The Rabih Hage Bursary announces the shortlist of its inaugural programme designed to promote the next generation of designers and makers.

The bursary was founded by Architect and Interior Designer Rabih Hage, a longstanding supporter of emerging creative talent, with the aim of discovering and providing opportunities for new creatives from a challenging background. Rabih Hage along with the Rabih Hage jury panel of experts have selected a shortlist of 9 creatives from around 100 applicants. The Bursary supports the completion of a body of work within a year-long programme of mentorship, financial assistance and traction across a network of collectors, patrons, and the wider creative industries.

The 2025 Shortlist

Claire Dark: textile designer and maker, specialising in woven textiles. Her work combines functionality and aesthetics to create luxury long lasting fabrics and products. She is passionate about reviving weaving in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, an historical home of linen production.

Elaheh Naghi Ganji is a multidisciplinary artist and jewellery designer based in London, working at the intersection of art and craft. Her practice is deeply rooted in storytelling, drawing inspiration from the narratives of her everyday surroundings and experiences.

Sam Gleeson is an artist and bladesmith with a passion for natural materials and the re-use of man-made waste. He believes in sustainable materiality, seasonal produce and circular living by working with waste from the seashore, skips, and industrial salvage.

Leora Honeyman is a UK based maker, centred in ceramics and glass. She works with functional and speculative objects as a medium through which to address ideas around hybridity, materiality, spirituality and culture. Her process spans contemporary and traditional practices, layering multiple techniques and ‘languages’. 

Joanne Lamb is an Irish artist and maker specialising in woven textiles, often incorporating basketry techniques to create unique artworks. Driven by the desire to connect with and preserve the beauty of nature, by tuning into the seasons she hopes to communicate the planet’s gifts, inspiring a deeper appreciation of the natural world. 

Sarah Loughlin is a basketmaker and artist, based in Bewdley, Worcestershire. She works predominantly with willow, often with material harvested herself from her own osier beds, which is grown using sustainable methods. She creates unique one of a kind pieces inspired by natural forms, woven using both traditional and modern methods. 

Manon Monge is a weaver of wild herbs, experimenting with all local wild and raw natural materials. She is a soap maker and sower. Her crafts and work are deeply tied to her lifestyle. While tending to the olive trees and gathering wild herbs, their shapes, colours, and textures become a source of inspiration. 

Aurore Pélisson is a textile designer whose poetic sustainable textiles and ready-to-wear collection tread the line between fine art and craft. Using ancient world techniques, Aurore combines natural plant dyes with elaborate hand drawn serigraphy inspired by the landscape and botanicals of her native Provence.

Mingyu Xu is a London-based furniture and product designer focussing on bamboo, upcycling and traditional culture. He is committed to integrating traditional craftsmanship and culture into modern design, bringing a bold, light and unique contemporary expression. He brings bamboo weaving into modern interior spaces by rethinking bamboo objects.

‘The objectives of the bursary are to invest in social impact, and support its recipients in finding a meaningful and commercially sustainable path to career success and creative business development.’ Rabih Hage

The Bursary is focused on promoting diversity and inclusion, seeking out those most in need of support.

The Jury alongside Rabih Hage will be responsible for selecting the winning recipient of The Rabih Hage Bursary from the shortlist, which will be announced in June 2025. The bursary aims to enable the recipient to complete a body of work, which will then be publicly presented in the autumn of 2025.

The Rabih Hage 2025 Bursary includes

• Financial support of £5000 per recipient

• Brainstorming / workshop sessions with the Rabih Hage Studio

• Networking opportunities with specialists by discipline – experts, galleries, fabricators, curators and collectors

• Marketing and promotion of final body of work, through a group show, personal exhibition, or collaboration with an institution

• Promotion on social media channels and the various platforms of relevant partners

For further press information please contact:

The Design Collective

Amy Dollamore, amy@thedesigncollective.co.uk

Susanna Joicey-Cecil, susanna@thedesigncollective.co.uk