Jay Blades MBE and David Clarke become Co-Chairs of the Heritage Crafts Association
Jay Blades’ journey has taken many twists and turns. From growing up on a council estate in Hackney and leaving school at 15 with no qualifications, he got back on track by studying for a degree in criminology and philosophy at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU), before finding his true vocation in restoration and supporting vulnerable people through former charity Out of the Dark.
It is through BBC One’s extraordinarily successful The Repair Shop that he has become a household name, known for championing the revival of both heritage crafts skills and individual journeys through life, his own included. He was awarded the MBE for services to craft in 2021 and was appointed the first Chancellor of BNU in May 2022. He has served on the judging panel of the President’s Award for Endangered Crafts since 2021, set up by Heritage Crafts President HRH The Prince of Wales.
David Clarke is a heritage and cultural sector consultant who has served as a Heritage Crafts Trustee for the past three years. He moved into the cultural sector from education management in the mid-1980s and from 1987 to 1995 was Director of Chapter, a major centre for contemporary arts in Cardiff. In 1995 he set up DCA Consulting specialising in the development of cultural buildings, sustainable business planning and innovation.
David is a fellow of the RSA, an RIBA Client Advisor and a member of the Heritage Trusts Network, the Museums Association and the Theatres Trust. He has led the Heritage Crafts fundraising subcommittee since 2020.
Co-Chairing is a novel but increasingly popular form of Board leadership, combining the complementary skills and expertise of two exceptional individuals, and has been pioneered by organisations such as Age UK and the British Fashion Council. The HCA believe that the Co-Chairing approach will serve them well as it enters a new strategic period from January 2023 responding to a country undergoing rapid social, financial, political and environmental changes.
