Derbyshire is long recognised as a centre of skill and innovation. The county's rich heritage is embedded in its landscape, buildings and industry, shaped by centuries of making that connect its people to the place.
The county has a great wealth of historic buildings that all require a specific set of skills and expertise to conserve and these skills are increasingly difficult to find.
With funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Derbyshire County Council is launching a new bursary scheme, as part of Derbyshire Makes History, to help increase key skills in heritage craft building and conservation, such as lime plastering, stone masonry and heritage joinery.
These bursaries have been set up to help increase local skills in Derbyshire and to help subsidise the cost of training.
Bursaries are for:
- new entrants who have demonstrated a commitment to starting a new career and need to acquire the necessary hand skills, and are based in Derbyshire
- early-career practitioners who have not yet attained the hand skills required to achieve commercial success
- early or mid-career practitioners who need to acquire distinctly different hand skills to develop new ways of achieving commercial success
What the bursaries can be used for
You can apply for a bursary for any amount up to £2,500 which can cover or contribute towards the costs of:
- mentoring or training with a craftsperson or craftspeople (apprentice style)
- attending a specialist training course (accredited or non-accredited)
- undertaking a self-directed programme of training with one or more craftspeople
- the cost of specialist tools or materials, books or study materials, or supporting travel and accommodation (no more than 30% of total budget)
These bursaries cannot be used for general living expenses, research, promotional activities or anything else.
Background
Derbyshire Makes is an ambitious 3-year programme which celebrates making in all its forms and shines a spotlight on the county's extraordinary creative and cultural industries.
Derbyshire Makes History is set up to complement the wider 3-year Derbyshire Makes programme, with an exclusive heritage focus, which is funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. A key focus of the programme will be raising awareness of our traditional heritage craft skills and offering opportunities to engage.
Key dates
- 13 April 2026 at 5pm - deadline for applications
- 21 April 2026- short online interview for those shortlisted
- week of 27 April 2026 - all applicants notified of decision
- May 2026 to April 2027 - all training takes place
- end of May 2027 - all training completed and all final claims made