Creative ID: 653
Raglan
My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths):
I am an independent practising artist and jeweller. I have a fully equipped studio where I use traditional metal-smithing techniques to hand-make my designs in precious metals and gemstones. I make statement pieces, often rings with large faceted gemstones, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. I manufacture using various tools, techniques, and procedures, including sawing, soldering, casting, patination, mixed metals, stamping, and silver clay. I also use lapidary, leather-smithing, ceramics, textiles, and braiding in my jewellery.
I co-own an arts collective with five other local artists where I work and exhibit my jewellery range. My ambition to work with Creatives in Schools is to co-create a learning opportunity to introduce the world of jewellery making. Students will be taught with step-by-step guidance through a range of projects that will teach the tools and techniques.
My track record of experience and success - or the track record of experience and success of the creative or artist that I will partner with:
1996: BTEC Diploma Fine Art and Design, Norwich School of Art and Design
1996–1997: BTEC Diploma Ceramics and Design, Norfolk College of Arts and Technology
1999–2003: BA(Hons) Fine Art Sculpture, Norwich School of Art and Design
2005: Exhibited jewellery designs in UK Galleries, Primavera Gallery Cambridge, Bircham Gallery Norfolk, Kettle of Fish Norfolk, Carhart Mill Cornwall
2007: Ceramic art tutor for children and adults, local arts centre
2007: Founder of local community arts holiday programme in conjunction with Greenpeace
2007–2008: Co-manager of a clay artist group
2009–current: Established online jewellery shop
2011: Co-created local arts collective
2011–current: Established my jewellery design brand
2012: Joined Jet Arts Collective
2017: Exhibited Raglan Arts Weekend
2018: Co-Founded Left Collective, Cambridge
2019: Exhibited RAW Raglan Arts Weekend
2020–current: Continued Education Susan Lenhart, The Nomadic Jeweller
Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes:
I moved to New Zealand 16 years ago and while continuing to practise as a self-employed jewellery maker I worked at the local arts centre, teaching adult and children's art classes, so I am well-known within my community. I taught adult evening life drawing classes and ceramics and co-managed the community clay shed, which at that time needed reinvigoration having lost all its members, so I was asked to put together a thriving after-school programme for kids. It was a great success, and I handed it forward when the first of my three sons were born.
I loved teaching adults and kids and imagining new and exciting programmes, applying for grants, and teaching a multitude of classes. I worked with Greenpeace back in the day to create a holiday programme to help save whales called the Whale-a-Thon. It was a fabulous multimedia event where children got to enjoy a variety of classes, mosaic, sculpture, painting, ceramics, and we auctioned a huge sculpted whale that was co-created by everyone on the programme. A wonderful exhibition that showcased everyone’s artistic works was put on at the end of the event with an auction that raised thousands of dollars for Greenpeace. It was a huge success, and I believe showed how the arts and the wider community can collaborate beautifully and with great effectiveness with a positive result for all.
Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice:
I love art and the positive impact it can have on people's lives. I feel that showing youth as many different avenues to make a living out of the arts broadens their horizons and allows them to see wider opportunities for careers in the arts. I have supported myself as a practising artist for 16 years primarily making jewellery. It's a skill that is hard to experience as a young person as it requires large resources that most schools don't have available. Creatives in Schools is a fantastic opportunity for all schools and for us as creatives to have the opportunity to share our fabulous skill sets and give back to our community.
I would love the opportunity to engage youth on a jewellery programme – I know I would enjoy the teaching and find it very rewarding. It’s always so interesting how everyone ends up creating something true to themselves and different. I know my personal work will be enriched by this time spent engaging with children, as I have learnt as a mother that they are so often our teachers in life. I will enjoy the creative play and journey as it unravels as we teach the children the fun techniques required in the world of jewellery. I would like to offer classes for children and adults in the future so Creatives in Schools would be a great opportunity to pilot this beginners’ jewellery programme, and I hope that for a few of these children the course sparks a real passion within them, perhaps even leading them into further education within the arts or becoming the local community’s next generation of collective members. Together we can keep the arts thriving in our communities for I believe, better wellbeing for all.