The Royal Mint has partnered with Heritage Crafts to launch four bursaries to preserve and champion traditional British craftsmanship skills in precious metals.
Early- to mid-career craftspeople have until 5pm on Friday 10 March to apply for up to £4,000 to start training in a precious metal craft or to further develop their skills.
Many people are dissuaded from training in precious metal heritage crafts because of the cost, and therefore the make-up of the sector is not truly representative of the mix of backgrounds that make up the UK as a whole. This bursary has been set up to help cover or subsidise the cost of training for someone who would otherwise be prevented from pursuing this career path as a result of the cost.
Applicants could be just starting out on their journey in precious metal crafts or at the point where they want to turn a hobby into a career, or they could already be a maker who is looking to further develop their precious metal craft skills.
Precious metals crafts are those which feature precious metal as a primary material. They can include, but are not limited to, jewellery making, silversmithing, coppersmithing, gilding, hand engraving, medal making, silver spinning, metal thread embroidery, engine turning (guilloché), concert flute making.
Successful applicants will be supported by the Heritage Crafts team to develop an action plan. Staff will work with them to monitor progress and support them to achieve their aims. Grants can be used to pay a craftsperson trainer, attend a specialist training course, or undertaking a self-directed programme of training with one or more craftspeople.
For more information on how to apply, including a list of exclusions, visit www.heritagecrafts.org.uk/
precious-metals-bursaries. Applications close at 5pm on Friday 10 March 2023.
As Britain’s oldest business and the original maker of UK coins and precious metals, The Royal Mint hopes to utilise its expertise in craftsmanship to ensure that precious metal craft skills, such as silversmithing, hand engraving and brass instrument making, are passed on to the next generation of master craftspeople.
