There are three categories of Membership of the Master Carvers’ Association: Members, Associate Members and Honorary Members. Applications are invited for Members and Associate Members, Honorary Membership is awarded.
If you are a company employing wood or stone carvers or a self-employed carver you are welcome to apply to be a Member of the MCA.
If you are an individual or represent an institution or company that has specific interests pertaining to the craft of carving but who are neither carvers nor direct employers of carvers you are welcome to apply to be an Associate Member of the MCA.
The process is one of election: candidates applying for Membership submit a CV, portfolio and signed application form, those that are applying for Associate Membership simply put their case for wishing to join the Association to the formal but friendly MCA Committee that ensures all applicants are treated fairly and equally.
- Membership
Members must be either employers of wood or stone carvers or self-employed carvers, have been in business as carvers in their own right for a minimum of five years and can demonstrate proficiency in their specialist crafts.
More about Full MembershipMEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
All candidates shall have been in business as Carvers in their own right for a minimum of five years and shall have demonstrated proficiency in their specialist crafts.
Candidates for election to the category of Member shall be duly proposed by a Member and seconded by another Member. It would be expected that having trained and been in business for five years the applicant would have come into contact with Members of the Association. However, if this is not the case and to be fair to all if there is no proposer or seconder on the application two of the committee would stand in if the application would otherwise succeed.
Candidates shall submit a CV and portfolio together with the completed application form which can be downloaded below.
All applications will be considered by the Committee who, acting by majority vote, are authorised to accept or reject applications in their absolute discretion. A separate vote shall be taken in respect of each Specialist Craft selected on the application form. A successful candidate will be listed in each Specialist Craft in respect of which a majority vote in favour is passed. If there are no Specialist Crafts in respect of which a majority vote in favour is passed, the application will be deemed to have failed.
Committee members judge as peers.
A member of the Committee may request that a maximum of two members of the Committee visit a candidate’s workshop before any votes are taken. No such visit will take place without the candidate’s prior agreement. In agreeing the visit, the candidate will be deemed to have agreed to reimburse the Association the expenses incurred by the members of the Committee in connection with the visit.
Feel free to contact the Hon. Secretary using the Contact link at the top of the page or here for more information or an informal discussion on the application process.
Download an Application Form for Membership
The Master Carvers’ Association stands for high professional standards, commitment and experience.
- Associate Membership
This new class of membership allows the inclusion of individuals, institutions and companies with specific interests in the world of professional carving in wood and stone but who are neither carvers nor direct employers of carvers themselves.
More about Associate MembershipAssociate Membership is a new category of membership of the MCA. It aims to recognise that there are individuals and institutions that have specific interests pertaining to the craft of carving but who are neither carvers nor direct employers of carvers and allows them entry to the MCA as a forum for debate, lobbying and the dissemination of information.
Associate Members take an active role in the Association’s activities with the exception that they do not vote at the Annual General Meeting and so are not eligible for election to office. For that reason Associate Members pay a reduced subscription.
To apply for Associate Membership complete the application form that can be downloaded below and return it as indicated.
Candidates for election to the category of Associate Member are proposed and seconded by two Members. All applications will be considered by the Committee who, acting by majority vote, are authorised to accept or reject applications in their absolute discretion. To be fair to all applicants if there is no proposer and seconder two members of the committee will stand in if the application would otherwise succeed.
Feel free to contact the Hon. Secretary using the Contact link at the top of the page or here for more information or an informal discussion on the application process.
The Master Carvers’ Association stands for high professional standards, commitment and experience.
- Early Career Carver Membership
This new class of membership seeks to support graduates, apprentice and self taught carvers who are intending to forge a career working in wood or stone.
The Master Carvers Association is passionate about supporting Early Carers carvers and helping them build links in the craft community and encouraging them to take part in our events.
The key benefits we offer our ECC members are:
- Inclusion on our mailing list to keep members up to date with our news and events.
- Invitations to online lectures, workshop visits and MCA outings.
- Invitation to our AGM.
- Advice about developing their career and portfolio.
More about Early Career Carver Membership
You will be required to send us up to 10 images of your work. ( see application form for details )
The Association’s committee will review your application and may ask further questions as part of the approval process. If you feel your application would benefit from supporting documents such as a CV or personal statement.
An annual membership fee of £40.00 is due upon acceptance by direct debit.
Clause 8 of our Rules discusses the Early Career Membership category, and states:
Candidates for election to the category of Early Career Member shall be required to demonstrate through the submission of a portfolio and CV (and such other information and/or materials as may be required by the Committee) sufficient dedication, skill and intention to pursue a career in carving. Candidates shall complete and sign an application form (in the form settled from time to time by the Committee) in which they shall agree to be bound by these
Rules if elected (and this Rule in any event) and they shall detail their name and address (including email and web site if applicable) and such other information (if any) as the Committee may require. The Committee shall have the right to require that a candidate’s work is attested to by a referee as being the candidate’s own work. All applications will be considered by the Committee who, acting by majority vote, are authorised to accept or reject applications in their absolute discretion. A successful applicant shall not be registered as an Early Career Member until the first annual subscription is paid. An Early Career Member may only belong to this category for a maximum of five years at the expiry of which their membership shall automatically lapse save that the Committee may (on one or more occasions in relation to the same Early Career Member), in circumstances determined by it to be exceptional and in its absolute discretion, grant an extension of Early Career Membership for such fixed period as it may determine. Early Career Members are encouraged to apply to become a Member at the earliest opportunity but their application will be considered following the usual procedures and without any preferential treatment or other advantage by reason of their Early Career Member status. Should they fail to secure full membership they may remain an Early Career Member until the expiry of five years from their admission as such (or the expiry of such other extended period as has been determined by the Committee as set out above). Early Career Members will not be listed on the website, or any other member listings save to the extent that the Committee determines (if at all) in relation to a specific Early Career Member section of the website. No-one may be admitted as an Early Career Member on more than one occasion. Early Career Members are not permitted to make use of the Association’s logo and other similar material.
