Geoff Hannis is our latest Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust awardee
QEST organised the funding of the training and education of 28 talented craftspeople as part of its Autumn application round, strengthening the future of the UK’s craft industry.
Of the 28 makers awarded funding in this Autumn round, 15 are Scholars, 10 are Emerging Makers (QEST’s newest grant programme) and three are Apprentices.
Geoff Hannis is 2023 QEST Turners’ Company Emerging Maker – Wood turning on a pole lathe
Geoff is a Bristol-based wood worker and founder of Tree to Treen who is on a journey to hone his pole lathe skills and pass them on to the next generation.
A pole lathe is the traditional piece of equipment for turning green wood to make small household items. It’s accessible, requires few tools and uses no electricity. As part of his Emerging Maker Grant, Geoff will embark on training with three master craftsmen – Matt Whittaker, Yoav Elkayam and Jack Wheeler.
Geoff is eager to use this training to fill in the gaps of his knowledge. This includes learning the unique technique of smoothly turning the area between a handle and/or spout, refining skills in forging more effective end-grain hollowing hooks and acquiring knowledge on finishing wooden cups to withstand boiling water. Using these new skills, Geoff aims to make a series of high-quality unique items and eventually teach workshops on these topics from his workshop in Bristol.
Geoff’s other aspirations include producing work for galleries and exhibitions, collaborating with museums and writing books.
QEST new scholars full list of Emerging Makers and Apprentices
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