Wizardry in Wood 2025 Exhibition & Biennial Competitions
Plaisterers’ Hall, 1 London Wall, LONDON EC2Y 7DE
Judging on Monday 27 October. Public viewing Tues 28 to Fri 31 October.
General Conditions of Entry 2025
Every four years The Worshipful Company of Turners organises a turning exhibition which includes the biennial turning competitions which attract entries from turners of all ages and skill. There should be a competition for you, whatever your interest or proficiency.
Here are the categories.
A. The Worshipful Company of Turners’ competitions
• The Master’s competition – the theme for 2025 consists of three elements: sustainability; innovation (pushing boundaries with materials/techniques/forms); and community (that could mean collaboration or diverse participation).
• Open Competition (Felix Levy Trophy) – A hand-turning competition open to all (ornamental and rose engine turning excluded), no restriction as to subject, size or style.
• Members Competition (Bert Marsh Plate) – A hand-turning competition open to all members of the WCT who are amateur turners, no restriction as to subject, size or style.
• Certificate Competition (Nic Somers Bowl) – A hand-turning competition, open to all those awarded the Company Certificate in Turning, no restrictions as to subject, size or style.
• Yeomen’s Competition – A themed turning competition open to all Yeomen. The theme matches the Lord Mayor’s priorities which for 2025 are: ‘ambition, renewal and growth’. No restrictions as to subject, size or style.
B. Competitions organised in conjunction with the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain. Open to members of the AWGB.
• Senior
• Junior (competition for those under 21)
C. Competitions organised in conjunction with the Society of Ornamental Turners. Open to members of the SOT.
• Ornamental Turning (Lady Gertrude Crawford Trophy) – for conventional ornamental turning.
• Rose Turning (Fred Howe Trophy) – for rose turning or a combination of ornamental and rose turning.
• SOT Plain Turning (H E Twentyman Trophy) – predominantly plain turning, but with a discrete element of ornamental turning.
D. Competition organised in conjunction with Association of Pole Lathe Turners and Greenwood Workers. Open to members of the APTGW.
• One competition, to produce a piece on a pole lathe (held at the Bodgers Ball in May and displayed at WIW25)
THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE COMMON TO ALL THE COMPETITIONS
HOW TO ENTER
Choose the competition you want to enter, read through the detailed page on the website relevant to that competition, and complete the online entry form attached to that page.
Please do this as early as you can as it helps with the administration – don’t wait till you deliver the piece. Entry forms received after Monday 29th September will not be accepted into the Competitions.
HOW TO GET YOUR ENTRY TO THE VENUE
• Deliver by mail, courier or in person to the Turners’ Company office (FAO Rebecca Baker, Turners Company, Saddlers’ House, 44 Gutter Lane, London EC2V 6BR, before 17.00 on Monday 13 October 2025
• Deliver in person to Plaisterers’ Hall, 1 London Wall, London EC2Y 5JU between 9.00 and 12 noon on Monday 27th October 2025. Any entries received after this time on Monday will not be able to be judged in the competitions.
Entries should be in a robust box addressed to the Company (Saddlers’ House address), with your name and address, and the word “EXHIBITION” or “COMPETITION” on the outside. Each piece to be accompanied by a note saying which category it’s entered for, and a photo of the piece. We’ll match the pieces with your earlier entry form and put all this information on a card by your piece after the competitions have been judged. Sign and date each entry on the base. We’ll put a sticky label on top of it so the judges can’t see your name. Any questions, please contact Becca Baker in the Turners’ Company office:
020 7236 3605, assistantclerk@turnersco.com
The above information does not apply to the Pole lathe competition which is held at the Bodgers Ball in May 2025, though entries will be displayed at Plaisterers’ Hall throughout Wizardry in Wood 2025. See the sheet for the Pole Lathe competition.
JUDGING
The Judges’ decision shall be final and binding on all competitors. No prizes will be awarded if the best entries are considered by the judges to be of insufficiently high standard.
PRIZE-GIVING
Prize giving will be at Plaisterers’ Hall at 3.00 pm on Friday 31 October.
SELLING
If you want to offer your piece(s) for sale, state the price on the entry form and/or add it to the information when you submit the piece. The Company will manage a sales point and will remit the proceeds to you, less 25% commission which includes any credit card fee. As a general rule, all items should remain on the competition tables until 3.00 pm on Friday 31 October. If there are costs for the Company in delivering the piece to the purchaser they will normally be met by the exhibitor / competitor as a further deduction from the sale price.
DATA PROTECTION
By entering this competition, you agree to the Company retaining your details for the purpose contacting you with regards to related events and activities. We will not share your data with any third party for their marketing or fundraising purposes. We will keep your data safe and secure. You can request that we remove your details from our database at any time.
PHOTOGRAPHS
A condition of entry is that you grant the Company or its agents the right to photograph the entry/entries, the copyright of which shall belong to the Company, and to use the images to promote the craft of turning.
RETURN OF ITEMS
Pieces can be collected from Plaisterers’ Hall after 4.00 pm on Friday 31 October. If they’re still there by 6pm they will be taken to the Company office and we’ll contact you to arrange the return of your item(s). This doesn’t of course apply to pieces that have been sold.
PHYSICAL SECURITY
The Plaisterers’ Company is responsible for the overall security of the Hall. But competitors should be aware that the exhibition is open to any member of the public and neither the Turners’ Company nor Plaisterers’ Company can be held responsible in the unlikely event of a theft taking place.
PUBLIC OPENING TIMES
The Hall will be open to the public on Tuesday 28 October from 1000 to 1600, Wednesday 29 October from 1000 to 1900, Thursday 30 October from 1000 to 1600, and Friday 31 October from 1000 to 1500. Tickets will be available through Eventbrite and on the door. It’s not essential to book, but it would be really helpful if visitors could register through Eventbrite. This will allow us to anticipate the flow of people.
CATERING
There is paying tea and coffee bar in Plaisterers’ Hall and some seating will be made available.
MARKETING THE EVENT
The Turners’ Company will be marketing the event, but please help us by broadcasting it as widely as possible so that we have lots of entries and lots of visitors.
CONTACT
Please refer any query in the first instance to Becca Baker in the Turners’ Company office 020 7236 3605 assistantclerk@turnersco.com
KEY DATES AND TIMES
Monday 27th October – set up start from 8am and complete by 17.00, judging in the afternoon
Tuesday 28th October – public opening 10 til 16.00. Civic Reception evening 18.30 to 21.30
Wednesday 29th October – public opening 10 til 19.00
Thursday 30th October – public opening 10 til 16.00. Company Reception evening 18.30 to 21.30
Friday 31st October – public opening 10 til 15.00. Prize giving 15.00, pack up from 16.00.
Other key dates specific to the competitions:
Monday 29th September – final date for competition entry forms
Monday 13th October – final date for delivering pieces to the office (by courier or in person)
Monday 27th October – pieces can be delivered to the hall between 9am and 12 noon