November 21st - February 28th 2010

Join with us in celebrating our tenth birthday at venues across Birmingham and beyond this winter.

Brilliantly Birmingham 2010 – Exhibition Opportunity


Exciting Exhibition Opportunity at Birmingham’s newly re-opened mac

Call for designer makers

Brilliantly Birmingham – International Contemporary Jewellery Festival will this year be starting a new decade of activity, in the newly built gallery space at mac. Since 1999, Brilliantly Birmingham has grown from an informal group of local designer makers who gathered together to market themselves under a single brand to an international contemporary jewellery festival attracting designer makers from across the globe. Birmingham and the West Midlands region are rich in contemporary jewellery talent and Birmingham’s historic yet thriving Jewellery Quarter is unique in the world. Brilliantly Birmingham’s aim is to celebrate and promote this distinctive character of the city, and the region, under a brand that stands for innovation, quality and style.

FLUX, A BRILLIANTLY BIRMINGHAM exhibition, now in its fifth year, will create exposure for the best of contemporary jewellery design through a highly visible and high profile public selling event at mac, located in Birmingham’s Cannon Hill Park.  From 27 Nov – 9 Jan, A dynamic and ambitious exhibition of new and emerging designer makers will promote challenging and diverse new work, create a marketplace and contribute to the city as a visitor attraction.

FLUX is open to new and emerging designer makers, having no longer than five years graduated from their specialist area of study and based in the UK.  Participation in FLUX is by open submission and a selection panel process.

BRILLIANTLY BIRMINGHAM will not charge designer makers an exhibition fee, public entry fee or commission on sold work. Each application needs to be submitted with a £20.00 administration charge. Payment can be made by cheque, payable to Birmingham City Council.

If you are a professional designer maker based in the UK download a FLUX application pack here! FlUX Application Pack 2010

For general enquiries please telephone or email Julie Sutton 0121 303 2434 Julie.A.Sutton@birmingham.gov.uk

Submission deadline Friday 3rd September 2010.

Start 2010 as you mean to go on…

We’ve flagged this Saturday’s first Brilliantly Birmingham talk up a couple of times, but they say it takes three mentions of something for it to truly sink in, so here’s your last chance to jump on board.

The talk starts at 2pm on Saturday at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and is called “Form To Function”, a session all about giving new and emerging designer makers the confidence to make creative decisions and identify business options in the early stages of their career.

And with times as hard as they are for all of us right now, we could all do with a helping hand, right?

The panel again is made up of established designer makers who’ve set up successful businesses, from local boy James Newman to designers du jour Tatty Devine. 2010 looks set to be another challenging year economically, so the chance to grab a few nuggets of expertise from these guys will go a long way.

There are a few limited spaces left on this weekend’s talk, and another one entitled Brilliantly Birmingham 1809 which I’ll tell you more about this week.  To book on either of them, email is on prim.currie@birmingham.gov.uk or call us on 0121 464 1187.

For all designer makers – a date for your diary

Christmas may be taking over everyone’s thoughts at the moment (and how to keep warm in this horrendously cold weather!) but if you’re an emerging designer maker trying to make your way in the jewellery industry, here’s the first important date of 2010 for your diaries.

Form to Function, Saturday 9th January, 2pm, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

It’s the first of this year’s Brilliantly Birmingham talks, with esteemed guests including jewellery designers du jour Tatty Devine, Birmingham’s very own James Newman, highly respected ceramic artist Nicola Malkin and Dorothy Hogg MBE, V&A’s jeweller in residence and former Head of Jewellery and Silversmithing at Edinburgh College of Art.

It’s all about turning your artistry in to a lasting career, identifying business opportunities, and making the most of your talent, from people who’ve done just that.

Booking is essential, so please give us a call on 0121 464 1187 to reserve your space – places are limited.

All it leaves for me is to wish you a very Merry Christmas and happy new year, and we hope Brilliantly Birmingham’s tenth anniversary has satisfied your appetites for contemporary jewellery!

You Won’t Want To Miss This…

Calling all new and emerging designer makers! Are you looking for tips on how to turn your talent for jewellery in to a sustainable business? Look no further, because Brilliantly Birmingham has it all sewn up.

Every year, we have a programme of talks.  This year’s first talk is on Saturday January 9th at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery… Read more …