Taking a leading role in the renaissance of the craft, the Company and its Charity support a wide range of educational, training and professional activities, often through the provision of lathes, tools and training on a long-term basis. Part of the programme is focused on schools caring for children with special needs.
The Turners’ Company provides Bursaries for emerging turners, some working in creative hubs such as Cockpit Arts in London, and is collaborating in the development and promotion of new Turning Qualifications. The Company played a key role in establishing the Register of Professional Turners and continues to work closely with the RPT and other turning organisations.
Turners’ Company Bursaries
The Bursaries are awarded every two years.The next awards will be made in 2021.
- Read about past Bursary Winners (2019, 2017, 2015 … 2007)
Turning Qualifications
The Turners’ Company has been closely involved in the development of turning qualifications, including the:
- Certificate in Turning
- Diploma in Turning
The Turners’ Company has also made five Master in Turning Awards, to:
- The late Ray Key BEM (Ray at Wizardry 2016)
- Stuart Mortimer (Stuart at Wizardry 2016)
- Reg Hawthorne (Reg at Wizardry 2016)
- Gary Rance
- John Edwards
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST)
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship trust (QEST) funds the education of talented and aspiring craftspeople through traditional colleges, apprenticeships or one-to-one training. The Royal Warrant Holders Association created these scholarships in 1990, funded through a new charity which marked the 150th anniversary of the Association and the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The Worshipful Company of Turners, one of ten Livery Companies who support the Trust, has sponsored a number of aspiring turners through QEST, and they have benefited greatly from the training, raised profile and valuable networking opportunities that the awards bring.
Turners’ Company QEST Scholars:
Cockpit Arts
Arturo Soto, Memories of Green on Instagram is the latest winner (2019) of the Cockpit Arts / Turners’ Company Award
Rafael Santoliquido won the Award in 2018
Darren Appiagyei won the Award in 2018
Eleanor Lakelin was also a previous winner of the Cockpit Arts / Turners’ Company Award.
More about Cockpit Arts and the Award:
Building Crafts College Awards
The Company sponsors annual awards at the Building Crafts College in Stratford to recognise the student who is assessed as the best turner and also the student who is regarded as having made the most progress in turning during the year.
Youth Training Programme
The Company and the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain (AWGB) jointly sponsor day or weekend training workshops for young people which cover safety, turning techniques, tooling and finishing. Click here for further information.
Grants are also made to woodturning clubs to develop youth sections and to train instructors from those clubs to give woodturning classes to scouts.
Register of Professional Turners
Founded in 1978, the Register comprises skilled woodturning artists who have a professional approach and are craftspeople to trust. All members will have undergone a rigorous assessment before being accepted on to the roll of the Register. Although the RPT is now an organization independent of the Company, it still benefits from considerable support of the Company. For example, the members of the RPT are permitted to wear a Company emblem (but not the full Company Arms) on their smock, and the Company has at least one representative on the RPT Management Committee. A member of the RPT Management Committee sits on the Howe Committee.
The RPT also receives practical support from the Company. The Clerk of the Turners Company is Honorary Treasurer of the RPT while the Assistant Clerk is the Honorary Secretary. In addition, in the spring of each year, the Company sponsors the RPT AGM and Craft Day which members of the Company are also welcome to attend.