Heritage Crafts Association

Well hello all, this is my first post here but I think I recognise lots of folk from other forums. It is wonderful to see a forum that not only has an HCA banner on the homepage but also has a Heritage Crafts section.

For anyone who doesn't know the Heritage Crafts Association was set up just a year ago by a group of folk who felt that the traditional crafts in the UK had been rather sidelined and did not fit within the remit of any government agency. Whilst we have lots of good active individual craft organisation such as the Basketmakers or Weavers, spinners and dyers there was no organisation to campaign to promote and support the sector and to liase with government and let them know what our needs were.

In just a year we have come a long way with a 30 minute debate in the House of Commons http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2009-06-25c.1036.0

We have forthcoming meetings with Mick Elliot head of DCMS and Jeremy Hunt Shadow culture secretary to try to influence future government policy.

Anyone who feels that traditional craft skills are an important part of our heritage can sign up as a supporter for free here www.heritagecrafts.org.uk
or join the facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heritage-Crafts-Association/76521534812?ref=mf

You will be in good company, Alex Langlands of Victorian Farm and Sir Mark Jones director of the V&A are keen supporters and patrons.

Hey there Robin, great to see you here.

I'm a slightly obsessive supporter of heritage crafts (hence the banner and section) and I'm hoping to encourage the start of something similar here in Nova Scotia, there are plenty of skilled and talented folk, but their work is largely viewed as part of the artist and tourist industry and not as a viable everyday trade. Though we are lucky in that more trades are embracing the apprentice/journeyman model, including mine, the Landscape and Horticultural trade.

There are great things being done just over the water in Newfoundland http://www.heritagefoundation.ca/ich.aspx

Indeed, they have a very tangible heritage over in NF&L, I suspect its due to them being relatively new members of the confederation and living in such a beautiful and exposed land, breeds hardy, stern and lovely folk with a strong sense of tradition and heritage.

That and the province being traditionally the poor cousin in confederation, they have had to learn to make do for a very long time.

Nova Scotia on the other hand, is just full of expat brits in Arran Jumpers and new beards growing veg and chickens and learning woodcrafts like crazy.