Design, Communications, Research & Craftsmanship

Karin Paynter is a cultural leader, designer and champion for UK craftsmanship with 30yrs impact in silversmithing & allied crafts.

She has a deep commitment to design and manufacturing excellence, the preservation of professional craft skills and the role of jewellery and silversmithing in national storytelling, public policy and reputation.

Clients include leading cultural institutions and independent makers, such as the Goldsmiths’ Company, Serpentine, the Courtauld, trade associations, emerging businesses and master craftspeople. She is trustee of the newly formed Goldsmiths’ Foundation, a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company and a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts.

*

Trained vocationally as a silversmith at Medway and with a Masters in Design from the Royal College of Art, Karin has a particular interest in the future of silversmithing and the allied crafts. She has led imaginative national campaigns and strategic initiatives that support the continued growth and innovation of the craft. Partnerships have included institutions such as the V&A, the Goldsmiths’ Company, the Silver Trust Collection at 10 Downing Street and Christie’s.

Among her major projects, Karin played a key role in the creation of the Goldsmiths’ Centre in Clerkenwell and in the relocation of silversmithing school Bishopsland to a National Trust property, securing its future in a heritage setting.

Reflecting her broader commitment to systemic change and equity in the arts, she is also Director of ERA5050, a high-profile campaign for equality on British stage and screen, credited with advancing the representation of women across UK media.