National Lottery Heritage Fund Tradition in Transition: Youth Journeys in Heritage Craft project – CraftLab Taster Day, Sheffield
4th September 2026
Meet Finn Arschavir, QEST’s Youth Programme Coordinator, working to create opportunities for young people to discover, explore and develop their own connections with craft and heritage skills.
Finn shares his highlights from two inspiring days in Sheffield, meeting makers, visiting creative spaces and supporting our first CraftLab Taster Day.
“As part of preparations for our week-long CraftLab programme in October, I travelled up to Sheffield to meet with Vicky and Graham at Sheffield Museums, connect with local makers and partners, and support the delivery of our first CraftLab Taster Day. It was a fantastic opportunity to bring our plans to life, discover more about Sheffield’s extraordinary craft heritage, and begin building connections with the young people, artists and organisations who will help shape the CraftLab journey.
Day 1 – Site Visits and Networking
Victoria Kamsita, School Learning Manager at Sheffield Museums, welcomed me on an unseasonably grey August morning at Kelham Island Museum, one of six sites run by Sheffield Museums and home to the CraftLab programme. After many conversations over video calls, it was great to finally meet Vicky in person and spend time on site, building on our plans while experiencing first-hand the wonderful spaces and collections the museum has to offer.
Next, I walked – or rather hiked – up Snow Lane to meet Jonathan Reid, Production Manager and Putter (putter-togetherer), at Ernest Wright, one of just two remaining scissor-making firms in Sheffield and an important part of the city’s cutlery heritage. I was lucky enough to be given a fascinating tour, a thorough explanation of the Viotto grinding machines, and a sparkling demonstration of how the inside of the handles are polished. Seeing these specialist skills in action brought Sheffield’s living craft heritage vividly to life.
On the other side of the city centre is Persistence Works, one of two Yorkshire Art Space sites and, I soon discovered, the first custom-built artist studios in the country. With an impressive range of facilities, including a gallery and a vibrant community of makers, it was an inspiring place to visit.
I met Morvarid Alavifard, an Iranian artist and silversmith who would go on to deliver a workshop during the Taster Day. She kindly arranged studio visits with three metalworkers based at YAS, including a visit to SilverSpace, a dedicated silversmithing workshop supporting emerging makers. I was also introduced to Georgina Kettlewell, Director of Yorkshire Artspace, who generously found time for a cup of tea and a conversation about opportunities for local young people within the craft sector.
Very few QEST alumni are currently based in Sheffield, which feels remarkable given the city’s unparalleled making heritage. It made the visit an especially valuable opportunity to share QEST’s mission to support craft excellence and, above all, to meet the talented people who are keeping Sheffield’s skills and heritage crafts alive.
Day 2 – The Taster Day
The following morning, I arrived early at Kelham Island Museum ready for our first CraftLab event. Despite wondering whether a 10am start might be ambitious during the summer holidays, participants soon began arriving and the day got underway.
The Taster Day was designed to give potential participants a flavour of the week-long CraftLab programme taking place during October half-term, while also giving us the opportunity to test the format and learn from the experience.
Graham gave a wonderful tour of the museum’s collections, including the Year Tree and the Guinness World Record-holding penknife with an astonishing 2,000 blades. It’s a wonderfully eccentric piece of engineering and a great example of Sheffield’s history of ingenuity and making.
Next, Elizabeth Jarvis – young woodworker and QEST Youth Board Member – gave an inspiring talk and Q&A about her own craft journey. Her experiences prompted thoughtful questions and showed participants how a passion for making can develop into a creative career.
In the afternoon, Morvarid led a hands-on copper fold-forming workshop, exploring sculptural forms and techniques to create bespoke bookmarks. Participants embraced the opportunity to experiment with the material, producing individual handcrafted pieces – including, in one case, a tiny but beautiful model of a paper plane.
A Positive Start
The young people who attended responded enthusiastically to every element of the programme. Elizabeth Jarvis’s talk about her creative journey sparked thoughtful discussion and began to build the connections that we hope will continue into the October CraftLab.
The afternoon copper fold-forming workshop led by Morvarid Alavifard was a particular highlight. Participants threw themselves into the process of experimenting with copper and proudly left with their own handcrafted pieces – and the satisfaction of having learned and made something new.
For several participants, the day also provided a first introduction to Kelham Island Museum, connecting them with a place that celebrates Sheffield’s extraordinary manufacturing heritage. The event also generated new photography and stories that will help us share the CraftLab experience more widely and encourage future participants to get involved.
Looking Ahead
The Taster Day was an important first step for the project: it gave young people the chance to explore new skills, meet practising makers and discover more about Sheffield’s remarkable craft heritage, while giving us valuable insight into how we can make the October programme even stronger.
Just as importantly, the visit strengthened relationships with young people, artists, museums and creative partners across Sheffield. With these connections growing and preparations for October well underway, we’re excited to build on this positive beginning and welcome even more young people to discover, experiment with and celebrate Sheffield’s metalworking heritage through CraftLab.”
