Sylva Wood School

As the latest six-week course comes to and we reflect on an incredible experience - without doubt some of the most enjoyable teaching we’ve ever had!

In numbers ….

8 fantastic makers
6 memorable weeks
1 afternoon in the woods
3 masterclasses in marquetry, carving and hand-finishing
5 informative industry visits
4 days of wood machine training
Leaving just 15 days to make 3 products to a very high standard all whilst learning new skills together!
A table in local cherry, and a stool & cabinet in GiB certified ash.

They exceeded our expectations and we hope the experience exceeded theirs! We look forward to seeing how it will impact their futures working with wood!

Thank you to everyone who made it special; our team Cathrin Lyreskog Gabriel Hemery

Audrey Fasquelle MSDC Laura Anderson Katy Thompson Holly Hawkins Matthew Cox
Benchmark Vastern Timber Ercol Furniture Doig Furniture
hug_objects Lynn Jones Associates Tess Osman

The Woodworking and Gender project is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Conran Foundation, The Mila Charitable Trust, Benchmark Furniture Ltd, Vastern Timber Ltd. Thanks to these funding organisations and National Lottery players, we will ensure future generations of skilled and resilient women and non-binary woodworkers are able to support the woodworking heritage of this country for years to come.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Thanks to our good friends Ercol Furniture for taking the time to give current students a fantastic tour of the factory.

We enjoyed seeing the journey from sawn timber through each department to the finishing shop. Thanks for demonstrating chair assembly, and letting us get hands on with some complex steambending.

Seeing limited edition furniture made by our students on display in the showroom was really special!

We enjoyed a fantastic visit to this week. Thank you to Tom Barnes for giving us an insightful tour and for discussing, amongst other things, trees, timber processing, thermal modification, certification, home-grown timber and new markets!

What made this visit extra special was that two years ago Tom supported our plans for a project to tackle the poor gender diversity in woodworking and furniture making with some match funding. It was great for him to meet the amazing cohort of our current six-week course and learn more about how the project has successfully developed.

Please join us for our second annual Woodworking Teachers Network seminar.

Crafting Connections 2
A collaborative seminar for teachers and technicians in furniture and woodworking
Wednesday 24th June 2026 10-4pm
Sylva Wood Centre, Oxfordshire

In 2025 we explored the lack of meaningful subject specific CPD, in response we will deliver a series of short sessions that meets our needs. Confirmed speakers include
from
from
Chris Hyde and Christian Notley of of

will be demonstrating

We will provide lunch and plenty of opportunities to connect with one another.

Please don’t hesitate to ask any questions and feel free to share widely with your colleagues/networks.

We look forward to seeing you next month!

Building skills, confidence and community.

This week saw the start of our latest course.

Wood machine refresher training was an opportunity for all eight students to settle into the space, connect with one another and discuss safe and efficient working with our team. They were fantastic, sharing experiences, supporting each other and working confidently with some local cherry timber.

Over the six weeks we have planned visits to workshops/timber suppliers and masterclasses with female teachers including polishing, carving and marquetry. This week Gabriel Hemery gave them a tour of Paradise Wood a unique research woodland that is adjacent to the Wood Centre. Knowing more about our favourite material, connecting science, sustainable woodland management and an understanding home-grown timber production/use is central to a good woodworking education!

We are very excited to see how this cohort develops.

The Woodworking and Gender project is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Conran Foundation, The Mila Charitable Trust, Benchmark Furniture Ltd, Vastern Timber Ltd. Thanks to these funding organisations and National Lottery players, we will ensure future generations of skilled and resilient women and non-binary woodworkers are able to support the woodworking heritage of this country for years to come.

Last week of the month we bring together the whole community, Sylva staff, students, tenants and a few local makers to catch up over a community lunch. Last week we were spoilt by who made two courses including foraged pine needle syrup, drizzled over strawberries! Thanks Cat!

Just prior to lunch we hold a 30min Sylva Talk, thix week CEO and founder of Sylva Foundation presented ‘Sylva in a nutshell’ the journey from idea to established national charity tackling big issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss! Thanks Gabriel

The Sylva Wood Centre has three upcoming workspace vacancies for young and established businesses working with wood.

From 1st September 2026 we will have a Start-Up bench space (for emerging makers), Incubation Unit (for growing businesses) and commercial workshop (for established businesses) available.

As a Member of the Sylva Wood Centre you would join a collaborative community of passionate makers, gain access to specialist facilities, and benefit from an association with the Sylva Foundation’s strategic work in UK forestry.

We welcome applications from people who work predominantly with wood, who will benefit from dedicated facilities and are interested in contributing to our wood-focussed business hub.

Full details and how to apply are on Sylva Foundation website:

APPLICATION DEADLINE – 17th MAY 2026, 23:59

If suitable, you may apply for more than one space. The application form allows you to select the spaces you are interested in.

If we believe you are a suitable candidate we will arrange to meet with you to talk about your needs and understand more about your business.

We intend to notify successful applicants by 29th May.

Applications will be assessed against these criteria:

• commitment to the ethos and vision of the Sylva Wood Centre, including the use of home-grown timber
• quality of your work and craft
• professional approach
• entrepreneurial business approach
• presentation of submitted work via provided images
• collaborations and connections in the sector
• how you believe securing a place at the Sylva Wood Centre would benefit you, and what you would bring to the community

Those interested in applying are strongly advised to arrange to view the facilities before applying. To arrange a visit contact Phil Gullam: [email protected] or 01865 408018

If you’d like to visit informally to see what the Wood Centre is about we are taking part in Oxfordshire Artweeks on Saturday 9th May and Sunday 10th May.

Professional Course 26/27 applications now open

After another fantastic course ended earlier this month, we are already looking ahead to the autumn. We have started recruiting for the next cohort of our Professional Course, running from September 2026 to March 2027 and ask those interested in joining us to complete a simple form.

Our unique course, delivered in South Oxfordshire, already offers unbeatable value, but we also offer bursaries to support applications. We have four bursaries of £3000 available towards the next six-month course - covering 43% of the course fee of £6,995:
Three are provided by the Horlock Educational Trust and are aimed specifically at those aged between 18-25.
One is provided by the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust and is open to all.

To qualify you must be:

Enthusiastic about making in wood
Ambitious about a career in furniture making
Experienced in basic woodwork
Aged 18+

To apply with or without a bursary please complete the simple form - link in bio
Deadline for applications is Sunday 21st June 2026
Applications will be shortlisted by Monday 29th June 2026
For further information please contact: [email protected] or visit our website

Join us on Saturday, 9th May , and Sunday, 10th May , 2026, as the Sylva Wood School and Wood Centre throw open their doors for our annual Open Weekend.

Sylva Foundation is a national charity dedicated to supporting a society which lives in harmony with nature, focusing on the stewardship of our forests and the sustainable use of home-grown timber.

Visit Sylva Wood School to learn about our work inspiring excellence in craft, design and education using home-grown timber. This weekend offers the perfect opportunity for all aspiring makers, hobbyists, and career professionals to explore their future in woodworking. Meet expert tutors, explore courses and hear about our work to bridge the gender gap in woodworking.

The Wood Centre’s Business Hub supports small wood businesses, creating a rare concentration of craft and design talent under one roof. Tour the workshops, usually closed to the public,meet the makers, and discover sustainable and beautiful furniture, bespoke cabinetry, and contemporary design objects.

Explore the Future Forest, a growing young woodland where we are testing a wide range of tree species to build resilience against climate change and disease, whilst providing public enjoyment and homes for wildlife.

View the Anglo-Saxon reconstructed House of Wessex to explore its unique timber structure and ancient UK’s heritage of working with wood.

Sylva Wood Centre Open Weekend is the essential destination for anyone who appreciates the craft and beauty of wood.

Parking is free. Pop-up cafe with a range of delicious home-made cakes.

Open call: exhibit at Skilled. Seen.

In July 2026, we’re bringing a different kind of exhibition to Oxford.

**Skilled. Seen.** is a week-long exhibition celebrating women, trans and non-binary people who work with wood.

Rather than curating the show behind closed doors, we’re opening an exhibition that invites makers to curate it. Starting with an empty space, across one week, furniture, products and wood-based objects will arrive and the show will evolve as it fills.

This exhibition is intentionally maker-centred rather than curator-led.
Less gatekeeping, less pressure to produce an extraordinary showpiece, and more space for authentic work that says something about your practice, your skills, and your relationship with wood.

We’re looking for students, apprentices, employed makers, independent craftspeople, designer-makers, or established professionals who want to show work they feel proud of.

Skilled. Seen.
Fusion Arts, Oxford
13–18 July 2026

Open to all women, trans (including trans men) and non-binary makers who work with timber.

Sign up by 31 May 2026
https://forms.gle/qoX81F6k5Tv13xrK7






MakersExhibition
CraftExhibition
HeritageCraft
Woodworkers
DesignerMakers
WomenWhoMake
TransMakers
NonBinaryMakers
CraftCommunity
Furnitureshow
Woodworkexhibition





The Woodworking and Gender project is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Conran Foundation, The Mila Charitable Trust, Benchmark Furniture Ltd, Vastern Timber Ltd. Thanks to these funding organisations and National Lottery players, we will ensure future generations of skilled and resilient women, trans and non-binary woodworkers are able to support the woodworking heritage of this country for years to come.