Thomas Lyte Modern Heritage Award in association with the Crafts Council

Application deadline: 15 April 2008

Click here for further details and an application form www.thomaslyte.com/award

 

The Thomas Lyte Modern Heritage Award, in association with the Crafts Council supports British craftsmanship by recognising the quality and breadth of the home-grown talent that exists today.  The Thomas Lyte Modern Heritage Award is aimed specifically at makers who are at the beginning of their career, from new graduates to emerging makers with up to three years experience of working professionally in the UK.

 

The award is open to makers in the following disciplines:

  • Silver and Fine Metals
  • Glass
  • Wood
  • Leather

The short-listed makers (between 8 and 10 - ideally two or three in each category) will be showcased in October 2008 at Origin: The London Craft Fair (an annual event organised by the Crafts Council at Somerset House), and featured in the new Thomas Lyte brochure and on both the Thomas Lyte and Crafts Council websites.

 

The winner and two highly commended makers will be announced at Origin.

  • The winner will receive a cash prize of £1,500
  • Each highly commended maker will receive a cash prize of £750

In addition, Thomas Lyte is committed to commissioning the winner's work for production which will be sold exclusively through its brochure and website www.thomaslyte.com.  Depending on the quality of the entries, it may also be possible that more than one of the finalists' designs will be chosen by the Thomas Lyte design team for development and production.  The winner and all short-listed makers will benefit from the supporting national and regional PR Campaign.

 

The items submitted should be functional objects for home or travel.  Each entry will be judged against the criteria of excellence, imagination, innovation and Englishness as defined by the Thomas Lyte brand, as well as the viability of the design for being taken through to production.  Judges will be looking for new and emerging makers who display an experimental, contemporary approach, using traditional craft techniques in innovative and unexpected ways, and exploring new ways of working in order to articulate a contemporary perspective of their craft.

Applicants must have submitted entries by Tuesday 15 April 2008

  • A shortlist of 8/10 makers will be announced in mid May 2008
  • Short-listed makers will be required to send in a prototype by September (the prototype does not need to be constructed in the final materials)
  • Winners will be announced at Origin in October 2008

Click here for copy of the information leaflet