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Heritage Crafts Association

Supports and promotes traditional heritage crafts in the UK
  • Heritage and Conservation

More than 200 endangered crafts across the four nations.

Heritage Crafts is the national charity for traditional heritage crafts. Working in partnership with Government and key agencies, it provides a focus for craftspeople, groups, societies and guilds, as well as individuals who care about the loss of traditional crafts skills, and works towards a healthy and sustainable framework for the future.

In the UK traditional crafts are not recognised as either arts nor heritage so fall outside the remit of all current support and promotion bodies. The Association aims to support and promote heritage crafts as a fundamental part of our living heritage.
From blacksmithing to basketry, from weaving to woodturning, there are an incredible range of heritage craft skills in the UK and some of the best craftspeople in the world. But many of these skills are in the hands of individuals who have been unable to make provision to pass them on.

The Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts ranks traditional crafts by the likelihood they would survive to the next generation, based on intangible cultural heritage safeguarding principles and helps people to pass on these important skills.