Skills and stories heritage workshops at Lissan House: A unique opportunity to build skills for the future

The event, which is supported by the Department for Communities Historic Environment Fund, invites students (15-17 yrs), Built Environment students and the general public to take part in three days of hands-on heritage workshops. Participants will have a unique opportunity to gain valuable heritage skills for future careers and engage with stories of Lissan House and its previous inhabitants.

Students can take part in two one-day Skills Schools, with the opportunity to get hands on with traditional crafts including stonemasonry, lime work and painting, as well as learn more about what’s involved in working with heritage buildings. Built environment students will have the opportunity to take part in a design competition focused around the reuse and adaptation of a building on the Lissan House estate, with feedback from an experienced conservation architect.

On Saturday, February 15, Lissan House will open its doors to the public, with the opportunity to learn more about heritage skills, the stories behind the house and wider estate through a series of tours, workshops and skills demonstrations.

The heritage workshops will offer a blend of practical training, historical insight, and modern conservation approaches.

Highlights include:

• David Skinner - a renowned wallpaper specialist working in Co. Leitrim. He will deliver a tour focusing on the history of wallpaper at Lissan.
• George Gourley - a local artist from Unagh, outside Cookstown will deliver a sketching workshop, encouraging people to engage with the heritage of the house through art.
• Historic Environment Division Conservation Works Team who repair and maintain Northern Ireland’s state care monuments will demonstrate stone masonry and lime work.
• Ruth Bothwell - a specialist in restoration and conservation of decorative finishes will provide a talk focusing on the decorative finishes of Lissan House.
• Sebastian Graham Heritage at Risk officer at UAH and curator of Mills of Northern Ireland will deliver a tour of the estate looking at its built heritage and history.
• Daniel Calley current Chair of UAH, and author of 'City of Derry, An Historical Gazetteer to the Buildings of Londonderry' will provide a workshop on researching historic buildings.

There is currently an identified skills shortage in NI in a number of traditional skills areas, from leadwork and traditional roofing, to stonemasonry, thatching and blacksmithing.

This shortage extends UK wide, and there are many high-profile opportunities for skilled traditional trades on historic buildings, as well as the thousands of ordinary traditional buildings in NI that need to be upgraded to meet net zero targets.

Isabel McKernan, CITB NI Heritage Project Manager, said:"We are excited to partner with UAH to deliver Skills & Stories at Lissan House. It’s a fantastic opportunity for students to discover the rich history of building construction and get a hands-on taste of what it’s like to work in the construction industry.

"We hope these sessions will inspire a new generation of skilled tradespeople and heritage professionals."

Dan Calley, Chair of Ulster Architectural Heritage, commented: “We are looking forward to working with CITB NI to promote built heritage to a wider audience, and to raise awareness of Ulster’s wealth of historic buildings and the skills needed to preserve them. Lissan House is an estate of special value, but also features on the Heritage at Risk Register, reminding us of the fragility of what we have and the importance of bringing a new generation forward who can continue to look after these buildings into the future.”

Manus Deery, Assistant Director Department for Communities Historic Environment Division, added: “Department for Communities Historic Environment Division is delighted to be supporting this project through the Department for Communities Historic Environment Fund. Heritage skills are vital to help us maintain and repair our historic buildings for future generations to enjoy, and we hope this event will inspire young people and the general public to get involved with the skills and stories of their local buildings and places."

Places are limited. Interested individuals or schools can register for the workshops by visiting CITB NI https://www.citbni.org.uk/Heritage-Project/Skills---Stories.aspx for details on booking a place.

Workshops and tours will be available for booking for a suggested donation of £5 which will support the work of Ulster Architectural Heritage. Follow CITB NI on Facebook, Instagram and X.