The Midas Touch Project
– Gilding Workshop
Since completing the In a New Light project in 2023, our passion for highlighting heritage crafts has only deepened. We’ve been exploring ways to teach these valuable skills to emerging arts and crafts practitioners, ensuring they continue to thrive.
When The Radcliffe Trust announced funding opportunities for heritage projects, it felt like the perfect chance to further promote the art of oil and water gilding. We successfully secured funding to run our first workshop, specifically for former students of Rowden Atelier Woodworking School.
To deliver the workshop, we partnered with Danni Bradford (@the.reverse.gilder), a gilding specialist from the In a New Light project, and Edward Wild, a skilled furniture maker and tutor at Rowden Atelier. And so, The Midas Touch project was born.
Over two engaging days, five enthusiastic woodworkers immersed themselves in learning the intricate techniques of oil and water gilding. The workshop was an incredible success, and it has inspired us to apply for additional funding to offer more opportunities to woodworkers interested in learning this beautiful heritage skill.
Gilding and woodworking complement each other perfectly. Gilding requires patience, precision, and a careful, methodical approach—qualities that are often second nature to woodworkers, who possess an exceptional eye for detail and craftsmanship.
We’re excited to see how the participants develop and apply their new skills in future projects. We hope to organise an exhibition in the coming years to showcase the results of this workshop and highlight the enduring relationship between gilding and woodworking.
A big thank you to everyone involved in making this workshop possible! We’re looking forward to continuing our journey in promoting heritage crafts and sharing these timeless skills with more artisans.
Project funded by The Radcliffe Trust
