Makers Guild Craft Development Awards

The Makers Guild Wales Craft Development Grants
The Makers Guild Craft Development Grant Scheme, in partnership with The Welsh Industries Fund overseen by, 'Y Werin' - The University of Wales Restricted Endowments Trust.
In 2023, the Makers Guild was fortunate to partner with Y Werin Legacy Fund to create The Makers Guild in Wales Craft Development Grant Scheme, distributing grants from The Welsh Industries Fund to Wales based makers in order to secure skills that might otherwise be lost. To date, after three funding rounds in which we have received 29 applications, we have awarded 14 Welsh Makers and distributed £30,000.
The awards have had a multi layered effect,
  • Individual Makers - Directly to the 14 makers who have benefited from the award, each of whom is a self employed maker.
  • Makers Guild - As a benefit of Membership of the Guild – Makers have mentioned the awards as a distinct benefit of their membership; Recruitment – the awards have been used in promotional materials as a benefit of membership of the Guild, though difficult to measure, Guild applications have grown during this period, raising the awareness through makers own networks.
  • Craft Skills - A wide and varied range of craft skills that have been supported and sustained for Wales and future generations - Welsh Basketmaking, Pottery, Enamelling, Jewellery, Textiles, Stained Glass Making, Glass Blowing, Silversmithing, Papermaking, Woodturning, Ceramics, Felt Making, Textile Dying, Printmaking


Selected Feedback from Makers
  • 'The grant has enabled me to deepen my skills in traditional hand engraving, with a particular focus on basse-taille and champlevé enamelling. I spent three inspiring days in the studio of award-winning enameller and engraver Ruth Ball, where I learned the key techniques first-hand. She guided me through the full process, including tool setup and preparation, and I went on to produce a series of silver samples. My skills have undoubtedly benefited from this opportunity, and I am now experimenting with new work that incorporates these techniques in fresh and exciting ways.' Kathryn Willis – Enamelling
  • 'My update on my 'Lettering in Stained Glass' project, I've managed to undertake the learning that I'm undertaking thanks to the award, whilst combining it with my part time employment running the stained glass apprenticeship programme at Swansea College of Art. So far I've attended West Dean College - Calligraphy – italics, uncial and foundational with Gaynor Goffe; Personal practice – undertaken research in painted lettering on glass along with cartoons(!)' Christian Ryan – Stained Glass

The Guild is grateful to Y Werin fund and it's Trustees for their support and vision ensuring Craft skills in Wales are maintained and developed.

About the Scheme
The fund is to support the sustainability and viability of Craft in Wales. This Grant Fund funding is aimed at supporting the Enrichment and development of craft, specifically in Wales; this may include skills which otherwise may become lost. Helping develop the craft skills of Professional Makers, the fund can assist makers with professional development training and/or a period of professional research and/or the purchase of specialist equipment etc..

Selection Process
Applications are judged by a specially formed Selection Panel, which will include Trustees of Y Werin, and staff/trustees from The Makers Guild Wales, selected for the expertise in their field.  All applications will be judged according to the Selection Criteria.

Selection Criteria.
  • A clear intention to develop their professional craft practice
  • A plan of how they will use the award to further their professional craft practice
Grants of up to £2000 will be awarded each year to Makers .

Examples of what makers can use the fund for :
  • To attend training opportunities to further your professional career.
  • To undertake specific research that will benefit your professional practice.
  • To engage with a creative project that supports the development of your practice.
  • Develop your craft in any other way in which the Selections Panel, may at their absolute discretion approve.
All applications are viewed and evaluated and judged using the Selection Criteria, and the makers that in the view of the selection committee best fulfil the selection criteria will be chosen as recipient of the Grants. 

Award winners Exhibition

30th May 28th June 2026 at Craft in the Bay
We will be displaying Craft by all 14 award winners at Craft in the Bay,
  • Karl Watkins (Solace in Wood)
  • Larissa Guida Lock
  • Ruth Shelley
  • Ruth Harries
  • Mandy Nash
  • Alison Moger
  • Clare Revera
  • Kathryn Willis
  • Kirsti Hannah Brown
  • Jodie Hook
  • Christian Ryan
  • Kathryn Roberts
  • Rebecca Oldfield
  • Sasha Kingston

2025 Awards
Generously funded by The Welsh Industries Fund Award
The Welsh Industries Fund was established by The Welsh Industries Association in 1920 when the association itself was wound up and the fund was passed to the University of Wales to distribute and administer as an endowment. The University established an independent charitable trust called the UW Restricted Endowments Trust or Y Werin (Home - Y Werin Legacy Fund) for short, to ensure that both this endowment and others that it has been bequeathed over the years continues to be used for the purpose it was first given. The Welsh Industries Fund in particular, was to be used to sponsor awards to encourage work in the traditional and latterly, other handcraft industries. Y Werin has partnered itself with The Makers Guild Wales to help publicise and distribute this award to the crafts people of Wales over the next three years.
Y Werin Legacy Fund
The UW Restricted Endowments Trust (UWRET) is the independent charitable trust and registered charity which acts as the Trustee for certain restricted endowments previously donated to the University of Wales for dedicated purposes or beneficiaries. UWRET was founded in 2015 as part of the University of Wales’ Adduned Cymru (The Wales Pledge).
The Y Werin Cronfa Dreftadaeth Legacy Fund was established by UWRET in 2016 as the name for the scheme under which the UWRET Trustee will make distrubutions and award scholarships, studentships, grants, prizes and awards from the restricted endowments originally donated to the University of Wales as trustee.
Read more about UWRET

past winners

2024 Awards

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