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.
Dr Chris Upton’s Walks in the Quarter
Local Historian Dr Chris Upton returns this year to the Jewellery Quarter with a brand new series of walks to amaze and inform audiences. Coming up:
Peardrops, Real Ale and Mints (Saturday, 29 November at 2.30 pm)
Warstone Lane has changed just a little since the Ice Age. Today we’ll explore just a few thousand years of its history. We’ll make a mint, meet a lady who smells of peardrops, and find out why sand was the most valuable commodity in the Jewellery Quarter.
Begins by the Chamberlain Clock, at the junction of Warstone Lane and Vyse Street
The Architect, the Terrorist and a Pelican (Saturday, 6 December at 2.30 pm)
Today we’ll sneak just out side the Jewellery Quarter and take a trip down Hangman’s Lane. Here we will meet (arguably) Birmingham’s greatest architect and explore the factories, pubs and wildlife of Great Hampton Street.
Begins at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter in Vyse Street.
Gold in the Hills (Saturday, 13 December at 2.30 pm)
Key Hill cemetery is one of the most atmospheric places in the city. Take a break from the 21st Century and bury yourself in Old Birmingham. Along the way we’ll meet some of the city’s founding fathers, a couple of revolutionaries and the inventor of the light-bulb. And on the way we’ll learn how they dug the biggest hole in Birmingham.
Begins at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter in Vyse Street.
Pen Nibs and Pencil Cases (Saturday, 20 December at 2.30 pm)
They made more than just jewellery in the Jewellery Quarter. This walk will look at some of the less well-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.
Begins by the porch of St Paul’s church in St Paul’s Square.
For further information and to book a place on one of Dr Chris Upton’s walks, please contact Prim Currie on 0121 464 1187 or email prim.currie@birmingham.gov.uk
Please note that each walk is limited to only 25 people, so don’t delay! We advise you to wrap up warm and wear sensible footwear.
To book a place, please call Prim Currie on 0121 464 1187.
Comments (1)Experience Brilliantly Birmingham from Friday November 23rd
Brilliantly Birmingham 2007 is nearly here, and from next Friday 23 November jewellery lovers everywhere will be spoilt for choice.
Brilliantly Birmingham celebrates the rich tradition of designer making that is unique to the city and is an event that continues to be a showcase for designer makers and other individuals involved in creating and selling jewellery in Birmingham, across the West Midlands and beyond.
Brilliantly Birmingham 2007 marks a fresh new start for opportunities open to new and emerging talent and the future of an important event that hopes to continue to grow from strength to strength .
Don’t forget to download the event guide to find out how you can experience Brilliantly Birmingham.
Comments (0)© 2008 Brilliantly Birmingham
