Society of Designer Craftsmen

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Society of Designer Craftsmen

The public page for the largest and oldest multi-disciplinary Society in the UK. We have historical roots of which we are immensely proud.

We are proud to have as members some of the country's finest and most respected designers and makers. Founded in 1887 as the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society with Walter Crane, William Morris and William de Morgan amongst our distinguished forbears, we believe that we continue to uphold the values that they established. We give a voice to beautiful, challenging and exciting work that is differen

t from the traditional Fine Arts. Our current name was established in 1960 with the merger of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society and the Cambridgeshire Guild of Craftsmen. We are a national society with some overseas members who live as far away as Canada, Australia and Japan. We have an active and hard working Council which administers the Society's business and is drawn from the different categories of membership of Fellows, Members, Licentiates and Associates. We have a large membership which offers a vast resource of experience to benefit those seeking advice about all aspects of the business of design and craftsmanship including commissioning. We hold a major selected exhibition, Designer Crafts, every year at the Mall Galleries in London. This is now very successful and well established within the London exhibition scene. Other national exhibitions are also organised. We actively recruit recently graduated designer makers through our Licentiate programme, offering exhibition opportunities and the chance to learn and develop professional skills essential to the work environment. We offer a Mentoring scheme to our members in order to offer constructive advice, help and direction. We have our own premises in London at 24 Rivington Street with our own dedicated gallery space. This provides further exhibiting opportunities in themed shows throughout the year. We are reshaping our premises to provide space for future events such as talks, workshops and meetings. We offer a point of contact for buyers who wish to commission their own piece of work. We have a comprehensive newsletter, published four times a year, supported by monthly e-bulletins so that we can keep our membership up to date with news and opportunities. We have smaller regional groups emerging, which offer more localised support and additional opportunities for more intimate exhibitions

16/06/2026

We are delighted to announce that Professor Geoffrey Crossick MBE has been elected as President of Society of Designer Craftsmen

Geoff succeeds Sir Christopher Frayling, who has been our President since 1998. During Sir Christopher's extraordinary tenure - spanning more than a quarter of a century - he has proved a solid advocate, provided intellectual leadership, and given his time generously to Society of Designer Craftsmen and its members. We owe him a profound debt of gratitude.

Geoff brings an exceptional depth of knowledge of the arts, craft, and cultural sectors to the role. He is Distinguished Professor of Humanities at the School of Advance Studies University of London and was previously Warden of Goldsmiths, University of London and Vice-Chancellor of University of London He served as Chair of the Crafts Council from 2013 to 2021 and was Director of the AHRC Cultural Value Project, whose landmark report 'Understanding the Value of Arts and Culture' has shaped thinking across the sector both in the UK and internationally.

We warmly welcome Geoff Crossick as he takes up this role at an exciting moment in the Society's development, and we look forward to the energy and insight he will bring to championing the work of designer-craftspeople across the UK.

09/06/2026

GOOD NEWS! Our current application window now closes at 5pm on 22 June 2026.

If you are interested in applying or just want to find out more about the SDC, follow link in bio.

We are a friendly community of like-minded people, who value quality craftsmanship, the importance of learning skills, educating others about craft and working to make craft accessible.

Spiral

08/06/2026

We’re delighted to welcome new member Zoe Scutts!

works in a variety of 3-dimensional media.

Text and typography play a central role in her creative practise. Much of her work revolves around taking 2-dimensional letter forms and creating 3-dimensional sculptures that explore this primary method of communication into a physical interaction.

Combining a Japanese serenity with British irony - her design ethos of purity and minimalism is realised into beguilingly simple yet elegant creations. The craft and attention to detail is paramount in whatever she makes.

Working primarily with clay and glass her sculptural pieces have a calm but powerful aura. It's as if these natural materials have been honed into simple elegant messages crafted with love and devotion.

04/06/2026

A very warm welcome to another new member, contemporary stained glass artist

A designer-maker whose practice is rooted in material exploration, visual storytelling and collaboration, trained in textile design and her work has developed through education, community engagement, and site-specific commissions.

This shift in disciplines allows her to bring together her long-standing interest in pattern, surface, and layered imagery with the transformative qualities of light and transparency.

She has built a varied freelance practice working across schools-based arts education, international participatory projects, residencies, and commissions within community, heritage, and commercial settings.

Much of her work has taken place within historic environments, and site-specific commissions include lead artist roles for the and the

02/06/2026

Our current application window closes on 15 June 2026 and we are delighted to announce that we’ve added BASKETRY to our list of disciplines!

If you are interested in applying or just want to find out more about the SDC, follow link in bio.

We are a friendly community of like-minded people, who value quality craftsmanship, the importance of learning skills, educating others about craft and working to make craft accessible.

‘Aluminium Urchin' by is from a collection of work titled ‘Sea Forms’. Techniques used include twining and looping. In a range of traditional basketry materials such as centre cane and more contemporary metals and threads.

27/05/2026

Another hot day in May, and we are delighted to welcome woodturner Karl Watkins as a new maker.

After more than 30 years developing his design and making skills across a range of disciplines –including education – Karl founded in 2023 to create unique wooden objects. Inspired by the way green wood shifts and reshapes itself as it dries, he works exclusively with ethically sourced timber to capture the living essence of trees in transformation.

embraces the organic, unpredictable character of wood, relishing the challenge of turning green timber almost paper thin so it can twist and move naturally as it dries, forming exciting, and often unexpected forms.

Many of his pieces are deliberately incised with fine slices, inviting movement from within As the wood dries and breathes, it begins to shift – subtly twisting, warping, and waving in response to its environment.

25/05/2026

It’s a scorching May Bank Holiday and we’ve still got a number of wonderful new makers to introduce!

A very warm welcome to ceramicist

Drawing on her background in the creative industries, sculptural work is a celebration of time, memory, and transformation. She takes obsolete and discarded objects and puts them at the centre of her work, giving them a new lease of life.

Through hand-built forms decorated with sprigs cast from found objects, her work invites us to see beauty in the forgotten and overlooked.
potters

21/05/2026

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to visit the wonderful at

Over 40 craft makers have been curated by and we are DELIGHTED that four of these makers are SDC members:
artist.mosaics

Full information & free tickets

20/05/2026

A very warm welcome to – one of new members.

creates contemporary boxes combining sustainably grown UK timbers and resin casting techniques. His aim is to create work that invokes a desire to touch and to use.

Following a rudimentary introduction to woodworking, design and metal work at school Jonathon continued to work with wood, making furniture for himself whilst pursuing a career in business until 2013 when he shifted his focus fully to woodworking, establishing his workshop and honing his craft ever since.

His work has been highly commended by for its innovative use of British timbers, and has received commissions from along with many private clients across the globe.

01/05/2026

APPLY TO JOIN US!

We are a friendly community of like-minded people, who value quality craftsmanship, the importance of learning skills, educating others about craft and working to make craft accessible.

If you are interested in applying or just want to find out more about the SDC, follow link in bio.

Application window closes on 15 June 2026

Halv vessels

Address

London

Telephone

+442077393663

Website

http://www.societyofdesignercraftsmen.org.uk/

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