The Company supports education and training in the craft of turning. It makes grants for schools to buy lathes and tools, especially for to help those with special needs, as well as Bursaries for emerging turners, studio space for those wanting to make a career in the craft (Cockpit Arts), scholarships, (QEST) , and youth training days. The Company also offers turning qualifications.
Turners’ Company Bursaries
The Bursaries are awarded every two years. The next awards will be made in 2024.
- Read about past Bursary Winners (2022, 2019, 2017, 2015 … 2007)
Turning Qualifications
The Turners’ Company has been closely involved in the development of turning qualifications, including the:
The Turners’ Company has also made five Master in Turning Awards, to:
- The late Ray Key BEM
- Stuart Mortimer
- Reg Hawthorne
- 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
Zoe Worton is the latest winner of the 2022 Cockpit Arts / Turners’ Company Award
Mike Groves won the Award in 2021
Jason Lock won the Award in 2019
Arturo Soto, Memories of Green on Instagram won the Award in 2019
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.
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.