Awards and bursaries

Designed for aspiring or established turners – i.e. people who practice the art and craft of turning on a lathe in wood or other materials. The Award will help the winning turner by providing the space and time to grow their business, increase profitability and develop their profile. We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit as well as creative excellence and craft skills.

• Subsidised shared studio space for one year within the creative community at Cockpit Deptford (SE8 3DZ), with an anticipated start date between January – March 2027
• Business support and professional development including one-to-one coaching and workshops
• Selling and promotional opportunities, including two annual Cockpit Open Studios events
• Access to the Wood Hub, housing wood equipment for shared used. (Includes a Band Saw, Wood Lathe, Table Saw (small), and a Planer Thicknesser) 

Financial contribution required by maker: £1,000 per year (approx. £85/month)

• This Award is offered to Turners working in wood or other materials. 

• Makers who can demonstrate dedication to developing, nurturing and passing on their craft.  

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

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 first round 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 for a first round interview.   

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

The Worshipful Company of Turners of London is a Livery Company and runs a charitable trust to promote the art and craft of turning. It does this in a number of ways; by supporting the Register of Professional Turners, holding biennial Turning Competitions and awarding bursaries, grants and prizes to promising turners. The Turners’ Company also holds exhibitions, lectures and demonstrations to promote and preserve the craft.