4. Glass Flame Worker

Available for over a year

Technology detaches us from touch and provenance and this, in part, has contributed to the boom in artisanal crafts. It's a call back to more tactile experiences. We're learning to craft, to forage, to paint, to build; gravitating towards skills which can replace some of the sensory connections from which we've disengaged. This series is about celebrating existing ability and drawing attention to our own Living National Treasures. Carrie Fertig is a glass flame worker who works in a big airy studio in an old lemonade factory in Leith, Edinburgh. Carrie is known for making huge flame glass structures and glass musical instruments that can be played. In all of her work she hopes to make people think and feel. She says the transparency of glass means we can always see what it holds and she uses her work to help people explore what emotions they are holding onto. While the Living National Treasure tradition began in Japan - where they also commend buildings and monuments as 'National Treasures' - the celebratory trend has now been adopted by France, Thailand, South Korea and Romania. Living National Treasures is a combination of slow radio, artisanal craft and poignant personal stories. We get under the skin of practitioners, learning why they've chosen rare and unusual crafts. Producer: Kate Bissell First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2020.