Sixty-five artist blacksmith undergraduates at Hereford College of Arts (HCA) have enjoyed a unique opportunity to learn from distinguished Australian artist Will Maguire and collaborate with him on the creation of a new permanent artwork. 

The five-day inaugural Masterclass has been made possible thanks to the Andrew Basnett Fund. Managed by Herefordshire Community Foundation, the new Fund has been set up in memory of former HCA student Andrew Basnett to support new blacksmithing talent in Herefordshire. Following his studies, Basnett ran his own forge for nearly 30 years and his work can be seen at landmarks including St Paul’s Cathedral, Beamish Museum, the Jorvik Museum and York Railway Museum. 

Andrew Basnett’s family commented; “Andrew Basnett was a talented blacksmith who studied blacksmithing at Hereford College of Arts. He sadly died in 2021 leaving a small legacy. We were determined that this should be used to support young blacksmiths and after a lengthy search were thrilled to meet with and be inspired by the enthusiastic and talented degree students at HCA. The family are now proud to be supporting the annual Andrew Basnett Blacksmith Masterclass and are very much looking forward to working with the College on this and other initiatives. The family was expertly guided through the process of setting up the endowment  by the Herefordshire Community Foundation.”

Bridie Sullivan, Chief Executive of Herefordshire Community Foundation, continued; “It’s an immense pleasure to work with the Basnett family to create a memorial fund that honours the memory of Andrew and his wonderful contribution to the art of blacksmithing. His legacy will live on in supporting the talents of future blacksmiths.”

Discussing the Masterclass, Delyth Done MBE, Head of School of Materials & Design at HCA said; “Our blacksmithing and forged metal arts courses are globally recognised for their excellence, so it seemed fitting to invite a distinguished international artist to share their exceptional knowledge and expertise with our students. We’re very grateful to the Andrew Basnett Fund for enabling this transformative learning experience.”

Artist Will Maguire continued; “I am grateful to HCA and the Andrew Basnett Fund for enabling me to come to the UK and explore forging with the next generation of contemporary blacksmiths. The UK is leading the way  in recognising the value and potential of contemporary blacksmithing, with HCA spearheading an exciting revival of one of humanity’s original revolutionary crafts.”

Will Maguire worked with the students to create a new artwork which will be installed in the Main Courtyard at HCA’s College Road campus in April.  Titled  De-centred Cubic, it envisions a collaboration between minerals and animals, embracing the uncontrollable nature of steel and the inevitable impact of human interaction. It joins human activity with the inherent activity of iron, challenging the notion of the maker’s primacy and the material’s passivity. If the alignment of iron and the stars is just right, it will present a glimpse of material magic, where the whole exceeds the sum of its parts.

Participating student Bran Davies shared his thoughts on the experience, saying; “It has been a real privilege working with Will Maguire in the 2025 Masterclass. Coming from an incredible technical background, permeated with theoretical knowledge, Will has designed a collaborative project that we’re all thoroughly engaged with. Getting to work with larger stock than we often have available and  letting the material guide the forging process has been really exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing all our individual pieces come together to make the final assembly.”

James Taylor, a fellow participant, expressed his enthusiasm for the masterclass; “For me, the masterclass is an excellent opportunity to learn and gain insights into blacksmithing from a unique perspective. Engaging in discussions about the creative process of a world-class blacksmith and exploring the inspirations behind the collaborative piece is invaluable. It also provides new inspirations that I can incorporate into my future projects and modules, enriching my ongoing design methodology.”

Reflecting on the week Lewis Poor concluded; “This introduces a perspective on our relation to material and how it responds to us, expanding our understanding of iron as a language into uncharted territories. Observing the entanglement in the sculpture, with each maker’s vocabulary materialized and knotted together, reflects the real-world actions of people working in unison.”

Managed by Herefordshire Community Foundation, the special Fund will support the annual Andrew Basnett Blacksmith Masterclass; offer bursaries to HCA students on the Blacksmith MA course who are need; and also provide discretionary grants to other initiatives and individuals focused on developing the craft of blacksmithing.

To find out more and to donate to the Andrew Basnett Fund, visit www.herefordshirecf.org/funds/andrew-basnett-fund