English Heritage Support First Trainees of Heritage Blacksmithing
The National Heritage Ironwork Group’s (NHIG) first eight trainees, selected from applicants from all over the UK, are now commencing on their Heritage Blacksmiths Bursary training programme.
These men and women will be the first to receive one year of specialised Blacksmith Conservator training as part of the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) ‘Skills for the Future’ programme. Bill Martin, Conservation Director for English Heritage said, “The field of architectural metals conservation has for too long awaited a framework to successfully bind together the essential skills of the metals conservator and the conservation blacksmith; the aims of the National Heritage Ironwork Group will go a long way to deliver this. We fully support these aims and we intend to contribute in every way that we can to ensure their successful development.”
The bursary has been put in place to answer a need for readily available trained and skilled practitioners in conservation practice who can work effectively on the UK’s vast ironwork heritage.
The bursary programme is made up of a series of practical skills-based and conservation-based work placements ranging from The Royal Armouries to a number of established blacksmiths’ workshops. It is also enhanced by the inclusion of a block release course in the conservation of ironwork at Herefordshire College of Technology (HCT) – the leading British training establishment for forgework skills. The HCT syllabus has been specially developed to complement and support this work based learning.
Holme Lacy Campus’s Assistant Principal, Rob Dunn commented, “We’re delighted to be in partnership with the NHIG on this exciting programme and know the students benefit enormously from the experience of a work-based learning programme complemented by college-based training.”
This programme is seen as the first step in the process of developing and building a permanent heritage blacksmithing training route.
