Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be
- Aged 14-19. We cannot accept applications for any students older or younger than this. Please note that for some workshops you must be 16. See individual workshop pages for details.
- Able to make their own way to and from the venue throughout the workshop.
- Available for the duration of the workshop. We cannot accept applications if you are only able to attend for part of the workshop.
Selection Criteria
Applicants must demonstrate
- Passion for working with their hands
- Talent, creative flair, and good hand-eye co-ordination
- Interest in pursuing further study or a career in the craft sector, or another field (e.g. architecture, engineering) where skills offered would be beneficial
- Commitment to attend every day of the course and work hard throughout. If you do not attend every day of the workshop this may affect your chances of being invited to attend any further workshops. World-leading craft specialists are giving their time to teach and there are more applicants than places, so successful applicants have a responsibility to make the most of the course
Applications
- Applications are assessed by the Trust on an individual basis, and all decisions are final.
- We are unable to provide individual feedback for rejected applications.
- Incomplete applications will be automatically rejected.
- Your personal statement should be up to 100 words.
- Decisions will be sent via email. Please ensure you check your email regularly, and that you also check your junk folder.
- If you are offered a place, but we do not hear from you within the deadline, your place may be given to somebody else.
Accreditation Scheme
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.
The transferable skills evaluated include:
- Manual skills: including accuracy, appropriate use of equipment, technical problem solving and dexterity
- Visual sensitivity: including observational skills, sensitivity to different materials and understanding of their use
- Organisation and planning: including following a brief in an allocated time and related quality of final work
- Focus and concentration: including attention to detail
- Teamwork: including ability to work alongside, and at times, together with other students and attendance
Industry professionals recognise there is a particular gap in the school curriculum for two of the core skills taught on TCDT workshops – hand skills and visual sensitivity. Other skills such as organisation and planning, focus and concentration, and teamwork apply to professional practice in general.
The techniques evaluated are specific to the subject of each workshop i.e. wood turning, stone carving and gilding.
Grades are awarded based on the extent to which the student has demonstrated an aptitude in the relevant transferable skills:
Working Towards — the student’s potential is not yet realised
[CD1] Pass — the student has demonstrated a clear aptitude [in the transferable skills]
[CD2] Merit — the student has demonstrated a strong aptitude [in the transferable skills]
[CD3] Distinction — the student has demonstrated an exceptional aptitude [in the transferable skills]
