In the morning you will have the opportunity to chat with and see the work of Alice Fry and Ray Walton and in the afternoon the makers will be Katie Watson and Vicki Ambery-Smith. The demonstrations will be in Room 66 and 68 of the Whiteley Silver Galleries from 11.00-13.00 and 14.00-16.00.

This event is part of London Craft Week

Contemporary British Silversmiths began as the Association of British Designer Silversmiths in 1996.

It was launched by a group of makers determined to give a voice to a new generation of silversmiths, rich in diverse talents with a wealth of exciting new ideas. Encouraging innovative thinking and re-affirming a shared commitment to excellence in design and workmanship have been our flagship values.

Over the past decade our many exhibitions have travelled throughout the UK, and to Holland, Germany, Denmark, Taipei, USA and most recently Finland. These exhibitions and events showcase members’ work and provide makers with the opportunity and environment in which to explore and develop fresh ideas.

During our 25 anniversary year, we will be celebrating 25 years of supporting silversmiths, highlighting the work of our members and looking behind the scenes at some of the people that have made the association what it is today.

Find out about our past Chairs…

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In conversation | Friday 9 October 2020 | 18:30 | Online Talk

We were immensely proud to hold an exclusive interview with founder member of Contemporary British Silversmiths and former Chair, Richard Fox during London Craft Week 2020.

You can watch the interview here

Richard Fox is one of the UK’s leading silversmiths and is currently Prime Warden of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, one of the most prestigious positions in the precious metals industry, as well as being an active member of Contemporary British Silversmiths, serving as Chair from 1999 to 2002. He has been at the forefront of the industry throughout his career, driving it forward and creating unique opportunities to showcase British silver internationally.

As managing director of Fox Silver, he has created work for a huge variety of corporate, public sector, private and motorsports clients, including Downing Street, Lambeth Palace, Bulgari, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Pernod Ricard and F1, to name a very select few.

In this up close and personal interview, silversmith and former Chair of Contemporary British Silversmiths, Angela Cork gave a glimpse into Richard’s career from graduating from the Royal College of Art, to establishing his business and how he helped to found Contemporary British Silversmiths in 1995. The talk explored his design aesthetic, the importance of the hallmark and what has inspired his interest in silver for so many years.

This event has been generously supported by the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office.

London Craft Week will take place from 30 September – 8 October. In the lead up to the festival London Craft Week will be offering a glimpse into what to expect this autumn with a Virtual Preview that includes exclusive online masterclasses, demonstrations, conversations and product launches, as well as virtual behind-the-scenes exhibition, studio and workshop tours.

The Virtual Preview reflects LCW’s ambition to celebrate exceptional creativity and craftsmanship from around the world. From household names to those less well known, its aim is to shine a spotlight on ‘unsung creative heroes’. LCW tells the stories behind some of the world’s most beautiful objects – the material, the maker, the process and the inspiration.

Jessica Jue is an exciting emerging silversmithing brand and graduate member of Contemporary British Silversmiths. She reinvents traditional techniques in silver to craft elegantly beautiful contemporary designs that have won her many accolades, including three silver awards at the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council. Inspired by balance and harmony, Jue draws and sculpts with dramatic use of fluid and organic playful curves and aims to create a sense of rhythmic movement within her collection. She skilfully manipulates her forms through the ancient art of hammering, while also introducing and abundance of rich surface textures, through the use of pattern and gold. Important commissions have included a silver centrepiece for the National Museum of Scotland and the P&O Makower Trust.

Contemporary British Silversmiths, the leading association for contemporary silver in the United Kingdom, is a membership organisation set up to inspire creativity and promote excellence in design and craftsmanship to new audiences nationally and internationally. Alongside promoting the work of its members, its worldwide community of makers are recognised for helping one another develop and the association aims to create a virtuous circle of skills transfer to protect and pass on skills for the future while showcasing how silver is relevant to contemporary life. Through its work, Contemporary British Silversmiths has partnered and collaborated with many organisations including the V&A, the Goldsmiths’ Company, the Goldsmiths’ Centre, Bonhams, Christies and Georg Jensen.

Augustus Brandt Gallery in Petworth from 16 November 2019 to 05 January 2020 in partnership with Contemporary British Silversmiths

Augustus Brandt Gallery is very proud and excited to announce the launch of ‘Living Silver’, an exhibition dedicated to revealing the highly creative and technically skilled work of British silversmiths today, in partnership with Contemporary British Silversmiths (CBS). Britain leads the field in contemporary silversmithing in design and manufacture, and this exhibition will present a glimpse of some of this creativity. It will show how both contemporary and traditional homes can be enhanced by a beautiful piece of silver, handmade by a skilled silversmith and create the heirlooms of the future within the context of the home.

The silversmiths represented, many of whom have won multiple awards, are all members of CBS, the leading association for contemporary silver in the U.K. Uniquely for an exhibition of this kind, silver will be displayed both in cabinets and within the setting of the elegant Augustus Brandt interiors, providing a special opportunity to see how silver stands out in a home setting. The members represented have been hand-picked from across the country, with many makers represented in national collections and collected by private individuals and celebrities alike.

Alongside the exhibition, there will be limited edition silver Christmas tree decorations available to buy from the Augustus Brandt retail outlet. Each of these pieces are handmade in solid silver and bear the hallmark of one of Britain’s four assay offices. Designed as unique and special gifts, they can be used as Christmas decorations or given as christening and wedding presents. CBS has been producing this annual collection since 2002 and these pieces represent the wide variety of skills and techniques within the membership. Some pieces are hand hammered while others are decoratively embellished with materials such as shagreen and gold plate.

On Saturday 16 November Augustus Brandt will launch the exhibition with an opportunity for visitors to ‘Meet the Makers’. A discussion with Chair of Contemporary British Silversmiths and exhibitor, Angela Cork, will provide insight into their craft in the 21st Century and will be followed by demonstrations of some of the different skills and techniques at the workbench.

ABOUT AUGUSTUS BRANDT

A jewel in Petworth’s crown, destination store and gallery Augustus Brandt offers an impressive setting within the inspirational surroundings of the Grade II listed, Newlands House. With over 17 rooms to explore, you can discover a carefully curated selection of objects, bridging antique and contemporary furniture, artworks, photography and collectables. Be sure to also visit the new lifestyle shop by Augustus Brandt which recently opened in the main town square.

Situated in the heart of the South Downs National Park, Petworth is one of Britain’s most attractive market towns, offering visitors a quintessentially English country escape. From beautiful walks in Petworth park, excursions and independent shopping experiences, to the exciting year-round calendar of events, Petworth is the cultural centre of the West Sussex countryside.

Highlights of the exhibition include works from the following silversmiths:

A free day of live silversmithing demonstrations by Contemporary British Silversmiths at the V&A

• Sunday 15th September 2019 | 10am to 5pm
• Room 66, Silver Galleries, Victoria and Albert Museum
• In partnership with London Design Festival and the V&A
• Free, Drop In
• Sponsored by The Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office

A commitment to passing on craft techniques has been central to the mission of Contemporary British Silversmiths (CBS) for more than 20 years. Silversmiths learn their craft over a lifetime and CBS is helping support a new generation of designers to acquire the highest level of craft skills.

Join three generations of expertise including double Cartier award winning ex Asprey master silversmith Tony Bedford with Rauni Higson and Charlotte Tollyfield who will showcase the creative and technical processes behind creating objects in the beautiful material of silver. Programme Director Rauni Higson will also give an informal talk at midday in the Silver Galleries about the passing on of silversmithing skills in the 21st Century.

This event is generously supported by the Goldsmiths’ Company Assay Office as part of its mission to increase and promote expertise in materials and production within the precious metalwork industry and held in collaboration with the Victoria and Albert Museum and the London Design Festival.

To be kept informed of this event and future talks and exhibitions, sign up to our newsletter here.

The Making of a Silver Commission: Demonstrations | Lunchtime Talk

In partnership with Contemporary British Silversmiths, the leading association for contemporary silver, The Clothworkers’ Company hosts a day of events, shining a light on the fascinating process of commissioning and making silver.Meet the makers during free demonstrations by award-winning silversmiths Miriam Hanid and Yusuke Yamamoto and learn about their live commissions for The Clothworkers’ Company during our lunchtime lecture.

Both silversmiths have recently been commissioned to create major pieces for The Clothworkers’ Company. This one-day event offers visitors a unique opportunity to talk to the makers about their design process and techniques and find out about the commissioning process.

The Clothworkers’ Company possesses an extensive collection of silver dating from the early seventeenth century onwards and actively commissions new work as it seeks to build a representative collection of the best of contemporary silver made in Britain.

The two silversmiths will be demonstrating their exceptional skill to the public in the prestigious surroundings of Clothworkers’ Hall, giving visitors a rare opportunity to see inside one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies of the City of London.

Miriam Hanid is an award-winning silversmith, best known for her distinctive sculptural silver inspired by water, movement and the natural world. Miriam employs the decorative techniques of chasing and engraving as a focal point in her work. She will demonstrate the process of hand engraving, giving the audience an insight into the life of a silversmith and the bespoke nature of her handcrafted commissions.

Yusuke Yamamoto graduated from Musashino Art University, in Japan in 2004. He is fascinated by the behaviour of water, clouds, petals and texture of trees. He shapes metal using a hammer and chasing, each stroke expressing a story and an emotion. He exhibits and sells his award winning pieces worldwide, with work featured in prestigious public collections in the UK and abroad.

Venue: The Clothworkers’ Company, Clothworkers’ Hall, Dunster Court, Mincing Lane, London EC3R 7AH

Booking: Free but booking essential – places strictly limited

Programme:

MEET THE MAKERS [MORNING DEMONSTRATIONS] – FREE

Session 1: An hour of silversmith demonstrations with Miriam Hanid and Yusuke Yamamoto
Time: 10.00am. Free (booking required)

Session 2: An hour of silversmith demonstrations with Miriam Hanid and Yusuke Yamamoto
Time: 11.00am. Free (booking required)

LUNCHTIME TALK

Lunchtime Talk: Chair of Contemporary British Silversmiths Angela Cork will interview Miriam Hanid and Yusuke Yamamoto about their Clothworkers’ Loving Cup commissions, and Clothworkers’ Senior Archivist, Jessica Collins, about the significance of the Loving Cup and Clothworkers’ silver collection.

Time: 1.00 – 2.00pm (doors open at 12.30pm)
Cost: £10, booking required. Coffee and tea available upon arrival.

MEET THE MAKERS [AFTERNOON DEMONSTRATIONS] – FREE

Session 3: An hour of silversmith demonstrations with Miriam Hanid and Yusuke Yamamoto
Time: 2.30pm. Free (booking required)

Session 4: An hour of silversmith demonstrations with Miriam Hanid and Yusuke Yamamoto
Time: 3.30pm. Free (booking required)

ABOUT THE CLOTHWORKERS’ COMPANY
Founded by Royal Charter in 1528, the original purpose of The Clothworkers’ Company was to protect its members and promote the craft of cloth-finishing within the City of London. The Clothworkers’ Company values its past and traditions, but seeks to build upon its heritage and find ways for the Company to have a useful and relevant role in today’s society.

Although few of its present members are involved in the textile industry in any direct way, they continue to support textiles, principally through educational grants, fostering the development of technical textiles and colour science, and support for the nation’s textile heritage. The assets of The Company, which are based on property and investments, are used to support The Clothworkers’ Foundation, which is a registered charity and one of the largest grant-makers in Britain. As one of the Great Twelve Livery Companies, The Clothworkers’ Company enjoys a close bond of friendship and co-operation with other livery companies and the City Corporation. The Company takes pride in performing its civic obligations and contributing to the living history of London.

For further information about The Clothworkers’ Company visit: www.clothworkers.co.uk

In promoting the design and creativity of the silversmith, it has worked closely with institutions such as the Goldsmiths’ Company, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Christie’s, Bonhams and the Silver Trust Collection at Downing Street to create bespoke exhibitions that support its aims of promoting and celebrating contemporary silver to a global audience. A central focus of its work is to raise the profile of contemporary silver to the public through demonstrations, educational workshops and telling the story of its craftspeople and attract the public to the prospect of owning and commissioning silver. Previous demonstrations have featured the Georg Jensen workshops, Rebecca de Quin, Junko Mori and Abigail Brown.
For further information on Contemporary British Silversmiths: www.contemporarybritishsilversmiths.org

For further information about London Craft Week

With new work from many of the UK’s leading silversmiths and enamellers, and over 250 fabulous pieces of contemporary jewellery on show, John Higgins – founder of the Contemporary Silver Gallery – gets his 9th Summer Exhibition in Lindfield underway in June.

“It’s such a pleasure and privilege for us to be able to bring together in Lindfield, such a wonderful and diverse range of contemporary silver and jewellery, from every part of the UK, by the very best designer/makers, and to finally see pieces which we commissioned in 2016/17 in preparation for this exhibition, finally come to fruition”, says event organiser John Higgins.

“We have commissioned new work from 5 fantastic silversmiths specifically for this exhibition, including several enamelled pieces from Jane Short” John explains “and we are particularly delighted to welcome back Kevin Grey, who first exhibited here in 2010, and has subsequently gone on to win the prestigious Goldsmiths’ Company Award, no less than three times since. Kevin’s ground breaking and exciting modernist work combines cutting edge modern technology with traditional silversmithing techniques, and is quite exceptional.”

Over 30 silversmiths will show their work at this year’s exhibition.

“Whilst we initially focussed just on contemporary silver” says John, “the inclusion of contemporary jewellery into the exhibition has proved exceptionally popular, and this year we are welcoming back seven Jewellery Designer/Makers who have exhibited with us before, and a further three Designer/Makers who are exhibiting with us for the first time – but who produce really exciting jewellery. We are very pleased to welcome back Jane Adam, Kayo Saito, Jane Macintosh and Lucy Martin – all of whom have regularly exhibited with us, and their designs are particularly popular with our Customers.”

John is working closely with Contemporary British Silversmiths during this exhibition. Contemporary British Silversmiths was launched in 1996 to give voice to a new generation of silversmiths, and most of the exhibitors are part of this group. “Part of our support towards the association is to provide space to silversmiths at the start of their career, where they can exhibit pieces, and I urge you to look at the pieces they have produced – you will be amazed! “Everybody is very welcome to come to the Exhibition” says John, “but we do ask that you plan your visit, and give us a call or email beforehand, so we know when you are coming”

A spectacular exhibition not to be missed.

For further information visit the John Higgins website