CONTEMPORARY BRITISH SILVERSMITHS
Skills Training and Promotion
Contemporary British Silversmiths is the leading association for design led silver in the United Kingdom.
Client:
Contemporary British Silversmiths
Developed partnerships with:
V&A, Bonhams, Christies, Georg Jensen, London Craft Week, London Design Festival, Goldsmiths’ Company, Goldsmiths’ Centre, Incorporation of Goldsmiths’, Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office, Cultural Agenda, Danish Foundation, Silver Trust, Augustus Brandt, Mappin & Webb, The Danish Foudation, Bonhams, Arts Council England, Benchpeg, Royal College of Art, National Trust Belton House
Skills Training Programme:
Part of the original group to develop the CBS Skills Training Programme in 2016
Exhibition programme:
Silver Speaks: Idea to Object V&A 2015-17
Careers Day V&A 2019
Bonhams Applied Arts Sale 2017
London Design Festival
London Craft Week
Mappin & Webb 2015
I had the privilege to be invited to work with CBS to help implement their recent business plan in 2012 and continue as consultant.
Over my time there, I helped develop a cohesive brand and communications strategy and set about creating a benchmark exhibition to align CBS with other brands interested in the future of silver and working with the board developed initiatives to put silver back on the map and develop new audiences.
I provided strategic support to three Chairs – Clive Burr, Rauni Higson and Angela Cork, generating funding proposals, brand management, communications and represented the association at external meetings.
During Elements II in Edinburgh, convened meeting with Mary Michel, Tony Bedford and Rauni Higson to discuss the development of a new flexible, national training model to teach specific technical skills to silversmiths and widen their skillset.
A benchmark project was Silver Speaks, an exhibition at the V&A to illustrate the relevance of silver in contemporary life. We used the opportunity of exhibiting in the foremost applied arts museum to expand the intiative to over 24 events nationally.
