RWHA & QEST Annual Luncheon | 29 May 2025
6th June 2025
It was a delight to return to the magnificent Guildhall in London for the Royal Warrant Holders Association & QEST Annual Luncheon.
We welcomed our 2024 cohort of Scholars, Emerging Makers and Apprentices, who showcased their craft and received their QEST certificates, presented by RWHA President Philip Coward and QEST Chairman Ian Maclean MBE. We were also delighted to share work from two of our Crafting Tomorrow programmes — Making the Future with Education and Employers and the Know-How Craft Studio with Intoart.
Silversmith Rauni Higson MBE was awarded the QEST Award for Excellence, sponsored by Thomas Fattorini Ltd, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to craft and her commitment to nurturing the next generation. As the 13th recipient of the award, Rauni was honoured at the Guildhall luncheon, where she received a medal crafted by Thomas Fattorini Ltd and a £1,000 cash prize. Read more here.
To conclude the event, we were honoured to hear from guest speaker Annie Warburton, who gave an inspiring speech on the importance of craft. Annie is Chief Executive and Clerk of The Goldsmiths’ Company, former CEO of Cockpit, and a writer and TEDx speaker specialising in contemporary craft, art and design. She is the first woman to lead the Goldsmiths’ Company in its near-700-year history.
Explore the gallery below, photography by Liz Isles.
