SHOP

BACK TO JOURNAL

AN INTERVIEW WITH:
QEST

QEST supports excellence in British craftsmanship across a diverse range of mediums in the craft sector. What are the origins of QEST? How would you describe your mission statement and ethos?

QEST was founded in 1990 by Royal Warrant Holders Association, to celebrate 150 years of the Association and the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Its mission then was the same as today, to support excellence in British craftsmanship by funding the training and education of talented and aspiring craftspeople. We support committed makers looking to expand and enhance their skills and further their knowledge in their chosen craft. We define craft broadly and have supported more than 130 different craft skills, from silversmithing to thatching, musical instrument making to glassblowing, basket weaving to illustration and many more.

Recent months saw Crafts Council’s Market for Craft Report offering an insight on sales and trajectory of the craft industry. With QEST offering ‘building arts programme’, ‘apprenticeships’ and ‘scholarships’, a diverse support system for the craft industry is formed. What advice can you offer for designers outside of the QEST directory in developing their practice and engaging a wide audience?

A QEST Scholarship is much more than a one-off payment, and we continue to support our scholars and apprentices wherever we can throughout their careers. This includes offering opportunities for exhibitions, collaborations and commissions through our extensive craft network. We regularly participate in events such as London Craft Week, the Royal Windsor Horse Show and this year we exhibited at Collect for the first time – we are hoping to return in 2021 too. Another important initiative is a series of business skills seminars that we plan for alumni, including a recent one focused on social media skills. We believe this added support is vital to help makers show their work to a wider audience, both online and in real life – although we recognise, of course, that is challenging in the current circumstances and the impact of Covid. The Building Arts Programme is a new initiative for QEST, delivered in collaboration with The Prince’s Foundation with eight students focusing on architecture, building crafts and the decorative or applied arts, and the idea that our built environment is a collaboration between a vast array of different discipline areas which are all fundamentally linked and interrelated. For makers outside our directory, I’d give similar advice. Seek all opportunities to network, exhibit and promote your work, build on your skills wherever possible – both craft skills and business skills eg social media, marketing etc and ask for help – there are plenty of organisations out there who offer support in different areas, including for example the Crafts Council and livery companies.

What particular type of support do you feel craftspeople are most in need of and why? How might the challenges faced during Covid - 19 alter what support is / can be offered by organisations and what designers will seek for the future?

We come across many makers who are fantastic at their craft, but struggle more with the marketing, business skills and promotion that are essential to their success. In many ways this has become even more difficult for some recently, with the cancelling of exhibitions, fairs, teaching and the closure of galleries leading to less opportunities for networking and sales. However there are also a number of great initiatives available out there, from funding support to online promotional opportunities, and I believe it’s important for makers to take advantage of these, for example Handmade in Britain, Made by Hand UK, Artists and Objects are great online selling platforms for makers, while Etsy produce helpful podcasts with advice on how to sell via their platform, along with tips on topics such as marketing and shipping. Just a Card is another great initiative that helps small businesses and encourages people to buy from independent retailers and makers. It is unclear how things will develop as the world returns to a new normal post-Covid, but we can be sure that more focus on online promotion and selling will play an important role for makers.

What key creative aspects does QEST seek when accepting applications? What advice can you provide creative practitioners with to best showcase their portfolio / work?

Above all we look for excellence in our candidates – passion, existing skill, a determination to enhance their skills and a commitment to the British craft sector. In terms of advice to potential applicants, it’s important to give an honest representation of their work, and have a clear plan as to how their further training and education would support and build on their current practice.

What values and ethos does QEST seek in selecting new practitioners? What’s your opinion on creatives developing the overall running of their practice along with their creative voice? Can you see the value & ethos of an artist through their work simply on aesthetics, how else may this take shape?

As an ever-growing network of makers – our alumni now number over 560 – it’s wonderful to see our scholars supporting each other, learning from each other and collaborating on projects. The sharing of skills is something we value highly, and we are very proud that 65% of our alumni are currently teaching and passing on their knowledge to the craftspeople of the future. I believe for creatives, the successful running of their practice is as important as the development of their creative voice. Like any business, it’s about more than just the product, it involves the production, promotion, selling, marketing etc. An artist’s value and ethos can be seen through their work, but also through their story. Well-crafted objects are more than just objects; they tell a story, and I believe that successful makers are those who manage to tell these stories both through, and alongside, their work. The objects can speak of their materials, their maker, their purpose and their environment, and the artist can share these elements through classes, experiences, promotional material and more..

For the 30th anniversary, QEST held their first exhibition at Collect 2020. Now, during London Craft Week, QEST will host a Craft Trail across the St. James area. What can viewers expect to see and what is your opinion on the importance of hosting live, physical events?

We’re really excited about the QEST Craft Trail that will be taking place as part of London Craft Week. Seven Royal Warrant-holding companies will be showcasing work by our scholars in their stores in St James’s, London. For example, Floris will be featuring elegant sculptures by Thomas Merrett and bespoke perfume bottles by glass blower Tim Harris. One of our earliest scholars, Sarah Wilkinson, works for military tailor Dege & Skinner on Savile Row, and they will be showcasing a selection of her work, including a Yeoman of the Guard uniform, on loan from St James’s Palace. The Trail will also feature stylish Windsor chairs at DR Harris & Co., food-themed headpieces at cheesemonger, Paxton & Whitfield and contemporary guitars at Lock & Co., who are just about to launch a specially woven QEST cap with £10 from each sale going to QEST., For more details see https://www.qest.org.uk/craft-trail/. We believe live, physical events are very important for our makers – while digital alternatives are a great back up, it’s only in real life that you can fully appreciate all aspects of craft objects.

What do you think the future holds for the craft industry - are there particular trends / styles of work that may come out after the period of covid-19?

Undoubtedly this has been a difficult year for makers, but we’ve been really encouraged to hear many stories of creativity, resilience and success that have come forward, despite the circumstances. There are occasions of scholars supporting each other, working together and collaborating on projects, as well as awards, commissions and exhibitions. Some of our makers struggled to access new materials and resorted to using wood or other pieces that had been untouched in their studio for years. Others re-examined the materials they choose, and became more imaginative with their methods and techniques. It will be interesting to see what inspiration is taken from this period.