Isabel Keim
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The Goldsmiths' Centre awards Jewellers and Silversmiths Career Catalyst Grants to help them pursue ambitious learning experiences

The Goldsmiths’ Centre has awarded Career Catalyst Grants, worth up to £5,000, to silversmith Kyosun Jung and jewellers Lucie Gledhill, Jacqueline Cullen and Filipa Oliviera. Supported by the Goldsmiths’ Company Charity and the Radcliffe Trust, these grants enable those working in the jewellery, silversmithing and allied industries to innovate and grow their knowledge and skills through ambitious learning experiences.

Kyosun Jung, Lucie Gledhill, Jacqueline Cullen and Filipa Oliviera were selected through a virtual judging process, consisting of Goldsmiths’ Centre Trustees and industry experts. All the finalists successfully demonstrated that a grant would help them to develop an innovative approach to their practice and enrich the goldsmithing industry as a whole.

Through the Career Catalyst Grant, the chosen recipients aim to develop the following initiatives:

Jacqueline Cullen
Galactica Dark Matter Vortex earrings

Jacqueline Cullen, a renowned Whitby Jet specialist and innovator, will be training in lapidary to develop her gemstone knowledge with two of the UK’s few remaining experts – Mike and Sandra Walford. By upskilling, she will help to safeguard these endangered skills and adapt her business, so that she passes on her knowledge to future makers.

Lucie Gledhill

Jeweller Lucie Gledhill hopes to innovate traditional wirework techniques for jewellery. With virtual mentoring from the renowned Italian artist-jeweller Giovanni Corvaja, she will build on her past research into how to draw very fine gold wire.

Kyosun Jung

Silversmith and resident Goldsmiths’ Centre maker Kyosun Jung is looking to travel in order to develop her skills and learn from renowned enamellists and hand engravers based in the UK, Japan and Korea.

Filipa Oliveira

Filipa Oliveira, a recognised specialist and leader in Filigree, will be building on the growing popularity of this technique by sharing her knowledge. She is looking to publish a book on the subject and develop digital teaching resources to enable more individuals to access this unique skill.

“The Goldsmiths’ Centre’s Career Catalyst Grants are a unique opportunity for craftspeople to work in new, innovative ways. Our judging panel were amazed at the calibre of applications and how our finalists have adapted their ambitious to learn and deliver their knowledge digitally to other members of the industry.”

– Julia Skilton, Educational Partnership Officer, The Goldsmiths' Centre