Enabling young people to develop fine hand skills with leading, international specialists.
TCDT offers workshops designed to equip talented young people with the skills and confidence to pursue careers where core hand skills—such as manual dexterity, draftsmanship, and the ability to understand and (re)construct three-dimensional structures—are essential.
Courses are free of charge for all successful applicants. Recruitment is conducted directly through schools located in areas of social and economic deprivation or geographic isolation. We aim for 80% of participants to come from underserved backgrounds.
Skills are taught by craft specialists who are acknowledged leaders in their fields. These are not children’s art classes—the aim is to learn, experiment, build confidence, draw inspiration from top professionals, and explore career opportunities. Students gain a clearer understanding of what is possible and how to achieve it.
In a time of school budget cuts, an increased focus on STEM subjects, and excessive screen time, underserved students often miss out on opportunities to develop fine motor skills and spatial awareness. These abilities are vital not only in creative industries—a vast employment sector—but also in fields such as architecture and medicine. Roger Kneebone, Professor of Surgical Education at Imperial College, warns that today’s medical students “might have high academic grades but cannot cut or sew,” due to a lack of craft experience.
While extracurricular programs and networks exist to support talent in areas like music and sport, there is no equivalent for crafts.
TCDT began with straightforward skills workshops where young people could learn from world-leading experts. Since then, TCDT has expanded to include a schools programme—where tutors deliver workshops directly in schools—and a work experience initiative designed to support students in developing their careers. Students use work completed during these sessions to strengthen applications for courses, work placements, and jobs. Read more about TCDT’s first 10 years here.
TCDT is reliant on donations to continue this vital work. We warmly encourage you to visit the donations page to learn more.
Leadership & Management
King Charles III
On 17 March 2026, Buckingham Palace confirmed that His Majesty The King has graciously agreed to become Patron of the charity.
The Royal Patronage is a tremendous honour made possible only through the dedication, hard work, and commitment of our tutors, partners, donors, and other supporters over the past ten years. Having His Majesty as our Royal Patron will provide vital publicity for our work and enable our achievements and contributions to society to be recognised and brought to wider attention.
Ambassadors
Sir Christopher Frayling is a British educationalist and writer, known for his study of popular culture. He is Rector of the Royal College of Art, Trustee of the V&A, Chairman of the Royal Mint Advisory Committee, past Chairman of Arts Council England, and past Chairman of the Design Council.
Hugh Petter is an architect and master-planner with a specialist knowledge of traditional architecture and contextual urban design. Hugh became a director of ADAM Architecture in 1997 and enjoys worldwide recognition for his diverse project portfolio which includes new town and country houses of all scales: conversion, renovation, and extensions to listed buildings of all grades; commercial, retail, sports venue and tertiary education projects, and masterplans for mixed use developments for private, institutional, and local authority landowners. Beyond securing the planning consents, Hugh has extensive experience of acting as the coordinating architect, working with the development team to deliver these master-planned developments to a very high standard. For over twenty years he has been both the master-planner and coordinating architect for Nansledan, a major urban extension to Newquay, for the Duchy of Cornwall. Other recent award winning projects include a new entrance and forecourt at The Oval for Surrey County Cricket Club; the restoration of the Grade I Listed Chettle House in Dorset; a major new country house in Guernsey, and the new Levine Building at Trinity College in Oxford.
Hugh graduated with Distinction from Portsmouth School of Architecture in 1990 and won Rome Scholarships in 1990 and 1991. The following year he helped establish the Foundation Course at The Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture, where he served as Senior Tutor for six years. Hugh has sat on the Executive Committee and served as vice chairman of the Georgian Group; been a member of the RIBA Planning Group; is an elected brother of the Art Workers’ Guild and past Chairman of the Trustees; a trustee of The Prince’s Foundation, and the external examiner for the Master’s course in Conservation at the College of Estate Management in Reading.
Hugh has published numerous articles and essays on architectural and urban subjects and is a visiting tutor to several colleges across the UK and overseas. A monograph, Living Tradition, The Architecture and Urbanism of Hugh Petter, celebrating his unusually broad experience, is published by Triglyph Books.
Philip Treacy OBE is an award–winning Irish hat-designer based in London, who has been described by Vogue as “perhaps the greatest living milliner”. In 2000, he became the first milliner in 80 years to be invited to exhibit at the Paris haute couture shows. He has been associated with some of the largest fashion houses and particularly Chanel and Givenchy.
Trustees
Simon Costin is an international art director and recently curator. Simon’s sets are as diverse as his client list which includes Lanvin, Coach, Tiffany, Swarovski, Hermes, H&M, Valentino, Givenchy, Gucci, Stella McCartney, YSL, Chloe, Bulgari, and Faberge. Simon has shown his work solo and in group exhibitions in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the ICA in London, and the Galerie Patricia Dorfmann. He is the Director of the Museum of British Folklore.
Peter Eisenhardt (Treasurer) is Secretary General of the International Council of Securities Associations. Previously, he worked for Bank of America and J.P. Morgan for over thirty years in New York, Tokyo, and London.
Theo Fennell is a renowned British jewellery and silverware designer, often referred to as the “King of Bling” for his extravagant designs favoured by celebrity clients – including Elton John, Madonna and Lady Gaga! In 1982, he founded his company, Theo Fennell, opening his first store in Chelsea, London. His designs are characterised by originality, drawing inspiration from various sources, including music halls, pop art, and Greek classicism.
Theo’s commitment to craftsmanship has earned him several honours: he is a Fellow of the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths, an ambassador for The Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council, a liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company, and an honorary fellow of the University of the Arts London.
Tuesday Riddell is an award winning, London based artist working with European Lacquer. Following obtaining a First Class Degree in Fine Art, Tuesday was taken on by Messums Art Gallery in Cork St, London. She has since exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, a Biennale in Venice and numerous times in London. She is currently preparing for a solo show in New York.
Fiona Rushton is a Freelance Brand Communications Consultant creating strategies that have a natural fit to the ethos of a company and grow awareness and change perceptions by working across all platforms and mediums. She served as Communications Director at Hermes GB and Group PR Manager-Europe and Press Officer for Habitat.
Annie Warburton is Chief Executive and Clerk at the Goldsmiths’ Company and a writer specialising in contemporary craft, art and design. She was previously CEO at Cockpit, an award-winning charity and a UK top 100 social enterprise, and Creative Director at the Crafts Council where she directed research and innovation, education and a portfolio of UK and international exhibitions. In 2024, Annie was awarded the Fellowship of the City & Guilds Institute of London. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, council member at Creative UK, Associate of the Artworkers Guild, and honorary Associate of Newnham College, Cambridge.
Staff
Founder & CEO
Penny Bendall is a conservator of ceramics with 25 years of experience and a Royal Warrant. She works nationally and internationally for private clients and institutions including The Fitzwilliam Museum, Sir John Soane’s Museum, Historic Royal Palaces, Burghley House, Christie’s, and Sotheby’s.
A high-profile example of her work is the restoration of the smashed Qing vases at The Fitzwilliam Museum in 2006. Another is her evaluation of miniature terracotta warriors in China for safe transport to The Fitzwilliam Museum for a major exhibition in 2012.
Penny lectures, teaches, and organizes conferences on conservation ethics and art education for art businesses, art history and art law postgraduates, financial institutions, Sotheby’s, and Christie’s.
Penny is a former trustee of The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), and was Development Director during the 2012 Diamond Jubilee campaign which doubled the amount of annual scholarship awards.
Penny is a trustee of The Institute of Conservation (Icon) and The Plowden Medal, development consultant for the Zibby Garnett Travel Fellowship, and on the board for the Lord Mayor of the City of London Cultural Scholarship.
Administrator Francesca Gregson
Student Administrator Camilla Dilshat
Social Media Rene Gonzalez
Accreditation Committee
Since 2019, TCDT has focused on its accreditation programme to offer students the opportunity to earn a respected and valuable credential to aid their career progression. The key is to evaluate whether students transformed a 2D concept into a 3D form, and how well they achieved it. For workshops that run for three days or more, students receive grades of Working Towards, Pass, Merit, or Distinction, along with written evaluations to guide their next steps.
Penny Bendall is a conservator of ceramics with 25 years of experience and a Royal Warrant. She works nationally and internationally for private clients and institutions including The Fitzwilliam Museum, Sir John Soane’s Museum, Historic Royal Palaces, Burghley House, Christie’s, and Sotheby’s.
A high-profile example of her work is the restoration of the smashed Qing vases at The Fitzwilliam Museum in 2006. Another is her evaluation of miniature terracotta warriors in China for safe transport to The Fitzwilliam Museum for a major exhibition in 2012.
Penny lectures, teaches, and organizes conferences on conservation ethics and art education for art businesses, art history and art law postgraduates, financial institutions, Sotheby’s, and Christie’s.
Penny is a former trustee of The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), and was Development Director during the 2012 Diamond Jubilee campaign which doubled the amount of annual scholarship awards.
Penny is a trustee of The Institute of Conservation (Icon) and The Plowden Medal, development consultant for the Zibby Garnett Travel Fellowship, and on the board for the Lord Mayor of the City of London Cultural Scholarship.
Peter Eisenhardt (Treasurer) is Secretary General of the International Council of Securities Associations. Previously, he worked for Bank of America and J.P. Morgan for over thirty years in New York, Tokyo, and London.
Gary Elliott is CEO and Founder of Elliott Wood, a structural and civil engineering practice providing services for all engineering aspects of the built environment. Founded in 1994, the practice has 140 staff in South West London, Central London and Nottingham. Work includes large scale residential developments, commercial, healthcare, hotels, education, leisure / cultural buildings, regeneration, and retail schemes throughout the UK and overseas. The practice has experience in the conservation of historic buildings and remedial and refurbishment work. Complex and structurally demanding specialist projects have included sculptures and glass structures. Elliott Wood has worked on many projects which have received architectural and industry awards.
Sarah Hocombe specialises in figurative painting. Most of Sarah’s work is painted to commission and varies in subject matter and scale, from miniatures to large frescoes. Clients have included the Royal Warrant Holders Association and the Royal Collection Trust. Her paintings appear in public and private collections and buildings in the U.K., Europe, and North America. Sarah is a Chelsea College of Art and Design graduate (where she went on to teach) and a Churchill Fellow and Queen Elizabeth Trust Scholar.
Penny Milsom is Executive Director: Products & Services at ABRSM, the UK’s largest music education body, one of its largest music publishers, and the world’s leading provider of music exams. As part of the Strategic Leadership Team, she has specific responsibility for leading the development of ABRSM’s products and services to meet the developing needs of learners and teachers. Previously, she held ABRSM leadership positions in Business Development, UK Operations, and UK & Ireland Examinations.
Peter Morris is Managing Director at Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, an architecture practice based in London with offices in Bristol and Oklahoma. Set up in 1989, the practice employs over five hundred people working on projects in Education, Healthcare, Housing, Arts, and Offices. Peter’s main focus is on the design and management of the practice itself, while as an architect he maintains a close working relationship with its work through critical review of all projects. Peter oversees staff development, training and recruitment, financial management, practice infrastructure, communications, and risk management. His commitments outside the practice include acting as a member of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Architecture Appraisal Panel and Chair of the Old Street District voluntary business-led partnership.
Tamiko O’Brien is the former Principal of City & Guilds of London Art School. Prior to this, she spent 28 years of working in Higher Arts Education in a number of institutions, including the University of the Arts London. She has worked as a Fine Art tutor, course leader and head of school as well as more senior positions as associate dean and associate professor. Tamiko has been involved in pedagogic research projects, including pro-bono work with the European League of Institutes of the Arts and as the founding chair of the Fine Art European Forum.
Charity Information
The Creative Dimension Trust is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (registration no. 1166443).
Copyright
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