HS Walsh Judges The New Heritage Crafts Awards Category For The Goldsmiths' Centre Jewellery Foundation Programme

Yesterday afternoon saw us getting a behind the scenes peak at the Goldsmiths' Centre as judges, viewing the portfolios of the 2025/26 Jewellery Foundation Programme cohort.

This year sees the introduction of a new award, which we are sponsoring, for Heritage Crafts - the pieces designed and made which best highlight the students skills in silversmithing, reposse, hand enameling and engraving as well as polishing. 

Although the decisions remain top secret until the awards evening next Thursday 02 July, what we can say is the standard was exceptionally high across the 10 students and although we could only award to 3 students, the entire cohort should be hugely proud of their achievements.  It was heartening to see just how much the students have learned in their 10 months on the course and how they have harnessed these traditional skills to help celebrate and safeguard these crafts for the future.  This is even more important given at least two of these crafts feature on the endangered craft list in the UK, which looks at the viability of passing these skills onto the next generation.

Come back in a week to see the winners!

Many thanks to Lili Capelle and the Goldsmiths' Centre team for hosting us.