When we gathered for the Carving Change seminar in November, one theme came up time and time again: how many women were actively discouraged from woodworking as children. Key speakers and attendees alike shared stories of being actively steered away from the workbench or simply never given the opportunity to try their hand at making. As Lynn Jones (Lynn Jones Associates) pointed out during a panel discussion that “we [women] find furniture almost by accident”. Pushed to prioritise science in school, Katy Thompson (now Junior Finisher at Matthew Cox) said after discovering craft workshops for the first time: “There was a whole world out there we weren’t allowed to see.”
Left to right: Lynn Jones (Lynn Jones Associates), Faith King (Rycotewood Furniture, Activate Learning), Camilla Cox (Matthew Cox), Katy Thompson (Matthew Cox)
These early experiences still shape the industry we see today—one where gendered barriers to access remain deeply embedded, from education to employment.
Our Woodworking & Gender Sector Survey 2024 provided a stark reflection of these challenges. A staggering 48% of student respondents reported facing barriers to accessing education in furniture making and reported having been discouraged from pursuing certain educational paths in furniture making due to their gender identity, disability, or other personal characteristics. Lack of encouragement, role models, and early exposure may lead to women, trans, and non-binary people not looking to furniture making as a career in the first place. When looking at courses, financial constraints, lack of local opportunities, and caring responsibilities were among the most common obstacles for women and non-binary respondents. These barriers aren’t just about individual struggles; they shape who gets to enter the field in the first place, limiting diversity in an already male-dominated industry.
Even for those who do manage to access training, the journey into professional furniture making is not a straightforward one. 35% of survey respondents shared that they have faced significant gender-based challenges in the workplace—ranging from lack of career progression to feeling unwelcome in male-dominated environments. This echoes what participants called for at the seminar: “I would like to see a broad reflection of society working in UK’s workshops – so I don’t feel unusual walking into one.” (Fiona Davidson, Nottingham Trent University). Many skilled makers find themselves struggling to secure employment or apprenticeships, simply because industry norms haven’t evolved to be truly inclusive.
The Woodworking and Gender Project aims to challenge these barriers head-on. One direct response to the survey findings is our 6-week Workshop Experience Course, starting in May 2025, designed specifically for women, trans, and non-binary makers. We’ve structured the course to provide a welcoming, accessible, and immersive training experience—acknowledging and addressing the hurdles that have kept so many from entering the industry. More than just skills training, the course is about building community—bringing together participants in a supportive learning environment, inviting role models from the industry to share their journeys and expertise, and offering a workshop visit to give first hand insights into professional settings.
Woodworking should be a craft for everyone. If the sector truly wants to thrive, it needs to open its doors wider, ensuring that talent isn’t lost due to outdated biases or systemic obstacles. The stories shared during Carving Change and the findings from our survey are not just observations—they are a call to action.
Read the full Sector Survey 2024 report and the Carving Change Seminar report and join us in reshaping the future of furniture making.
