Go to the main content
Bringing Beadworkers Together
You are here | Home | About the Guild
Home page random image of bead work

About the Guild

The Beadworkers Guild is a focus for everyone who enjoys beading and learning about beadwork.  We encourage individual creativity, together with the sharing of ideas and techniques.

We were formed in 1999 and are a Registered Charity with a small Board of Trustees.  Almost all of the Guild's activities are undertaken by volunteers.

Our Aims

The main aims of the Guild are to facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge amongst beadworkers and to promote beadwork to the public at large.

To further these aims we produce a Quarterly Journal for our members and arrange an annual programme of Workshops.  Our workshops are currently in central London, but we’re also looking for new venues in the rest of the UK.  We mount colour-themed exhibitions of members’ work at craft shows and other events all round the UK, in order to show the public the amazing range of work that our members create.

Our Events

The Great British Bead Show is the largest gathering of beaders in Britain and is organised in May of every other year. It’s a long weekend of project-based workshops with a lecture on Friday evening, AGM on Saturday evening and a large Bead Bazaar on Sunday.  

In the intervening years, the Guild organises a smaller Beading Festival, again featuring a Bead Bazaar on the Sunday. The last Beading Festival was held in 2010 near Glagsow.  The next will be in 2012 in Daventry, Northamptonshire.

Our Publications

The Guild has published a series of three Introduction to Beadwork Books and two small booklets on Beading Basics.  As part of its education programme, we’ve also produced a series of Stitch Workbooks.  These are available as free downloads to our members to help further their beading skills and confidence.

Challenging Our Members

We hold an annual themed competition for our members.  The entries to the Beadworkers Guild Challenge are displayed to the public at the event in May and the winning pieces then tour the country on exhibition.  Many of the pieces submitted to the Challenge in its first ten years are featured in the Guild’s book Celebrating Beadwork.

The Beadworkers Guild has organised two ‘Beading Together’ projects.  The first was to produce a giant Beaded Bead Necklace containing almost 400 beaded beads contributed by members.  More recently, members contributed beaded squares on Spring and Autumn themes to produce two beautiful beaded ‘quilts’ or wall hangings.

Why not join us?

As a member of the Beadworkers Guild you receive:

  • A copy of the Journal four times a year, with articles, projects, book reviews and details of forthcoming exhibitions and shows, events and suppliers.
  • An email newsletter updating information in between Journals.
  • Access to the Members’ Area of the website which we are developing into an important resource.   It holds information about events, bead groups, members’ classes, links to websites which may be of interest and access to the Stitch Workbooks and other free downloads, including beading patterns.  
  • A discount when you purchase any of our books from us.
  • Access to workshops organised by the Beadworkers Guild.
  • Free entry to the Bead Bazaar organised as part of our event in May.

Members are also eligible to submit work for display on the Guild exhibition stand at the events we attend throughout the year, and to enter the Beadworkers Guild Challenge.

Membership costs:

United Kingdom | April 2011-March 2012 | £26.50

Europe | April 2011-March 2012 | £33.00

Overseas | April 2011-March 2012 | £40.00

Interested? You can join online or print a form for posting here.

Green arrow to the topBack to top

Registered Charity No. 1119734

© 2006-2012 Beadworkers Guild version 4.0 | Sitemap | Accessibility | Website design, production and hosting by WOW Design Solutions