Heritage Crafts Training Bursary
In 2024, I was awarded the Heritage Crafts Training Bursary, supported by the Maxwell Hanrahan Foundation, to study scientific glassblowing. This bursary has given me the opportunity to learn vital skills in an endangered craft, combining them with my own creative flameworking practice. Over the course of four weeks, I trained under master glassblower Brian Jones MBE at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland, gaining experience in specialist techniques and developing new directions for my work.
Receiving the Award at Eltham Palace
In November 2024, I was honoured to receive the Heritage Crafts Training Bursary, supported by the Maxwell Hanrahan Foundation. The award ceremony was held at Eltham Palace in London, a historic setting that highlighted the significance of the occasion.
The event brought together makers from across the country, each working in a different area of traditional or endangered craft. It was a valuable opportunity to meet fellow practitioners, share experiences, and celebrate the diversity of skills being supported through Heritage Crafts.
Receiving the bursary formally at Eltham Palace marked the beginning of a new stage in my practice. It recognised the importance of safeguarding rare skills such as scientific glassblowing and provided the means for me to dedicate focused time to training. The ceremony also underlined the wider mission of Heritage Crafts: to celebrate, support, and sustain traditional craft skills for the future.
Training in Sunderland
The bursary enabled me to spend four weeks training intensively with Brian Jones MBE, one of the UK’s last remaining scientific glassblowers, at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland. This was a rare opportunity to gain structured, hands-on experience in a highly specialist field that is now classed as an endangered craft.
During this time, I developed a solid foundation in scientific glassblowing techniques, learning how to construct essential laboratory equipment such as Liebig condensers, double coil condensers, and precision glassware used in research. Each process required technical accuracy, control, and patience — skills that differ significantly from those used in my artistic flameworking practice.
Although I was already familiar with working on a glass lathe, the training allowed me to refine and extend these skills in a scientific context. I learned how the lathe enables glass to be rotated and shaped with precision, supporting the production of uniform and airtight scientific components. One highlight was successfully encapsulating one of my coral-inspired flameworked forms within scientific tubing on the lathe, demonstrating the creative potential of blending artistic and technical approaches.
The training also deepened my torch skills, focusing on controlled techniques such as creating coils, bends, and seals that form the basis of more complex assemblies. This systematic approach emphasised the importance of accuracy at every stage, where even small details directly affect the quality and function of the final piece.
Overall, the experience not only provided me with valuable technical expertise but also reinforced the importance of preserving and passing on scientific glassblowing skills. It has given me a strong foundation to continue exploring how this endangered craft can connect with contemporary artistic practice, ensuring its relevance and visibility for future generations.
