Many visitors to historical events admire the high quality of props and costume, but not many know how all those things came into being. That is why craftspeople showing their skills are an essential part of any serious living history display. Unfortunately, while some crafts still enjoy popularity in the modern world, many others are in danger of disappearing forever. So, to preserve skills for the future and enrich our vision of the past, we team up with arts and crafts enthusiasts to offer demonstrations for all ages and tastes.

As part of our events, we regularly arrange displays of such diverse historic crafts as pottery, forge blacksmithing, embroidery, bone and antler working, flintknapping, manuscript illumination, passmenterie, wheelwrighting, bobbin lace, bronze casting, working in straw and rush, leather crafts... In 2008 at Kelmarsh we even built a little house to show traditional construction techniques: thatching, hewing, wattle-and-daub, timber-frame carpentry, wood carving and floor tiles.

Perhaps the most important craft of all time is food preparation, and the interest in the history of cooking and authentic recipes keeps growing. For those who want to re-create tasty treats from the past, we offer period-specific cookery demonstrations. Our latest project is a mini-series on Georgian and Regency cuisine for the CookIt! culinary portal (click here to view).

After being well fed, being properly dressed is the next big thing. We can demonstrate all stages of the garment-making process – from cutting and sewing to fitting and finishing – including all the supporting crafts such as spinning, loom and tablet weaving, dyeing, button making, fur processing and braiding. And since most of the tailor's work often remains unseen, hidden under rich outer clothes or shiny armour, we organise fashion shows and "dressing a lady/gentleman" displays to demonstrate how complex authentic clothing could be, what layers it consisted of and what effort went into putting it on.

Military service was part of many people's lives during most of the history. That's why it is just as important to show not just civilian occupations, but also military trades such as armouring, fletching, rope making, netting, and mail-making.

All our demonstrations are performed by professional artisans or experienced hobbyists. Since those involved in traditional crafts are often also re-enactors, demonstrations are usually accompanied by a commentary about the history of the craft and the life of people who practised it.

Depending on your requirements and practicality, demonstrations can be carried out indoors or outdoors, and presenters can wear costume or modern dress. We offer flexible formats to accommodate different audiences: from formal lecture-style presentations to hands-on family fun. The scope can also vary to meet the demand; for example, we can show how the artistic process works, or how to create a replica of a particular item, or how to use ages-old skills to create stylish contemporary accessories.