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HCA/NADFAS Award goes three waysNational Chairman explores the Australian wayThis year, the HCA/NADFAS Award of £5,000 is being shared between three talented young basketmakers. The funding for Julie Livesey, John Cowan and Emma Purcell will help to keep a traditional craft alive. Julie wants to focus especially on the heritage styles in Lancashire, such as baskets for fi shing and for the textile and weaving mills. John will use his money to have lessons with Colin Manthorpe, one of the most experienced basketmakers in the UK, in order to learn how to make a traditional butcher/baker trade basket.Emma will use her funds for time with two master craftsmen: “This funding comes at a crucial stage in my emergent career as a craftsperson, still with so much to learn! I’m very grateful to NADFAS and the HCA for supporting my development.” National Chairman June Robinson has been learning about the similarities and differences of Societies in Australia as part of her tour of our Australian counterpart, ADFAS. She is pictured here (on the left) at their AGM with one of the ADFAS Society Chairmen, Sally Osborne, and ADFAS Founder and Patron, Patricia Robertson.A group of 26 members from 15 Societies enjoyed a 13-day tour of northern India with NADFAS-accredited Lecturer Oliver Everett. Organised by Tour Affi liate Select Odyssey, the visit included many of the most famous sights of the region, including the Golden Temple of Amritsar, Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ranakpur and Udaipur. Select Odyssey will again be teaming up with Oliver for its ‘Gems of Northern India’ tour, see its website at www.selectodyssey.co.uk for further details and dates.Right: The tour group at the Taj MahalCockpit Arts celebrates 30 years Help to build a new Ovalhouse theatreSelect group enjoys north India tourFor over 50 years, London’s Ovalhouse theatre and arts centre has nurtured new and established talent, while its youth programme uses art to help children with complex disabilities, young migrants and refugees.However, its premises are no longer suitable. It is moving to a purpose-built site in Brixton. So far it has secured £9.5m of the £11.9m cost, but still needs to raise a further amount of £2.5m. Societies or individuals wishing to help can be immortalized on one of the bricks in the foyer of the new building. The bricks can be bought at Bronze (£100), Silver (£250) and Gold (£500) levels; donors will be credited appropriately; payments can be made in monthly instalments if necessary. See www.ovalhouse.com/support/buy-a-brick.Left: The new buildingCockpit Arts, the award-winning London-based creative business incubator for craft makers, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a special exhibition.Over the three decades, Cockpit Arts has transformed from its genesis as a workspace centre, and now houses up to 170 small businesses at its two centres in London. It offers a unique package of support that helps independent makers to develop and become more successful.NADFAS has had a long relationship with Cockpit Arts, offering an annual grant to one designer-maker each year. This year the Cockpit Open Studios (Holborn: 2–5 June and Deptford: June 10–12) will feature an exhibition by renowned photographer Alun Callender that will illustrate a diversity of maker success stories, demonstrating the trailblazing nature of Cockpit Arts’ work.Above: Alex Bishop, a former recipient of the NADFAS grant at Cockpit ArtsImages: Cockpit Arts © Alun Callender; courtesy Ovalhouse.8 NADFAS REVIEW / SUMMER 2016 www.nadfas.org.ukNATIONAL NEWS