flower maker Zha Caiduan, will feature at COLLECT: The International Art Fair for Contemporary Objects, 22nd - 25th February at the Saatchi Gallery, London. peterting.com ting-ying.com aic-iac.org

Annie Warburton at the Crafts Council nominated Billy Lloyd, ceramics designer and QEST Eranda Rothschild Foundation Scholar, to apply for a British Council Crafting Futures Mexico residency in Oaxaca. Billy spent three weeks working alongside Mexican designer Juan Pablo Viedma. They collaborated with traditional potters and other craft makers to develop work that the families could continue to produce and sell. The Mujeres del Barro Rojo (‘women of red clay’) were excellent makers.

Their pots are created entirely by hand, the shapes following the curve of their palms. The range they created together – including La Chocolatera breakfast bowl and plate and red clay lidded jars - will be showcased at The Conran Shop during London Craft Week 2018. billylloyd.co.uk billylloydesign londoncraftweek.com

Trio of Barro Rojo Hex Tasting Plates

Billy Lloyd with Amalia and Macrina, Mujeres del Barro Rojo

Issue 37 Spring 2018

Glass artist Effie Burns (2012) recently completed an ArtWorks Fellowship at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland. She explored traditional glass engraving in combination with digital technology through themes of fairy tales and feminism. One of her sculptures, Deer, was purchased by the National Glass Centre for its Collections Gallery. Effie made the deer from lamp worked glass with engraved detail and polished spots to reflect the light and set it on a glass cast of her left hand, symbolic of the unconscious mind and emotions. Effie’s next exhibition, Loud and Clear, will be held at the Harley Gallery in Welbeck, Nottinghamshire in April 2018. effieburnsglass.co.uk br0cc0lih0use

Deer by Effie Burns

Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2018

conservation Eugenie Degan (2007) is a skilled cello player who studied at the Paris Conservatoire before moving into violin family instrument restoration.

Her QEST Scholarship with Peter Ratclifff gave her the ability and confidence to open her own workshop in 2009. She recently completed the repair and set up of a basse de violon bequeathed by Domenico Dragonetti, Europe’s greatest double bass virtuoso, to Prince Albert (then director of the Concert of Ancient Music) after playing it in his presence in 1845. A film on The Royal Collection website includes an interview with Eugenie and a new recital in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace. deganviolins.com royalcollection.org.uk

Eugenie Degan working on the basse de violon from The Royal Collection

hki.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk people.ds.cam.ac.uk/sb10029/ museums.norfolk.gov.uk/norwich-castle

Photograph: Chris Titmus, Hamilton Kerr Institute, University of Cambridge

Dr Spike Bucklow (1993) is a senior research scientist at the Hamilton Kerr Institute (HKI), University of Cambridge, where he teaches a postgraduate course on the conservation of easel paintings. His latest book, The Anatomy of Riches, has been published by Reaktion. This is to coincide with exhibitions of The Paston Treasure, painted in the 1670s by a Dutch artist for English politician Sir Robert Paston and restored at the HKI ten years ago. Derived from historical texts, personal letters and scientific analysis, the book studies the craft of the painting and charts the adventures of the objects it depicts - textiles, musical instruments, horology, globes, shells, gold and silver work - many of which now reside in museums across the world. The Paston Treasure will be on display at the Norwich Castle Museum from 23rd June 2018.

The Paston Treasure

Alumni News

Photograph: Juliet Sheath

QEST

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COLLECTIONS QEST Scholar Jessica Poole (2009) is a trained goldsmith and, following her Scholarship, specialist micro pave diamond setter (stones as small as 0.5mm are set together in a ‘sea of sparkle’). She makes fine jewellery, mostly under a microscope for precision, at her London studio with QEST Apprentice Shannon Knight (2015). Their work is usually bespoke commissions, but Jessica is venturing into high-end, ready-to-wear with the launch of the Astral Collection, seven bridal suites of engagement rings with fitted wedding bands and pendants, earrings and bracelets to match. Clusters of white and cognac diamonds are set in 18ct gold or platinum and each setting - large three and four claw, castelle and their signature micro pave - is individually cut and created by hand. jessicapoole.co.uk jessicapoolejewellery

Astral Collection Bridal Trio by Jesscia Poole

In June 2017, ceramicist Mia Sarosi (2004) travelled to the Republic of the Congo to experience the flora and fauna of the jungle. She sketched endangered Western Lowland gorillas and kayaked rivers to observe forest elephants, hippo, buffalo, hundreds of birds and butterflies. The only pottery she found was in the swamps where animals go to take the many salt and mineral deposits. In one area they walked over hundreds of shards in the streams, which guides said were from the long-gone salt trade. The rainforest birds and trees were the inspiration for Mia’s new collection made exclusively for Heal’s. Designs include Superb Sunbird and Ebony and Parrot and Raphia Palm and the tableware range includes mini salt bullets as a nod to the pottery pieces in the rivers. miasarosi.com miasarosiceramics heals.com

Mia Sarosi Rainforest collection available exclusively at Heals

Issue 37 Spring 2018

QEST Scholar Deborah Carré (1997) and James Ducker have established a bespoke, country pursuits footwear service for James Purdey & Sons. By appointment with Carréducker, the consultation covers fit and everything from terrain to a customer’s gait and stance. The collection, including slippers, stalking boots and waxed canvas gaiters, is made using natural materials with proven performance. Quality vegetable tanned leathers from Italy are waxed and ‘dubbined’ for water resistance, a bellows tongue keeps the interior dry, extra strong oak bark tanned soling and heel leathers offer durability and traditional welted construction is standard. Customers can add further touches of luxury such as shearling linings and discreet personalisation with debossed initials or a brogued crest. purdey.com carreducker.com carreducker Ashcombe Field Shoe by Carréducker Bespoke for Purdey

COMMISSIONS In 2016, QEST Garfield Weston Foundation Scholar Thomas Merrett (2014) was awarded the biennial Founders’ Sculpture Prize. This international competition for sculptors in the first decade of their careers is sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Founders, The Gilbert Bayes Trust and The Society of Portrait Sculptors with the aim of promoting figurative sculpture and its translation into bronze. Thomas was commissioned to realise his winning design, Flight, based on the set theme of refugees. He spent six months working on a clay model from the conceptual drawings and maquette he submitted for judging. This has been cast and will be on show at La Galleria Pall Mall in May 2018. thomasmerrett.com thomasmerrett

Wally Gilbert is the third generation of his family in the world of decorative arts (his grandfather worked on the gates of Buckingham Palace). He graduated from Chelsea Arts School in 1968 and spent years teaching before gaining a QEST Scholarship in 2001 to study silversmithing at Canberra School of Art. This led to residencies at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Wisconsin, which encourages artists to use industrial technologies to extend their practice. He has since made cast iron decorative panels for a rail bridge parapet in the Midlands with a soundwave pattern to commemorate the Rugby Radio Station originally on the site, and architectural cast iron beams to form the new atrium roof The Art Workers’ Guild in London. wallygilbert.co.uk

Decorative bridge panels by Wally Gilbert at Prologis RFI DIRFT, Rugby

QEST

My QEST

MY QEST ALEC McQUIN QEST Trustee & Honorary Treasurer Managing Director, Rokill

And any that have captured your imagination?

QEST is all about capturing someone on the cusp of something special that they wouldn’t realise without the charity’s support.

QEST Radcliffe Trust Scholar Kate Boucher (2015) embodies this for me.

Within a year of receiving her MFA from West Dean College, she has had two London shows, been artist-in-residence at the Candida Stevens Gallery in Chichester, and was invited to contribute to its exhibition of contemporary British artists celebrating the beauty and fragility of the planet. Kate is about to embark on a practice-based MPhil/PhD at the University of the Creative Arts.

I think the results of her studies into how providing artists with time and space to make and think intensively about their work can liberate ideas and develop skills will be intriguing reading.

misskateboucher

How did you become involved with QEST? I was introduced to QEST through the RWHA in 2000 when I became Grantee of the Royal Warrant for Rokill, the pest control company I founded in 1982. I became a QEST Trustee in 2011 and was appointed Treasurer for the second time in 2016.

QEST IS ABOUT CAPTURING SOMEONE ON THE CUSP OF SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT THEY WOULDN’T REALISE WITHOUT SUPPORT.

QEST is a wonderful, quite special charity. It is a privilege to attend the Scholar and Apprentice interviews and experience the energy and commitment of so many different craftspeople, brimming with potential.

I admire the making of beautiful things and appreciate the skills required.

However, as a businessman, I also keep an eye on the commercial reality of their career plans, as this is equally vital to our mission, the support of British craft excellence. rokill.co.uk Which recent work by a QEST Scholar or Apprentice has caught your eye?

QEST Rokill Scholar Mario Sierra is one I was proud to support and follow avidly. He has revitalised his family handloom weaving studio in Northern Ireland, creating bespoke furnishing fabrics, cushions and throws. The work that goes into the rugs is incredible. Made on the largest loom, every time they ‘beat in’ the woollen yarn and unspun fleece, the whole workshop shakes. Mario has great entrepreneurial spirit. His Mourne Textiles team has been weaving at the House & Garden Festival and exhibited at international interior design fair Decorex.

Meeting QEST’s weavers, embroiderers and conservators has given me a different perspective on my day job. Seeing the dedication that goes into creating and preserving these textiles, it would be heartbreaking if a clothes moth or carpet beetle were to find its way near and destroy such lovely work. mournetextiles.com mournetextiles

Whose apprentice would you like to be?

I would love to be a silversmith for a day at the bench alongside QEST Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Apprentice Paul Kirkos. In his final year of training as a chaser in the silver workshop at Hamilton & Inches in Edinburgh, Paul’s work has become increasingly intricate. He won the Gold Award for Junior Chasers at The Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Award for his Chased Bowl with Engraved Horses featuring Scottish sculptor Andy Scott’s Kelpies – the swimming bodies double chased into the silver, the heads etched into the glass – and is working with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on coasters featuring thistles and lucky heather. The vitality Paul brings to this age-old craft is tremendous. hamiltonandinches.com hamiltoninches Which QEST Scholar would you most like to commission?

I commissioned QEST Scholar Katherine Howlett-Davies (2007) to paint a watercolour picture of our home. An artist with a love of architecture, Katherine received her first request for a house portrait in 2009 from a passer-by who saw her sketching Winchester Cathedral while she was studying for an MA. She spends time to create an artwork that captures a building and its memories; it was a pleasure to observe and be part of the process. katherinehowlettdavies.co.uk As an amateur magician, I’m curious to know more about a bespoke jacket that QEST Johnnie Walker Scholar Jennie Adamson (2016) made for a professional performer, but I’ve a feeling that in true private client style, any secrets within will remain that way. jennieadamson.com jennieadamson

Photograph: Candida Stevens Gallery

Springfield House by Katherine Howlett-Davies

everything against a fixed point by Kate Boucher

Photograph: ŠTara Fisher

Mourne Textiles Tweed Cushions

Milano Rug weaving at Mourne Textiles

Chased Bowl with Engraved Horses by Paul Kirkos

Bespoke tailoring by Jennie Adamson

QEST

Ambassador

QEST

Ambassador Scott Simpson

A focus on the best of British design and making underpins Scott Simpson’s career – Bamford & Sons, Vivienne Westwood, LINLEY, The Cambridge Satchel Company – making him well-suited to his role as QEST Ambassador.

How did you become involved with QEST? I met the QEST team when I co-curated A Celebration of British Design, Craftsmanship, Engineering & Innovation with David Snowdon at his LINLEY showroom in Pimlico. The theme of the exhibition was a natural fit with the charity’s ambition to promote excellence in British craftsmanship. I now introduce other brands with these shared values, for example Globe-Trotter and McLaren Automotive, to support QEST.

Scott Simpson with The Cambridge Satchel Company QEST Collection

When Lord Snowdon became vice patron, he wanted to help raise the profile of QEST with a fundraising dinner. Now in its third year, I am chairman of the ticket committee for this wonderful Celebration of Craft at the Victoria & Albert Museum. We are also planning another event with LINLEY during London Craft Week in May to showcase the vital role of British craftsmanship and QEST. Tell us more about the partnership with The Cambridge Satchel Company.

I am Head of Product at The Cambridge Satchel Company and our founder and CEO Julie Deane, OBE is a fellow QEST Ambassador. We launched the first QEST Collection of special edition bags in 2016. It was a great success and the funds raised were donated to QEST. We also sponsored QEST Scholar Sabina Weiss to study for an Innovation Design Engineering Masters run by the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London.

We recently launched the second QEST Collection: classic 11-inch Satchel, Music Bag, Poppy Bag, Traveller Bag with side pockets inspired by a vintage camera bag, and Briefcase. All the bags are handmade at our factory in Leicester in classic oxblood and contrast navy grain leather with the QEST emblem gold foil embossed.

We also donated a red leather Poppy bag to Hand & Lock for The Embellished Handbag: A Celebration of 250 years of Fashion and Embroidery. They did a beautiful job embroidering the bag with poppies in luxurious bullion thread to create a unique piece that was auctioned by Sotheby’s in December and raised £2,000 for QEST and The Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery.

The Cambridge Satchel Company QEST Collection is available in all stores and at cambridgesatchel.com.

The Poppy embroidered by Hand & Lock for The Embellished Handbag

cambridgesatchel.com

camsatchelco

Issue 37 Spring 2018

IN GOOD COMPANY Many QEST Scholars and Apprentices benefit not only from the financial support, but also working closely with their named sponsor. Three major donors - Penhaligon’s, Howdens and Johnnie Walker - tell us more about how they value this mutually beneficial relationship.

PENHALIGON’S Lance Patterson, CEO

As a quintessentially British brand that continues to make its products in Britain, it is fitting that our charitable efforts are fully focused on supporting British Craft.

We are proud holders of two Royal Warrants and have been involved with the RWHA for many years; supporting QEST is a natural evolution of this relationship.

True to William Penhaligon’s founding principles, we embrace our Britishness through both tradition and innovation, ever seeking new ways to interpret our rich heritage. Sponsoring and working with a QEST Scholar is an inspiring way to do this. It’s a fresh approach for our team, valued by the individual, and helps on both sides to ensure that British workmanship remains vital and relevant.

QEST found the perfect match for our first QEST Penhaligon’s Scholar in Cara Louise Walker (2017). Winner of the London Glassblowing Award for Emerging Talent in 2015, Cara is in the final year of the Master of Fine Arts in Glass at Edinburgh College of Art and we are delighted to be funding her tuition fees. Cara’s creativity in glass making – she is investigating how glass behaves in combination with materials such as metal and stone and capturing fluid movement in glass – and Penhaligon’s use of glass for our distinctive fragrance bottles gives us lots of scope to work together.

The QEST Celebration of Craft at the Victoria & Albert Museum is becoming a highlight in the Penhaligon’s calendar too. This is our second year as principal sponsor and it’s rewarding to know that the funds raised at this event that shines with craft talent will support many more in the future. penhaligons.com penhaligons_london designsbycaralouise.com designsbycaralouise

“I have been well and truly welcomed into the Penhaligon’s family. I visited the Edinburgh store to find out what’s behind the company and its fragrances. The personal fragrance profiling was a fascinating experience and extremely useful as my dissertation, Essences of Nostalgia, is linked to olfactory memory.”

Cara Louise Walker QEST Penhaligon’s Scholar (2017)

Scent vessels interpreting olfactory memories by Cara Louise Walker

QEST

In Good Company

HOWDENS

Kevin Barrett, Commercial Director Howdens Joinery is the UK's largest manufacturer and supplier of fitted kitchens, appliances and joinery products. Whilst we’re makers, we’re a service business at heart, proud to be Suppliers of Fitted Kitchens By Appointment to HM The Queen.

We work using local stock and aim to retain the sense of being a local business at each of our 650 depots.

We are grateful to the Royal Warrant Holders Association for the introduction to QEST. Investing in people, from the traditional apprenticeship scheme we run in house to supporting others committed to their craft, is fundamental to the Howdens approach. And QEST provides a terrific opportunity for anyone in our business to give. We’ve had teams run in the Royal Parks 10k and Half Marathon, it’s wonderful to meet the range of QEST Alumni at events and auctions (we have a Willow Rhinoceros Head by Bob Johnston in one of our meeting rooms as a reminder), and of course working with the QEST Howdens Apprentice and Scholars.

The financial contribution is important to start with. Beyond that, we’re a business that has all the skills required for someone to make a commercial success of their passion. Whether it’s supply chain management or negotiating IP and legal contracts, we’ll have an expert happy to furnish a QEST Scholar with their specialist knowledge.

The whole organisation enjoyed seeing furniture maker Daniel Harrison (2016) undertake the making of a 3m wooden sculpture for our annual Golden Rooster Awards, from his visit to our head office in Northampton with initial sketches, through budget and material discussions and 10 weeks of making, to the event at Grosvenor House. It’s heartening to hear how much he benefitted from this too and that he’s taking on more responsibility for projects at his current workshop.

We look forward to working more with our 2017 QEST Scholars - ceramicist Hannah Tounsend (we loved the statement prints and vessels she made for the British Ceramic Biennial and have offered to make a film of her practice) and stonemason Lily Marsh - and supporting Apprentice gamekeeper Nicholas Wills.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn't for Howden's generosity and support. It is an inspirational company with a passionate team, ethical values and quality running through everything they do. Their guidance through the commissioning process has been invaluable and I look forward to continuing the business ethos and guarantee of workmanship this experience has ingrained.”

Photograph: Dave Usher

howdens.com danielharrisonfurniture.com hannahtounsend.co.uk lilymarshstonemason

FRESHlines by Hannah Tounsend

Daniel Harrison QEST Howdens Scholar (2016)

Issue 37 Spring 2018

Johnnie Walker

“I was honoured to make a quaich with oak from Sandringham as a gift to mark HM The Queen’s 90th birthday and patronage of QEST. I had in mind my conversations at the cooperage as I chose the oak, thinking what they would be looking for to make a cask: no knots, no splits, nothing that would warp.

I cut the wood to show the beauty of the end grain, as you’d see looking down on the staves of a cask. Finally, I charred the lugs, having learned how this creates flavour in whisky.”

David Gates, Managing Director, Diageo Futures In 2012, our coopers and whisky blenders worked with fellow craftspeople (including QEST Scholars Laura West and Sally Mangum) to make a Johnnie Walker special edition to raise money for the QEST Diamond Jubilee Appeal. As a result, we now enjoy supporting a growing number of QEST Johnnie Walker Scholars.

We invite each one to spend a couple of days in Scotland finding out how our whiskies are made. Daniel Durnin, whose Scholarship enabled him to complete his MA in Design Products at the Royal College of Art, loves working with wood and was in his element raising a cask at the cooperage. He also has a brilliant idea for making bespoke glassware that we’re helping him to develop.

Daniel Durnin QEST Johnnie Walker Scholar (2014)

Bespoke tailor Jennie Adamson spent time nosing and tasting whiskies with blender Emma Walker to create bespoke blends based on Johnnie Walker Black Label and Blue Label, fittingly named Black Watch and Blue Velvet. We hope they’ll be useful for her to share with private clients, and we have a jacket commission of our own in mind.

We do everything we can to keep traditional skills alive. Currently we have 64 of our own apprentices in Scotland and didn’t hesitate to support watchmaker Craig Struthers to train with Adam Phillips, one of the last master watch case makers in the UK. We’re thrilled that Craig is putting this straight into practice on a case for the first Struthers in-house movement that he is working on with his wife Rebecca, named Project 248: two minds, four hands and an 8mm lathe.

Photograph: Andy Pilsbury

johnniewalker.com danieldurnin.com jennieadamson.com struthers-london.co.uk

Photograph: Sim Canetty-Clarke

We look forward to celebrating their success and helping to secure the futures of many more craftspeople at the QEST fundraising dinner, where our bartenders will be mixing British craft-inspired cocktails.

“Working with Johnnie Walker, visiting the archive, coppersmiths, cooperage and a distillery, and meeting their blenders was enlightening. Growing a business to a global scale without compromising on the continuation of traditional hand skills is incredible.

It goes to show what is possible for small craft workshops like ours who want to expand, but stay true to their core values” Craig Struthers QEST Johnnie Walker Scholar (2017)

Supporting Excellence

QEST

About QEST

In British Craftsmanship QEST is the charity of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, established in 1990 to celebrate the 90th birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and the 150th anniversary of the Association by supporting excellence in British craftsmanship.

QEST sustains Britain’s cultural heritage by funding the training and education of talented and aspiring craftspeople through traditional college courses, vocational training, apprenticeships or one-on-one training with a master craftsperson. This helps to ensure the continuation of craftsmanship within the UK, enhancing and nurturing essential crafts skills that make a vital contribution to Britain’s cultural identity and the economy.

Since 1990, the Trust has awarded over £4 million to more than 440 craftspeople of all ages and backgrounds in at least 130 skill sectors, from rural to cutting-edge craft and conservation. Testament to

the selection process and support, 93% of the QEST Alumni are still working in their craft today - many acknowledged leaders in their field - and passing on their skills to the next generation.

Funding is available to individuals for Scholarships (£5,000 to £18,000) for a specialist course or training and to businesses (in particular smaller companies) to employ Apprentices (up to £18,000 over 2-3 years).

The charity, however, is only able to support around 10% of applicants and relies on the continued generosity of supporters to maintain and grow its far-reaching, vibrant network to promote excellence in British craftsmanship.

There are many ways to get involved and help raise these much-needed funds.

Contact Deborah Pocock on 020 7798 1531 or deborah.pocock@qest.org.uk.

SPECIAL EDITIONS

QEST MAGAZINE

Become a QEST ‘money maker’ by pledging a donation from the sales of an existing product or specially created item, perhaps working with a QEST Scholar or Apprentice.

This enables use of the QEST logo to illustrate the support for British craftsmanship.

Advertise in the bi-annual QEST Magazine, which spreads the word about the work of QEST, its craft alumni and supporters.

Sleepeezee mattress for QEST, sleepeezee.co.uk

Issue 37 Spring 2018

QEST Radcliffe Trust Scholar Natasha Mann (2012)

Zouaq artist Natasha Mann, QEST Radcliffe Trust Scholar (2012)

natasha-mann.com natashamann_zouaq_art

QEST FUNDRAISING GALA DINNER

SPONSOR A QEST SCHOLAR OR APPRENTICE

Support the annual QEST fundraising dinner, A Celebration of Craft, as a sponsor, book a table or donate lots for auction. There are a few tickets still available for this year’s event on 6th March at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The minimum donation for a named Scholarship is £15,000 and for an Apprenticeship £18,000 (typically over three years).

Other donations will be allocated to general grant funds and recognised on the QEST website and in the QEST Magazine.

Contact events@qest.org.uk

LEGACY

Remembering QEST when making a will means that vital craft skills can be handed down to successive generations.

CONTACT QEST

020 7798 1535 or info@qest.org.uk justgiving.com/QEST A Celebration of Craft at the V&A

Painted Ostrich egg with Tashjir by Natasha Mann

QEST funding was vital for my MA in Islamic and Traditional Arts at The Prince’s School of Traditional Arts. I didn’t imagine how valuable the ongoing support would be. My sponsor The Radcliffe Trust introduced me to Cockpit Arts for a studio when I graduated, and QEST has opened doors to opportunities I would never have heard about or afforded to take part in: a window display at The House of Garrard, a major commission from exhibiting at the Royal Windsor Horse Show, and demonstrating at the V&A, Christie’s and St James’s Palace.

QEST

Events

EVENTS

The Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace in September brought together 60 of the rarest cars from around the world. Alongside this spectacle were live craft demonstrations in the RWHA & QEST Pavilion. Over the three days, QEST Scholars included classic car restorer Jason Williams (2009), Mia Sabel (2010) who set up a bespoke watch strap studio, and QEST Bendicks Scholar Nick Hobbs (2016) working on a painted trompe l’oeil chimney board of antiquarian books for a private commission.

Messums Wiltshire, a pioneering multi-purpose gallery and arts centre, was the setting for the LINLEY Summer School. Eight talented students were taught a range of cabinet making and marquetry skills by Jonathan Rose, fine furniture maker for LINLEY since 1997, and William Warren, award-winning designer, draftsman and former senior lecturer at The CASS. A reception was held at the end of the week to celebrate and view the projects and raise funds for QEST. messumswiltshire.com

concoursofelegance.co.uk

Donors, Supporters & Sponsors Thank you to the Royal Warrant holders, livery companies, trusts, foundations, brands and individuals who generously support QEST. The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust The Alborada Trust Allchurches Trust Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation The Antiques Dealers Fair The Arts Society The Ashley Foundation Associated Livery Companies

Barnard & Westwood Bendicks (Mayfair) The Battersea Power Station Foundation The Blagrave Trust The Cambridge Satchel Company The Carpenters’ Company The D'Oyly Carte Charitable Trust The Dulverton Trust Donald Russell Ernest Cook Trust The Edith Murphy Foundation The Finnis Scott Foundation Garfield Weston Foundation The Gosling Foundation Hand & Lock The Hedley Foundation Tom Helme

Heritage Craft Association The Hobson Charity House of Fraser Howdens Joinery The John Apthorp Charity John Lyon's Charity John Walker & Sons Mark & Ana Kaufman The Kirby Laing Foundation Launer London Lock Hatters Parker Pen Company Penhaligon's The Pennies Foundation The Pilgrim Trust The Radcliffe Trust The Robertson Trust

Royal Warrant Holders Association Sipsmith Sleepeezee The Stanley Picker Trust Thomas Fattorini The Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars The Worshipful Company of Broderers The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers The Worshipful Company of Drapers The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers The Worshipful Company of Pewterers The Worshipful Company of Saddlers The Worshipful Company of Turners The Wren Press Zone Creations

Q E S T. O R G . U K

JUSTGIVING.COM/QEST

Buddha Hands Triple Row Saucer by Peter Ting (1997) & ChenWei, ting-ying.com