History in the Making: New UTV series focuses on heritage crafts

From blacksmiths and thatchers, silver spinners and stonemasons, meet the master crafters from all walks of life dedicated to preserving their trade in a brand new UTV series.
History in the Making, which starts Sunday 6th October at 6pm explores our local heritage crafts and meets the incredible people preserving those skills for generations to come.
Presented by UTV’s Emma Patterson, the series begins in the Glens of Antrim, with its rich history of blacksmithing and mining iron ore, and attending the area’s first ever Furnace Festival.
The team also heads behind the scenes at the historic Strand Cinema in Belfast, the last operational 1930s cinema in Northern Ireland, to find out all about the art of 35mm projection and see how those skills are being passed down.
Later in the series, the team meet the ‘kings of neon’; neon light manufacturers responsible for some of the most iconic designs across Northern Ireland. We see the creation and installation of the Cathedral Quarter’s newest addition and find out how this endangered craft is being kept alive by one local family.
The series doesn’t just focus on ‘traditional’ heritage skills, we also find out how industries such as music, sport, science and food benefit from the preservation of these crafts. From pipe organ restoration to uilleann pipe makers, baking soda farls to brewing poitin, making hurls to restoring 80s arcade games, there’s something in this series for everyone. The team even head to Armagh Observatory to find out how a 200 year old telescope is inspiring the next generation of stargazers.
Emma, who presents the series, said “We loved getting out and about meeting crafters from all walks of life, working in all types of industries, but all with such a dedication to their heritage. I was lucky enough to have a go at a few of the different crafts and can definitely say they are not as easy as the experts make them look!”
UTV producer Simon McIntyre said “It was really heartening to see the passion and love that people have for their craft. We were struck by how dedicated people are to preserving and promoting their crafts – I also found skills that I didn’t even know existed!”
Catch up with the latest UTV Live on ITVX
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.