At the Dartington UK 1952 World Craft Conference, the print artist, schools inspector and founding member of the Crafts Study Centre Robin Tanner made the extraordinary claim that if children were taught craft it would so form their character that – in the future – war would be impossible. Only seven years after the industrial killing of WW2 it must have been an appealing idea if somewhat at odds with the recent behaviour of the Japanese military, members of a nation where craft was deeply revered and widely practiced. Nevertheless Tanner’s passionate lobbying led to the introduction of crafts such as pottery to the British state education curriculum at both primary and secondary level. This in turn expanded craft provision in higher education, producing by the end of the 1960’s, a substantial growth in professionally trained craftspeople, supported and championed by organisations such as the Crafts Council and the Craftsman Potters Association.