Makers Guild Craft Development Awards

Makers Guild Wales Craft Development Grants
The Makers Guild has created a new Craft Development Grant Scheme, in partnership with The Welsh Industries Fund overseen by, 'Y Werin' - The University of Wales Restricted Endowments Trust.
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..
Who can apply
Initially, current members of The Makers Guild in Wales.

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

Selection Criteria. The Maker to show:
  • 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 fairly 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.

The winning nominations will then be forwarded to The Welsh Industries Fund who will distribute the awarded funds to the Makers directly. Winners will be asked to provide updates on the use of the Grant, this could also include be a short talk, written report, or blog.
The decision of the panel is final in all matters.


2024 Award winners
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

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