Posted: 13th September 2017
Kate Dewmartin from Craft Courses was on BBC’s Countryfile on Sunday night as part of the feature about endangered crafts on the Radcliffe Red List. Filming was done at The Welsh Mill in Frome where leatherwork, stained glass, book binding, bike building and print making courses are all on offer…
The Radcliffe Red List of Endangered Craft was published by the Heritage Crafts Association, who want to see craft protected by Government regulation in the same way we protect our historic buildings.
Countryfile’s Tom Heap introduces “Britain’s most endangered species …and it is isn’t a mammal, bird or even a reptile’’ before trying out the craft of hurdle making.
We were asked about the popularity of craft courses and were happy to report that there is no lack of interest in learning crafts from the British public – as well as international visitors to the UK. With over 2000 enquiries week and over a million visitors to the website over the last year there seems to be something of a resurgence in Britain.
TV programmes like Forged in Fire, The Great British Pottery Throwdown and the Great British Sewing Bee have all boosted participation on blacksmithing, ceramics and sewing courses, but there is also huge interest in stone, glass, wood, jewellery – and pretty much all forms of textile art (we have over 11o specialist course categories).
Tom Heap summed up by saying that whether the survival of crafts came from teaching or from finding new customers , that if we truly value them, they will survive.
Of course, we will continue to do our best to help them!
