Katy Tromans
Katy is both Senior Lecturer and Course Leader of the BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing - Design for Industry Program and Course Leader for HND Jewellery and Silversmithing.
Read Katy's profile from the perspective of both courses.
What is your background/experience prior to BCU?
Prior to my employment as a Lecturer at BCU, I had won several awards such as a Gold award at the renowned Goldsmiths Craft & Design Council Awards, I was selected as one of Retailer Jewellers Top 30 Under 30, exhibited at International Jewellery London where my work was selected by galleries where my collection work remains on sale. I also exhibited at Milan fashion week and scooped one of only 4 awards at Artistar Jewellers selected from over 400 entrants and showcased my work again the following year.
I’m a Bench Jeweller and CAD designer, and these skillsets have enabled me to ensure our course provides relevant jewellery industry knowledge, techniques, and skillsets. I’ve enjoyed working in 3D print roles, CAD designer roles and have also worked for several manufacturing companies and bespoke jewellery houses. A highlight of my career has been finishing and assembling component parts of Fabergé eggs. I also run my own bespoke jewellery business.
I’ve worked in the industry utilising new technologies and am competent on using several 3D CAD software to design and create commercial and contemporary jewellery, in precious metals and a range of gemstones. My experience in product development processes, creating design concepts, CAD, rapid prototyping, and professional finishing techniques, including costing and quality control, alongside a passion to teach has all contributed to the course content.
What is your favourite thing about BCU?
Our location in the Heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, enables us to form strong industry relationships which fuel our curriculum and enhance student employability. With the local industry on our doorstep, we have everything our students need at our fingertips.
What inspired you to teach BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing – Design for Industry at BCU?
We aim to support students’ personal goals and career aspirations in developing a sustainable future in the industry. We also aim to ensure graduates understand and have experienced the technology and the production processes that are inherent to our area of specialism, as well as working alongside industry to create networks for our graduates and to ensure the course content is current and relevant to the industry it feeds.
I am inspired every day, by the live collaborative projects we run with renowned Jewellers, Silversmiths and manufacturing companies. We are regularly visited by company CEO’s at their request as they look to employ graduates from our course and want to meet them prior to fulfilling employment needs.
Year on year our students become more driven and focussed on what they are here to achieve and learn, and that too is inspiring for us as staff.
What are the benefits of studying BA (Hons) Jewellery and Silversmithing – Design for Industry in Birmingham?
The School of Jewellery is centred in the historic Jewellery Quarter which is a hub of workshops and larger manufacturing companies that students can visit, gain experience with and be employed by. Birmingham is a diverse and vibrant city offering a wealth of cultural and social opportunities for all ages and many employment opportunities for students to work alongside studying. Being central in the UK ensures other cities are in easy reach with opportunities to visit events in London and elsewhere.
Due to our location, our students have a greater access to some of the UK’s Leading Jewellery manufacturers, many who open doors to us, for inspiration talks, company tours and work experience.
The level of independent learning allows for each student to tailor the course to their individual career aspirations. Meaning our Graduate showcase is always diverse in product and end goal aspirations.
What can students do to help prepare them for the course?
Visit as many industry events/outlets as possible to understand what the industry consists of and where you might begin to develop your career. From industrial centres, Birmingham, London, Sheffield, retail outlets, trade shows, Jewellery and Silverware organisations. Be inspired, travel, draw, design and create ideas for products that you can develop into your portfolio that will make you stand out. Gain experience in the industry, understanding and experiencing how jewellery is manufactured, produced, and sold are all valuable opportunities that can support career progression.
Know what you are aiming to achieve and where you want to be a year from now. We are a fast-paced course, self-motivation, determination, and a desire to succeed is always beneficial.
Lastly, do you have any advice or tips for working in the industry?
Embrace every opportunity, even if you don’t feel it is what you wanted, you never really know and may just enjoy it. Every opportunity builds on your experience and enables you to take on a variety of work, your career can have many pathways, allow yourself to embrace them all.
What is your background/experience prior to BCU?
Prior to my employment as a Lecturer at BCU, I had won several awards such as a Gold award at the renowned Goldsmiths Craft & Design Council Awards, I was selected as one of Retailer Jewellers Top 30 Under 30, exhibited at International Jewellery London where my work was selected by galleries where my collection work remains on sale. I also exhibited at Milan fashion week and scooped one of only 4 awards at Artistar Jewels, selected from over 400 entrants and showcased my work again the following year.
I’m a Bench Jeweller and CAD designer, and these skillsets have enabled me to ensure our course provides relevant jewellery industry knowledge, techniques, and skillsets. I’ve enjoyed working in 3D print roles, CAD designer roles and have also worked for several manufacturing companies and bespoke jewellery houses. A highlight of my career has been finishing and assembling component parts of Fabergé eggs. I also run my own bespoke jewellery business.
I’ve worked in the industry utilising new technologies and am competent on using several 3D CAD software to design and create commercial and contemporary jewellery, in precious metals and a range of gemstones. My experience in product development processes, creating design concepts, CAD, rapid prototyping, and professional finishing techniques, including costing and quality control, alongside a passion to teach has all contributed to the course content.
What is your favourite thing about BCU?
Our location in the Heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, enables us to form strong industry relationships which fuel our curriculum and enhance student employability. With the local industry on our doorstep, we have everything our students need at our fingertips.
What inspired you to teach HND Jewellery and Silversmithing at BCU?
The HND at the School of Jewellery is unique for several reasons. Firstly, we place the teaching of hand-skills as paramount; secondly, we are based in the heart of the jewellery manufacturing centre of the UK; finally, our teaching and support team are all practical makers who are still engaged with the industry and their practice.
These factors combine to define the course and to make it attractive to students wishing for a career in jewellery and to employers, seeking to recruit our graduates. We focus on traditional commercial techniques that enhance our graduate employability.
What are the benefits of studying HND Jewellery and Silversmithing in Birmingham?
Birmingham City University is central to the cultural life of the city and the School of Jewellery is a key influencer within the historic Jewellery Quarter. Both the University and the School integrate into the city’s lively arts programme and students here have access to the benefits of being part of such a large institution. Due to our location, our students have a greater access to some of the UK’s Leading Jewellery manufacturers, many who open their doors to us, for inspirational talks, company tours and work experience.
The city is large and sprawling but it has a compact centre and adjacent cultural areas, so it is easy to find things to do, exciting places to eat, music and arts events, sports activities and more. Part time work within the industry is always an option.
What can students do to help prepare them for the course?
The course assumes that students have had no practical experience and within a period of the first six weeks of the course builds up their skills to a level where they can make commercial jewellery, creating mounts for stone settings and setting the stones themselves.
We do like people to have had some metalworking experience but what is most useful is to develop a practice of making notes and drawing designs and developing visual research so that the teaching here can concentrate more on the traditional techniques of creating Jewellery and Silverware.
It is worth visiting galleries and exhibitions which feature jewellery and silverware and really looking at the way in which the work is assembled, focussing on components and on the overall design aesthetic of each piece. Trying to draw this in sketchbooks is good practice and starts the 3D thinking and exploring process well. We can teach techniques, but we can’t teach passion, find what you love about Jewellery or Silversmithing and bring that to the table in September!
Lastly, do you have any advice or tips for working in the industry?
Embrace every opportunity, even if you don’t feel it is what you wanted, you never really know and may just enjoy it. Every opportunity builds on your experience and enables you to take on a variety of work, your career can have many pathways, allow yourself to embrace them all.