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LEGACYwww.nadfas.org.uk NADFAS REVIEW / SUMMER 2016 19 The art of letter carving is part of our rich arts heritage, but it is at risk as training opportunities decline. Last autumn, The Lettering Arts Trust, generously funded by a grant from NADFAS, arranged for two student letter carvers – Ayako Furuno and Joe Hickey (pictured below) – to experience a ‘Journeyman’ placement with a Master letter carver. This scheme is designed to provide bespoke instruction to complete the training of a lettering artist who has some experience, but needs to perfect certain skills. The scheme is a vital means of giving a student practical experience, while exposing them to the working life of a Master letter carver. As well as gaining theoretical knowledge, the student gains an understanding of the types of work that are undertaken and how to manage a studio. The Lettering Arts Trust placed Joe and Ayako with Master letter carver John Neilson in Shropshire for six weeks.Joe and Ayako’s placements were a valuable mixture of the theoretical and the practical. Ayako, who hopes to open her own studio, said: “John produced extensive worksheets which were an extremely useful guide and reference that showed not only the key points about the structure of the various forms, but also their historical context and development. They will be an invaluable source of future reference for me.”En route to jobs, John showed Joe and Ayako lettering masterpieces – some hidden away in tiny churchyards and some on public display, like the cast of the inscription from the Trajan column in the V&A museum. Joe Hickey says: “I wanted to focus on the practical and business side of running a workshop. Assisting John on a number of live jobs fi tted the bill. Working away on site and with John’s advice on costing jobs, I feel better armed for my future as a letter carver.” Joe is now working on various commissions as well as continuing his work as a graphic designer.• The Lettering Arts Trust is an educational charity that seeks to raise awareness of the art of lettering and create opportunities to train tomorrow’s artists in the classical British craft of lettercarving. www.letteringartstrust.org.uk. ■Help others to reach their potentialLeave a legacy to NADFASA bequest towards the work of NADFAS volunteering and grant giving will help bring art and heritage skills to a new generation.For a confi dential discussion about leaving a legacy to NADFAS, contact Chief Executive Florian Schweizer on 020 7430 0730. Or visit www.nadfas.org.uk.Staying on formThe UK has a rich heritage in the art of letter carving, with skills passed on through generations. Support from NADFAS and The Lettering Arts Trust is helping it endureImages: courtesy of John Neilson.