News
Brum Goes Bling!
11.10.2004
Brilliantly Birmingham Contemporary Jewellery Festival launches its fifth year in glittering style!
For the fifth year running, contemporary jewellery festival Brilliantly Birmingham arrives across the city and the West Midlands. Taking place from November 15 to December 24, across multiple venues such as Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Centrepiece@Symphony Hall, Pavilions Central, RBSA, mac, Bilston Craft Gallery and Jane Moore Contemporary Jewellery in Leamington Spa. This international contemporary jewellery festival is a unique showcase for artists and other individuals involved in selling and creating jewellery in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
This year’s festival will be launched on Thursday October 28th at 4pm at the School of Jewellery, Jewellery Quarter with a dazzling themed CatWalk, exhibition and student competition, inspired by Roald Dahl’s Witches opening at the Birmingham REP in December. Created and worn by students of the School of Jewellery, their work explores the idea of ‘decoration’ of the body and a panel of judges will select the winning costume. Most Brilliantly Birmingham exhibitions and fairs are free of charge and building on its past success, this exciting event will feature some of the best emerging designer-makers such as Anke Plath and Betty Pepper with designer-makers from the region presenting workshops, demonstrations, open studios and mixed art form collaborations.
Birmingham has a unique jewellery heritage and the Jewellery Quarter has housed some of the world’s most skilled goldsmiths and jewellery makers in the world since the late 18th century. Today over 100 designer-makers of contemporary jewellery, and 600 jewellery manufacturers and retailers reside in the area.
Brilliantly Birmingham celebrates the rich tradition of this craft that is unique to the city.
One highlight promises to be the contribution of innovative designer-makers, Mikaela Lyons and Cheryl Barnes, who will be showcasing an interactive exhibition, Pay It Forward. The concept revolves around the idea of contemporary jewellery being exchanged for acts of kindness. The public will be able to bid for specific pieces by writing down what good deeds or random acts of kindness they would exchange for the work, with the designer-makers selecting winners. Stephen Galloway-Whitehead, designer-maker and gallery manager, says “Pay It Forward opens up contemporary jewellery to everybody. We wholeheartedly support the good-will that it is sure to promote.” Volunteers will launch the exhibition on November 15th by offering free hugs to people on the Birmingham streets!
Councillor John Alden of Birmingham City Council says: “We are delighted to be once again hosting the Jewellery Festival this year in Birmingham. The festival becomes more popular every year and is now attracting national and international visitors and designer-makers to an experience that only this city has to offer!” Andrew Ormston, Assistant Director, Learning and Culture. “Brilliantly Birmingham is an increasingly important part of the City Council portfolio of arts and festivals, and a tribute to the talent based in Birmingham’s unique Jewellery Quarter.”