Awards and bursaries

This Award assists makers working in knit to start up and develop in business by providing studio space and business support. We are looking for two individuals who demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit as well as creative excellence and craft skills, and who are committed to working closely with Cockpit to realise their longer-term goals.  

Applicants should have strong technical knowledge and skill in knitting, with hand or machine knit forming a major component of their practice. While we support makers who manufacture or outsource all or part of their production process, successful applicants will show the ability to undertake knit sampling and technical knit processes in-house. 

• Subsidised shared studio space for two years at Cockpit, with an anticipated start date between July and September 2026 
• Business support including one-to-one coaching and workshops 
• Selling and promotional opportunities, including two annual Cockpit Open Studios events 
• Financial contribution required by maker:  

– £520 (approx. £43 per month) in the 1st year  

– £2,000 (approx. £167 per month) in the 2nd year 

• This Award is offered to two makers, with an anticipated start date between July and September 2026. 

• Makers practicing in knit (or with knit as a main element of their practice). 

• Knitters producing for fashion, upholstery, interiors, or handknits, as well as knit as a major component of art/concept pieces, would be eligible to apply. Makers working in combined textile disciplines may also be eligible to apply, although weavers will be excluded as this discipline is well supported through other awards. 

• Makers who have already established, or begun to establish, a market for their work and have a track record of and commitment to working in knit as outlined above.  

• Makers who can demonstrate dedication to developing and nurturing their craft to a level of excellence and an interest in passing on their craft.  

• Successful applicants must be UK citizens or have settled status in the UK, in line with the Company’s higher education scholarships for ‘home’ fee paying students. 

• Please note: We only accept one application per applicant per Award for each award round. If you are unsure about which award to apply for, please contact Kanny Morgan, Awards & Admissions Coordinator at kanny@cockpitstudios.org. 

The Haberdashers’ Company is one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies and has a long history closely connected to the development of the City of London. Arising from this and in the 21st century the Company plays a major role in the provision of support to education and is a vibrant participant in new educational initiatives. Alongside this remains a continuing commitment to charitable work that continues to play an important part in the work of the Company.  

Interviews for the Haberdashers’ Award will be held on 11 May 2026.

Cockpit is committed to inclusion, diversity, and equity in all our activities, recognising that creativity and innovation are fuelled by diversity. 

Read our full statement and see our aims here. 

We particularly encourage applications from those who are underrepresented in craft including non-graduates, disabled, D/deaf, and neurodiverse people, LGBTQ+ people, and people from Black, Asian, and Global Majority* backgrounds. We welcome applicants from a range of educational backgrounds, and there is no minimum formal qualification for this programme. 

*Global Majority is a collective term that refers to people who are Black, Asian, dual-heritage, mixed-heritage, indigenous to the global South, and/or have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities’. 

As part of our commitment to increasing diversity, we offer a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants who meet Cockpit’s eligibility criteria, the award criteria, and identify as being from a Global Majority background and/or as D/deaf and/or disabled. This scheme recognises under-representation and that structural injustices mean that currently there is not a ‘level-playing field’ in our sector or society.  

If you identify as having one or more of these protected characteristics and meet the eligibility and award criteria, please indicate in your application that you would like to be considered under our guaranteed interview scheme.  

If you have any questions, check our FAQs page or contact us.