Thurso glass artist Lords it up in London for prestigious event
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Thurso glass artist Ian Pearson is heading off to the House of Lords in London at the end of January for an awards event in which he is shortlisted.
Ian has been invited by the Heritage Crafts Association to the Heritage Crafts Awards winners and reception as he was shortlisted for Volunteer of the Year for his work with the British Society of Scientific Glassblowers (BSSG).
Ian was trained as a scientific glassblower in Surrey before he started at Dounreay, taking charge of its scientific glass department in 1981. He continues to work on scientific glass projects, although the majority of his time is spent on artistic glasswork. Ian was nominated for the work he has contributed to the BSSG, which includes being chair from 2002 to 2009, and has continued to its journal for the last 35 years.
Scientific glassblowing is recognised as being endangered by Heritage Crafts. Ian said: "The skills of scientific glassblowers are very specialised and the demands on the training expectations combined with the lack of facilities in the UK for training means there are diminishing numbers of skilled crafts people who can make scientific glassware."
The event at the House of Lords is sponsored by the Royal Mint and will celebrate and highlight the traditional craft skills that contribute to the UK's national heritage. Included will be the President's Award for Endangered Crafts – the president being King Charles III – along with the inaugural Woodworker of the Year Award and a suite of awards supported by the Marsh Charitable Trust, including:
- Maker of the Year
- Trainer of the Year
- Trainee of the Year
- Volunteer of the Year
Heritage Crafts will be honouring the winners and finalists of this year's awards, plus recipients of its training bursaries supported by the City and Guilds Foundation and DCA Consulting. As well as the formal proceedings, an afternoon tea will be served in the Houses of Lords' prestigious Cholmondeley room and terrace.
The event was originally planned for 2022 but postponed due to rail strikes.
