The Sylva Foundation Woodworking and Gender Project recently hosted Skilled. Seen., a public exhibition celebrating the talent of women, trans, and non binary woodworkers from across the UK. Held at Fusion Arts in Oxford, the exhibition brought together 59 makers and welcomed over 400 visitors. The show was designed as a welcoming space where everyone…
In July 2026, Sylva Foundation will host Skilled. Seen., a new week-long exhibition in Oxford celebrating women, trans and non-binary people who work with wood. Woodworkers from marginalised genders are invited to bring their work into an evolving week-long show, pairing furniture making and heritage woodwork skills with talks, demonstrations and a public exhibition. Skilled. Seen.…
This International Women’s Day, we were thrilled to see our Woodworking and Gender project take center stage. The project was highlighted by our major funder, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as a leading example of how to reshape the heritage skills sector. The Fund celebrated the women and marginalised communities who are reshaping spaces in…
Cat Poppensieker, Project Coordinator, offers her reflections of the Woodworking and Gender Project project to date.
Reflections from our first six week ‘Workshop Experience’ course, an immersive learning programme designed to open doors into woodworking and furniture making for people historically excluded from the industry.
Our Woodworking & Gender project, has been highlighted by The National Lottery Heritage Fund on their website, including an interview with Project lead Cat Poppensieker. Project lead Cat Poppensieker says: “Heritage woodworking crafts are in danger. If there is no transfer of knowledge to the next generation, we’ll have a real issue. And if we…
We are thrilled to announce that the Woodworking & Gender Sector Survey 2024 report is now available for download!
Ready to take your first steps into the furniture-making industry? This 6-week course offers hands-on training, technical skills, and the support you need to build your confidence and pursue a career in furniture. Whether you’re a recent graduate, career switcher, or looking for an entry point, this programme is tailored for you. Application are now open for our 6-week workshop experience as part of our Woodworking and Gender Project.
We recently had the absolute pleasure of hosting our second Woodworking and Gender seminar ‘Carving Change’, and what an incredible experience it was! Despite the challenges brought by flooding across the country, participants travelled from near and far to be with us, bringing energy, insights, and passion to help shape the future of furniture making…
Are you part of the UK’s Woodworking or Furniture-making industry? If so, we want to hear from you, whether you are an employer, worker, teacher or student. You are invited to take part in our national survey.