Press Releases

BA Honours Jewellery & Accessories at Middlesex University

a) Impact and Prestige:
The Jewellery programme is well established and has international standing. When asked why she chose to study Jewellery at Middlesex, a first year German student replied that she had been advised by her tutors that ‘it is the best course in Europe’ (quote 2009). The strength of the course lies in; a broad interpretation of the subject; innovative use of materials; specialist teaching by world-class practitioners and a placement year, where students work in a variety of settings within the creative industries.* Out of fourteen comparable BA programmes in Britain, Middlesex is the only one to offer a placement year.* Teaching methods allow our students to embrace a variety of careers which go way beyond the field of Jewellery* and it is often said that our Final year BA graduates produce work of MA standard.
External Examiners to the Jewellery Programmes have been enthusiastic and supportive of our teaching methods and the breadth and calibre of the work produced. ‘In comparison with other jewellery-specific courses, the work produced at Middlesex ranks amongst the highest seen at BA level in the UK. This opinion is based on a general survey of current UK jewellery graduates (New Designers) and on my experience as a member of the interview panel at the Royal College of Art’ (Laura Potter, External Examiner 07/08). ‘As previously stated (07/08) I believe that the Middlesex Jewellery graduates are amongst the best in the UK, and this year’s graduates produced work of a very high standard’. (Laura Potter 2008/09)

Extra to the curriculum, the Jewellery staff team organise a ‘Jewellery in Context’ lecture series each year, where jewellery and accessories designers of international repute come to the university to talk about their work, for example; Ted Noten, Karl Fritsch, Naomi Filmer and Ally Capellino to name but a few. They are happy to answer questions and engage with the students who are thrilled to be able to have contact with practitioners whose work they admire.
Staff also organise annual handling sessions for Year 2 students at national museums such as the; V&A, British Museum, Museum of London, where students can have a behind-the-scenes experience of the collections and can benefit from specialist curator knowledge and contact. ‘[This] Module is particularly interesting (and unusual I think), in that students gain access to artefacts from a museum collection and communicate directly with the relevant curator. This kind of hands-on engagement is a wonderful opportunity for young would-be makers and designers. The students spoke very highly of their experiences as a result of the project’. (Laura Potter External Examiner 2009)
b) Student Successes:
A high proportion of Middlesex Jewellery graduates have won prestigious prizes, for example; the £30,000 Jerwood Prize for Jewellery has been won on four occasions by our graduates. Two of our graduates are currently short-listed for £15,000 Arts Foundation Awards and a first year Jewellery undergraduate won the £6,000 Isabella Blow Memorial Prize last year.*
The work of our graduates regularly appears in fashion magazines such as; Elle, Italian Vogue, Dazed & Confused and ID. A considerable number of our graduates make jewellery and accessories for the fashion collections of well-known designers such as; Karl Lagerfeld, Hussein Chalayan and Vivienne Westwood. Many celebrities; Kylie Minogue, Nicole Kidman and Bjork, are seen wearing jewellery and accessories designed by our graduates.
Other graduates demonstrate the transferable skills learnt on the Jewellery Programme by their success in a range of Art and Design disciplines; art direction and styling for prestigious magazines like American Vogue, lighting; costumes for the performing arts; writing books on jewellery; fashion illustration.*
c) Staff Successes:
All staff are trained as jewellers, but their careers have developed into other areas of art and design.*
Colin R.Smith (PL FT). Senior Spectacles Designer for Dunhill International for twelve years. He combines teaching on the Jewellery and Fashion programmes with travelling the world as Collaborative Links Co-ordinator for Middlesex University.
Pierre Degen (SL.06). Has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions worldwide and has work in many international collections in the UK, USA, Australia and Japan. Artist Residencies in London and Australia. Winner of a British Diamonds International award and the coveted Francoise van den Bosch Prize, Holland.
Ros Conway (SL.04).Recent major commissions: enamelled silver Communion Wafer Box for the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths; Enamelled silver and diamond Ascot trophy for ‘The King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes’ for de Beers. Recipient of a Crafts Council Award to further enamelling techniques and a Queen Elizabeth Scholarship to study Pate-de-Verre glass techniques. Masterclass Tutor in Pate-de-Verre at the European Glass summer school, France. Winner of ‘Maximum Exposure’ Photographic Competition. Awarded Freedom of the Worshipful company of Goldsmiths and Freedom of The City of London.
Julia Manheim (SL.04). Solo and group exhibitions worldwide. Work in many international collections. Lecture tours in USA, Canada, Australia and Norway. Artist Residencies in Britain and Holland. Lead Artist on a number of Public Art projects throughout Britain. Winner of an RSA Art for Architecture Award and a McNaughton Review Design Award. Recipient of two research funding awards from Middlesex University. Author of the ‘Sustainable Jewellery’ book (2009).