BABA is passionate about the advancement of blacksmithing, and encourages improved access to the craft at every level.

Whether you are interested in having a ‘one-off’ go at blacksmithing, taking it up as an amateur hobby or pursuing a full professional career, BABA can point you in the right direction.

The opportunities for training to be a professional blacksmith have never been as numerous and diverse, showing that blacksmithing, after many years in the doldrums, is once again being taken seriously as a recognised craft discipline and as a viable career option in the 21st century.

Most people these days probably won’t have had the opportunity to strike a piece of hot metal over an anvil before, so the first step is to find a short ‘taster’ course before committing to anything more formal. You can find details of Blacksmithing Schools and professional blacksmiths that offer such courses under Private Providers in the BABA Directory.
Many of these short courses are also suitable for those wishing to just to ‘have a go’ or to develop enough basic skills to be able to enjoy blacksmithing as a hobby.

Alternatively, you may wish to organise some work experience with a local blacksmith. You can find where you might be able to do this by contacting blacksmiths in your area listed in the BABA Directory.

Should you wish to pursue some more formal training, then there are several options at both Further and Higher education level. You can find details of all these courses and where they are offered under Further & Higher Education providers listed in the BABA Directory below.

A fully accredited Modern Apprenticeships in Blacksmithing will be available in the near future. We will have details on the website as soon as these are launched – so watch this space.

The easiest and best way to meet and network with Blacksmiths is at a BABA Forge-in or a BABA Event. To receive our Newsletter & Magazine, which detail upcoming events and masterclasses as well as diverse articles from the wider industry and world of Artist Blacksmithing, as well as many other member benefits, become a member of BABA by following the link below.