Walks in The Quarter…your last chance
It’s one of those things that has entered Jewellery Quarter folklore – an annual series of fascinating, insightful walking tours that have gained a cult following in recent years. This year’s no different – local historian Chris Upton’s tours have treaded paths around the quarter that no one knows better than him – revealing stories you’d never imagined took place right in the heart of the city.
We’ve already had a few this year – but if you’ve got even a passing interest in the history of Birmingham, and love a stroll around the Jewellery Quarter (who doesn’t?), then this really is perfect for you.
Here’s what you can expect from the final walk this Saturday from 2.30pm from the porch of St Paul’s Church in the square:
“Pen Nibs and Pencil Cases. They made more than just jewellery in the Jewellery Quarter. This walk will look at some of the less known trades in the area. And while we’re at it, let’s visit the site of the largest public meeting in British history, and find out what Victorian policemen wore on their feet.”
So why not combine some last minute Christmas shopping with some time in the company of one of Birmingham’s best known historians. As ever, contact us on 0121 464 1187 to confirm your attendance, although Chris always welcomes newcomers on the day as well.
Let us know if you’ve been on one by commenting below!
Comments (0)The Jewellery Quarter uncovered…this Saturday
One of the best things about Brilliantly Birmingham is seeing the emergence of talented designer makers, most of whom trained in Birmingham, and many of whom go on to live and work in the Jewellery Quarter, too.
Open Studios celebrates a tradition of jewellery making that stretches back more than 250 years and that’s still thriving in the quarter today.
Brilliantly Birmingham isn’t just a celebration of the city’s jewellery heritage; everything that you see exhibited is for sale, too.
Open Studios are a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with a range of fantastic designer makers, see how intricate their practice really is, and watch as beautiful new pieces are created in front of you. You can even commission a new piece directly with a designer maker. It doesn’t get much better than that.
This year’s open studio participants are some of Birmingham’s most talented designer makers. James Newman opened his first jewellery shop on Vyse Street last year after ten years making hugely popular precious metal pieces that gained him a national reputation. Visit www.jamesnewman.co.uk for more information.
Sara Preisler has her own shop in Birmingham’s other creative district, The Custard Factory, where she also makes her own jewellery. Her illustrious clients include the Royal Shakespeare Company and you’ll also find the work of an ever changing roster of talented designer makers in her shop, too. See for yourself at www.sarapreisler.co.uk
Design Space is a place for newly graduated designer makers to get their first foot on the designer maker ladder, helping with funding for studio space in the heart of the jewellery quarter. You’re bound to see a whole range of young, vibrant makers at this stop. Here’s Sarah Collins hard at work…
Also opening their studio doors are established designer maker Katherine Campbell Legg, who’s part of the renowned Centrepiece collective, and the beautiful metalwork of Bonnie Styles, who’s exhibited in Milan, no less. www.bonniestylesjewellery.co.uk
You’ve got two weeks to go until Christmas – this is a perfect opportunity to pick up a unique, original, beautiful present for someone you care about.
All of the opening times and locations are in our Brilliantly Birmingham catalogue – download it for free from our Downloads section on the website home page.
Comments (2)Behind the Scenes with the Birmingham Mail
Here’s a taster of what to expect if you come along to the Brilliantly Birmingham Open Studios this Saturday (13th Dec). Pop into the FLUX exhibition at BCU School of Jewellery, on Vittoria Street, and you may also be treated to a glass of champagne and a mince pie to get you into the Christmas spirit!
Click on the map to find out more about Open Studios and to see who is participating.
Fetish Fashion, Tuesday 9 December, School of Jewellery
Anyone who’s indulged in a bit of escapism with a Kathy Lette novel will know her own unique brand of innuendo could leave Dame Edna Everage cowering. Find out why at www.kathylette.com
What better person, then, than the best selling Australian author to chair a seminar entitled Fetish Fashion.
The seminar’s all about the influence fetishism has had on all areas of design - and increasingly on jewellery design. Eschewing the usual neck, wrist and hand adornments, fetish fashion can use a whole array of body parts (I’m sure you can use your imagination) as its muse.
It’ll be a fascinating discussion - did society become more sexual and the jewellery industry responded? Or has jewellery led the way in pushing the boundaries and changing the landscape?
Lette isn’t the only familiar face on our panel. Anyone who’s watched “Super Skinny Me: The Race To Size Zero” or “Super Botox Me” on Channel 4 will know that journalist come documentary maker Kate Spicer is carving her own niche in shock-docs. She’s a self-confessed addictive personality, and never fails to provide a fascinating insight.
Joining our panel of femme fatales is Irish designer Paul Saville - who’s carved his own niche in seductive jewellery and accessories, with the fashion houses of Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood all taking orders. Here’s one of his pieces….
So whether you know your way around a whip and paddle or fetish fashion is a taboo you’ve yet to uncover, this is certain to be one of the most eye opening events in Brilliantly Birmingham history.
As ever, book now by calling 0121 464 1187. I’ve got a feeling you won’t regret it.
Comments (0)All That Glitters….Tuesday, 6.30pm, School of Jewellery
Amongst a festival programme so jam packed with the best that contemporary jewellery design has to offer, a seminar about ethical jewellery might not be the first thing that jumps from the catalogue pages.
But it’s actually a really topical issue right now. With gold prices sky high and corruption in the diamond industry the subject of hip hop records (Kanye West’s Diamonds for Sierra Leone) and blockbuster movies (2006’s Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo Di Caprio), the dark side of bling has been pretty well publicised.
The seminar’s already got the papers talking…click Here to see a great article by one of our guest speakers, ex Harpers Bazaar fashion editor Sharon Walker.
Granted - you won’t find her brand of ethical gold for fifty quid down at H Samuel just yet. This is top end jewellery with a top end price tag to match (just ask celebrity customers Emma Thompson and Lily Cole).
It’s something I’m sure we’d all be quick to support, but deep down, do we care enough about where our gold comes from? Should we care? Knowing that each and every gold ring creates 20 tonnes of mine waste certainly resonated with me.
We’re all quick enough to pick up a fairtrade latte on our morning commute, so it begs the question - why not buy a fairtrade wedding ring as well?
Maybe it’s a case of running before we can walk- most of us are still getting our heads around recycling our tin cans, after all - but these are important issues at an important time for the jewellery industry.
It promises to be an eye opening couple of hours, and places are EXTREMELY limited. Call Prim Currie on 0121 464 1187 for a guaranteed place (although the speech givers at the launch last week were quick to invite one and all!)
To have the environmental journalist Lucy Siegle (a regular roving reporter on The One Show) and celebrity jeweller Steven Webster giving their views, anyone involved or interested in jewellery won’t want to miss this.
Comments (3)© 2008 Brilliantly Birmingham
