Our Aim
The Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery was established in 2000, aspiring to provide passionate & emerging embroiderers a vital platform to showcase their talents and gain life-changing exposure. We believe that it is fundamental to acknowledge and support our contemporary embroidery talent, recognising the importance of craft within today’s culture and society, and solidifying that recognition for future generations to come.
“Hand & Lock are proud to have played a role in promoting and nurturing the next generation of embroiderers.”
What We Do
The Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery is an integral part of the Hand & Lock Atelier, organized by a dedicated team who work year-round to represent entrants fairly throughout the two-stage judging process. Since its inception in 2000, the Prize has evolved from a single student category to include both Fashion and Textile Arts categories, welcoming students, graduates, and professionals worldwide. The competition now attracts hundreds of entries each year, providing invaluable industry exposure for finalists from diverse regions like the UK, Australia, and Papua New Guinea.
The Prize also includes a Mentorship Programme, where each finalist is paired with an industry professional for guidance, fostering meaningful relationships that often continue beyond the competition. This support helps finalists refine their projects, aligning with the specially crafted brief.
The annual event culminates in an exclusive prize-giving and public exhibition and awards ceremony. The event draws hundreds of visitors to view exceptional embroidery by emerging designers.
Past winners and finalists have gone on to launch businesses, mentor others, and work with leading designers like Alexander McQueen, Chanel, and Richard Quinn. Hand & Lock is proud to contribute to the future of embroidery, nurturing talent and creativity within the industry.
“Over the last two decades the Prize has exhibited over 500 final works and distributed more than $1,000,000 in awards.”
How your sponsorship can help the future of crafts?
The kind support and generosity of our sponsors is pivotal to the success of the Prize. For the past twenty years the Hand & Lock Atelier has mainly funded the Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery and it’s huge prize fund which is awarded to the winners each year. In recent years, we have been able to introduce industry sponsored ‘Associate Awards’ to recognise specific skills and practises related to the partner organisation. As we expand the Prize and it’s worldwide reach, we are seeking the help of sponsors to drive this growth and gain benefit from the prominence and significance of the event.
Sponsorships can help free up valuable time and resources to focus on extending the scope of the Prize and maximize the rewards for our winners. Support can either fund the general running of the Prize or be specific to the November final or biennale Embroidered Arts exhibition. Sponsorship is an invaluable opportunity to connect with influential figures across fashion and textile arts. The final prize-giving event is a respected industry gathering and we rely on specialists to provide technical event equipment, catering, staging and event dressing, refreshments etc.
Sponsorship can help fund the year long Prize process which involves university visits, communication and administration of hundreds of entrants from all around the globe and the organisation of mentors and judges, along with the sponsorship of the biennale Embroidered Arts public exhibition.
''Since inception of the Hand and Lock Prizes no event has equaled the magnitude of this celebration of embroidery.''
Diana Springall , Britain’s best known textile artist and 2024 Hand & Lock Prize Mentor
