Holy Art Gallery London
The Holy Art Gallery has an open call in London on the 4th-7th April. This open call would give me the chance to showcase my work in West London gallery space with “high foot traffic and a vibrant atmosphere”
There is an open theme and no limit on materials, which means my bacteria work could fit in well, however, there is an exhibition fee. To show the physical work it costs £220 per piece. While this is quite expensive, the exposure and the opportunity to experience something like this might make it worth it. Thankfully, there is no application fee.
a-n Digital Degree Show Guide
a-n are publishing a digital degree show guide for 2025, and being part of it offers the opportunity to share my work with a wider audience. It directly supports the goal I’ve been working toward over the past two years: to shift the perception of bacteria from something to fear to something to appreciate for its complexity and beauty.
On March 20th, I received an email confirming that my application had been successful and that I would be contacted shortly with the next steps.
New Designers
For my New Designers application, I proposed a series of 7 brooches, each corresponding to the bacterial growth from the days of the week.
My application proposed the display on a plinth or even on the wall, even though I was not sure about how I would attach these brooches to the wall.
After finding out that my application was successful, I was told that I had been given wall space to display these brooches.
I then started planning how to attach the brooches to the wall. One example that Oonah Illingworth had shown me from Munich Jewellery Week was using a canvas to thread the brooches onto the wall. I will be testing this idea during the curation mock set up with Lillie Tew.
Manchester Jewellery Collective
Manchester Jewellery Collective website
As part of externalising my practice beyond university, Oonah Illingworth and I have recently co-founded the Manchester Jewellery Collective. The vision behind this initiative is to build a supportive and inspiring community for jewellers based in the North West. Our goal is to create both a physical and digital space where emerging and established makers can connect, collaborate, and grow together. By forming a collective, we aim to make exhibiting our work more accessible and impactful. From what I have heard, group shows can often feel less daunting than solo exhibitions, and the shared exposure can benefit all members. In the long term, we also hope the collective could evolve into something more permanent, such as a shared studio or workshop space, which would give us the chance to continue creating in a communal environment.
Both Oonah and I have really enjoyed the collaborative atmosphere we’ve experienced throughout our time at university. Working alongside others with similar interests has not only been motivating but has also helped us to refine our own practices through regular conversations and feedback from others. It's nice being surrounded by people who understand the challenges and joys of jewellery, and we’re keen to carry that sense of community forward after graduation.
At the moment, the collective consists of just the two of us, but we’ve already spoken to a number of fellow students and recent graduates who are enthusiastic about getting involved. As the group grows, we plan to become more active on social media and through our website, sharing member spotlights, upcoming exhibitions, and behind-the-scenes content. We’re excited about the potential of the Manchester Jewellery Collective, not just as a platform to showcase work, but as a way to support one another and keep collaboration alive beyond university.
MJC Instagram
Instagram Post
Instagram Post
We have also begun looking at funding opportunities for the Collective, including Flash Fund. However, we were not successful with our application. We are looking at other funding opportunities, specifically for jewellery, as this may be more appropriate.
Oonah has also been in contact with the Craft and Design Centre about the possibility of hosting a mini exhibition between the degree show and New Designers, where they replied saying that those dates would be possible for a mini exhibition.
