Craftex : Trades House of Glasgow

Craftex is promoted by the Trades House of Glasgow, a federation of the city's ancient crafts originating from 1605. For many centuries the regulatory body for all craft standards and craft education within the city of Glasgow, the prime function of the Trades House now is to administer charitable trusts and encourage the maintenance and revival of traditional craft skills in parallel with those of the new technology based crafts.

The annual Craftex competition and its associated exhibition provides a showcase for the very best work of students from the city's colleges. Encouraged by success in the competition many students have gone on to start up their own business.

However, none of this is possible without the support of sponsors who in return receive the full backing of the Trades House, our Craft Incorporations and the colleges in ensuring that their generosity is fully recognised.

In conjunction with all of the colleges in the area, the Trades House not only financially rewards merit but affords a ‘centre of city location’ at the Trades Hall to allow a display of the best efforts by young men and women to the public in general. This also affords an excellent opportunity to bring the efforts and aspirations of the Incorporated Trades to the wider public.

Volunteers from each and every Incorporation assist on the several days of this event by being present either to assist the organising committee in setting up the exhibition, or acting as security/stewards during the open exhibition. This competition has been recognised by UK Skills as an outstanding national event.