The Creative Dimension Trust

The Creative Dimension Trust is a wonderful organisation enabling young people to develop fine hand skills with leading, international specialists.

We were so delighted to hold another introduction to bookbinding workshop on Sunday for a lovely group of young people at our London store in Gillingham Street.

Taught by Mylyn McColl, the students all produced a quarter cloth hardback book using our 'Art of The Book' tutorial.

TCDT offers workshops designed to equip talented young people with the skills and confidence to pursue careers where core hand skills—such as manual dexterity, draftsmanship, and the ability to understand and (re)construct three-dimensional structures—are essential.

Courses are free of charge for all successful applicants. Recruitment is conducted directly through schools located in areas of social and economic deprivation or geographic isolation. We aim for 80% of participants to come from underserved backgrounds.

Skills are taught by craft specialists who are acknowledged leaders in their fields. These are not children’s art classes—the aim is to learn, experiment, build confidence, draw inspiration from top professionals, and explore career opportunities. Students gain a clearer understanding of what is possible and how to achieve it.

In a time of school budget cuts, an increased focus on STEM subjects, and excessive screen time, underserved students often miss out on opportunities to develop fine motor skills and spatial awareness. These abilities are vital not only in creative industries—a vast employment sector—but also in fields such as architecture and medicine. Roger Kneebone, Professor of Surgical Education at Imperial College, warns that today’s medical students “might have high academic grades but cannot cut or sew,” due to a lack of craft experience.

While extracurricular programs and networks exist to support talent in areas like music and sport, there is no equivalent for crafts.

TCDT began with straightforward skills workshops where young people could learn from world-leading experts. Since then, TCDT has expanded to include a schools programme—where tutors deliver workshops directly in schools—and a work experience initiative designed to support students in developing their careers. Students use work completed during these sessions to strengthen applications for courses, work placements, and jobs. Read more about TCDT’s first 10 years here.

TCDT is reliant on donations to continue this vital work. We warmly encourage you to visit the donations page to learn more.