Edinburgh's Dovecot Studios is putting a modern twist on the centuries-old artisanal apprenticeship tradition, by seeking three new apprentice weavers over the course of the next three years, continuing a 100-year-old tradition of collaboration with contemporary artists and designers.

The well-paid scheme will be open to applicants over the age of 16 "offering a unique opportunity to learn from Dovecot's master weavers". A world leader in tapestry weaving, the studio, under director David Weir, has a bulging order book and wants to increase capacity, hence this drive to ensure that the skills can be carried forward to future generations with programme covering technique, design practices and artistic collaboration. Weir told Agenda: "Our original weavers came to us in 1912 and their ethos of the artist craftsman, so valued by William Morris, is as relevant in today's fast paced technological world as it was at the beginning of the last century."