Richard Beadsmoore

I decided to give licentiateship a go – what had I got to lose but maybe a slightly bruised ego?  Much to my amazement I was accepted and I’m still on the journey towards Fellowship.  Remember, the Fellows are looking for potential rather than the finished article so if you’ve not entered the competition before, or have but never won anything, try getting a Fellow to look at your work, see what they say and don’t let age be a barrier!

Hannah Brown

I would encourage any Associate member who is thinking about applying to become a Licentiate to do so.  A big benefit of the programme is being invited to participate in physical and online exhibitions that otherwise you wouldn’t be invited to.  This exposure will make your work visible to collectors.  I also found it very beneficial to have an entry deadline of an exhibition to work to – there is nothing like a due date to spur you and your bookbinding on!

Glenn Malkin

During my licentiateship I have had the opportunity to exhibit my work and be involved in more aspects of Designer Bookbinders activities as well as getting to know some of the Fellows much better (they really are a decent bunch!).  But the biggest advantage is having the opportunity to improve the technical and design aspects of my bindings through having mentors and talking to the Fellows who have been supportive, honest, and encouraging.  Even if you have no desire at this stage to become a Fellow, going along the Licentiate route may be challenging at times but it is an extremely positive experience.  I would encourage anyone who is interested in progressing their design binding skills to talk to one of the Fellows or Licentiates and find out more.

Gillian Stewart

With encouragement from Tom McEwan, Dominic Riley and Jill Sellars, I applied for Licentiateship in 2019.  What a boon to have access to the Fellows, be given mentors and to be invited to take part in exhibitions.  There will always be something new to learn – I’ll never know it all or have mastered every technique or approach, and I very much look forward to my journey of improvement through Licentiateship.  As a Licentiate, I’m strongly encouraged by all the women I see in bookbinding today.   Although I, like many other binders, work alone, I also feel very much like I’m becoming a part of a bigger community.