FIRST AWARDEE OF THE COCKPIT WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF GLASS SELLERS BURSARY, LULU HARRISON

First Awardee of the Cockpit Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers Bursary, Lulu Harrison. Glass artist named Sustainability Award winner A London researcher and glass artist at the forefront of sustainable glass making using waste materials has won the QEST Heritage Crafts Sustainability Award.

Lulu Harrison, a 2023 QEST Scholar, has been recognised for her sustainable processes in incorporating waste from local fishing industries to create glass pieces.

The award, which was introduced in 2023 for the first time, recognises makers who have made a change to their materials or processes or innovated in another way to measurably reduce their impact on the environment within the last 12 months.

Lulu was officially recognised at a Winners’ Reception at the Vicars’ Hall, Windsor Castle where she was awarded the £2,000 prize. She was one of 66 applicants who applied for the award.

Judges were delighted at the number of applications received for this inaugural award, and the quality and variety which collectively highlighted the role that craft can play in building a more sustainable future for all.

Lulu impressed judges with her approach to glassmaking, which utilises both historic techniques and scientific development, and replaces highly processed/transported materials with local abundant, invasive or waste materials. It was during her MA in Materials

Futures at Central Saint Martins that Lulu first learned that calcium carbonate (i.e. shells) is one of the main components used within soda-lime glass making, and she has since used this knowledge to create collections using shellfish waste from the Cornish fishing industry and the River Thames.

In the last 12 months, Lulu has been training with historical glass expert Dr Chloe Duckworth, testing glass recipes made from various silica, alkali and calcium sources with a maximum of three ingredients in each batch.

All the materials have been sourced locally to Newcastle, and are either in abundance, invasive or collected as waste from a local industry – e.g. waste wood ash and fish bones from a local restaurant.

They have been able to see lower (and therefore less energy intensive) melting temperatures than a typical raw glass batch, and Lulu has also furthered her knowledge about how natural impurities from raw materials can be used to colour glass as a non-hazardous alternative to metal oxides.

Lulu said she was “over the moon” to be named the winner.

“It’s an incredible honour to be the first recipient of this award, and it means so much to me to be recognised for my craft which is quite niche,” she said.

“My true passion is working with regional materials and working on a more local level inspired by ancient processes, showing the world how glass can be made in a different way.

“As a keen cold-water swimmer, I’ve always loved the sea and I’m interested in working with different coastal communities and coastal plants/shell types to create new glass recipes.

”Lulu said she aims to use the prize money to go towards setting up her own studio and creating new work.

Judges for the Sustainability Award included renowned craft environmental craft advocate Katie Treggiden, founder of Making Design Circular.

Katie said Lulu’s commitment to sustainability was inspiring.

“Lulu’s work stood out for her exciting material innovation within a heritage craft practice, because she is using craft to actively do good and make a positive impact (not just reduce her impact), and because the outcome was beautiful and interesting enough to stand on its own two feet.”

QEST and Heritage Crafts would like to acknowledge 2023 QEST Scholar and printmaker Louisa Boyd who made the winner’s trophy.

“The sculpture itself is made from ghost prints taken from etched copper plates,” Louisa said.

“The base was made by a local furniture designer, Suzanne Hodgson, who used beech wood (tree species native to the UK). This helped to reduce the carbon footprint of the materials.

“I feel very pleased to have been able to make a piece that honours a maker for caring about the impact of their practice on the environment.”

About Lulu Harrison Lulu is a self-taught glass artist specialising in glass alchemy.

Her project ‘Thames Glass’ saw her win the LVMH Maison/0 Green Trial Award. This project has been shown in leading museums and exhibitions such as the V&A, London Design Festival and London Craft Week.

Lulu was the first ever awardee of the Cockpit Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers Bursary with a subsidised studio at Cockpit.

Her 2023 QEST Johnnie Walker Scholarship has enabled her to train with historical glass expert and glass scientist Dr Chloe Duckworth.

About QEST

Established in 1990 by the Royal Warrant Holders Association, QEST is a charity that transforms the careers of talented and aspiring makers by funding their training and education, creating pathways to excellence and strengthening the future of the UK’s craft sector.

To date, more than £6million has been awarded to fund training and education of makers working across the UK in 130 different craft disciplines.

About Heritage Crafts

Founded in 2009, Heritage Crafts is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered as the ‘Heritage Crafts Association’, the national charity for traditional heritage crafts.

Working in partnership with government and key agencies, it provides a focus for craftspeople, groups, societies and guilds, as well as individuals who care about the loss of traditional crafts skills and works towards a healthy and sustainable framework for the future.

Its aim is to support and promote heritage crafts as a fundamental part of our living heritage.