Endangered Crafts - An Exhibition Showcasing Endangered and Extinct Glass Skills
Deadline: 31/03/2026City: Stourbridge | Country: United Kingdom | Helen Stokes
Endangered Crafts is a major group exhibition exploring glass skills that are endangered, critically endangered or extinct in the UK. The Endangered Crafts exhibition will be held at the multi award winning Stourbridge Glass Museum and supported by Heritage Crafts and the Contemporary Glass Society.
Endangered Crafts
Stourbridge Glass Museum | 11th July – 7th November 2026
Endangered Crafts is a major group exhibition exploring glass skills that are endangered, critically endangered or extinct in the UK.
The Endangered Craft exhibition will be held at the multi award winning Stourbridge Glass Museum and supported by Heritage Crafts and Contemporary Glass Society.
Using the Heritage Crafts Red List of Endangered Crafts as a guiding framework, the exhibition will showcase contemporary glass artists working within traditions that are at risk of being lost, alongside work that reflects on the importance of preserving specialist craft knowledge.
The exhibition will include glass crafts listed on the Heritage Crafts Red List, including:
Extinct in the UK
- Mouth-blown sheet glass making
Critically Endangered
- Copper wheel glass engraving
- Glass eye making
- Cut crystal glass making
Endangered
- Scientific glassblowing
- Neon making
- Reverse glass sign painting
- Brilliant cutting
- Stained glass window making
Artists working in related endangered glass techniques are also welcome to apply, where applicants can provide supporting information to demonstrate why their craft should be considered at risk.
Artists may submit up to three works for consideration. Works may be for sale (the museum takes a commission of 30%).
The exhibition will be accompanied by a programme of talks and demonstrations during the opening weekend.
Key Dates
- Open Call Deadline: 31 March 2026
- Selection Period: April 2026
- Artists Notified: Late April / early May 2026
- Exhibition Drop-off: June / July 2026 (date to be confirmed)
- Private View (evening): 10 July 2026
- (Including a talk by Daniel Carpenter, Heritage Crafts, and a talk by Sarah Brown, Chair of the Contemporary Glass Society)
- Official Opening & Demo Day: 11 July 2026
- Exhibition Open: 11 July – 7 November 2026
- Exhibition Takedown: Mid-November 2026 (date to be confirmed)
Selected artists may also have the opportunity to take part in live demonstrations during the exhibition opening weekend, offering audiences insight into endangered glassmaking techniques.
Endangered Crafts is supported by Stourbridge Glass Museum, Heritage Crafts and the Contemporary Glass Society.
About Stourbridge Glass Museum
Stourbridge Glass Museum celebrates over 400 years of glassmaking heritage through stunning displays of historic and contemporary glass.
Visitors can experience live glassblowing in the hot glass studio, explore exhibitions showcasing world-renowned artists, and discover the stories behind this globally significant craft.
Having won numerous awards this small but significant museum has put its’ stamp on the museum map in 2025, continuing to promote glass making, and supporting makers both in contemporary practises and those using heritage skills and restoration.
About Heritage Crafts
Heritage Crafts is the national charity for traditional heritage crafts.
Working in partnership with Government and key agencies, they provide a focus for craftspeople, groups, societies and guilds, as well as individuals who care about the loss of traditional crafts skills, and work towards a healthy and sustainable framework for the future.
Heritage Crafts are a UNESCO accredited NGO for Intangible Cultural Heritage and an official Community Support Hub for the UK Governments’ Living Heritage in the UK inventory, having advocated for the UK ratification of the UNESCO Convention of the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2010.
About the Contemporary Glass Society
The Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) was established in 1997 to represent the interests of national and international glassmakers.
It’s team is passionate about glass and the artists working with this amazing medium.
Today it has over 1,300 members and continues to grow.
Submission fees
The following submission fees apply to this opportunity.
- Administration Fee - to submit upto 3 pieces - 15.00 GBP
The appropriate fee will be payable using a debit or credit card after the first submission has been completed. If the submission fee allows you to submit more than once, you will be able to make further submissions after the first. Contact the curator if you have any questions about the opportunity or the submission fee, or email help@curatorspace.com if you have any questions about the payment process.
There will also be an official opening and demo day on 11th July featuring heritage glassmaking demonstrations including mouth blown sheet glass and other demonstrations from artists featured within the exhibition. (You can submit a proposal to demonstrate within the application form)
This will be an important collection of objects and art pieces that form a record of the magnificent skills of craftspeople working in some of the most endangered glassmaking practices in the UK. We hope to highlight these skills, and encourage further support for makers, and to inspire more people to take up learning these skills.
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