Research

The School of Jewellery is a vibrant, burgeoning research collective. We interrogate some of the most vibrant, diverse and ambitious research and professional practice activities in the subject area.

The Craft Cultures research cluster provides a forum to explore the multidisciplinary characteristics of craft and its praxis. A core objective is to encourage research and understanding into all aspects of craftsmanship, from the creation of the object through the design, technology and material to the role of the object and how it engages and communicates with maker, wearer and audience. Craftsmanship is explored through two main themes: Craftsmanship as the creative endeavour - in the context of: heritage, contemporary practice, traditional and digital innovations, and the sciences; and Craftsmanship and its impact on - individuals, relationships, shared experiences and the wider society.

Creative problem solving is the constant thread running through the School and our Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre, where the edgelands and boundaries are explored at the interface between materials, technology and application, and where subject constraints and self-expression are embraced in equal measure.

Our networks, both personal and professional, extend across mainland Europe and Scandinavia, America and increasingly, towards the Far East. Our extensive connections include: galleries and professional organisations, artists, makers and curators, academics and research fellows, exchange and overseas students. These research and professional practice activities are unmatched in the UK and recognised at an international level.