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Initial session with Kevin Grey, making copper napkin rings and bowls at Birmingham School of Jewellery. Photo credit: Craftspace. 1/25 -
Initial session with Kevin Grey, making copper napkin rings and bowls at Birmingham School of Jewellery. Photo credit: Craftspace. 2/25 -
Initial session with Kevin Grey, making copper napkin rings and bowls at Birmingham School of Jewellery. Photo credit: Craftspace. 3/25 -
Initial session with Kevin Grey, making copper napkin rings and bowls at Birmingham School of Jewellery. Photo credit: Craftspace. 4/25 -
Initial session with Kevin Grey, making copper napkin rings and bowls at Birmingham School of Jewellery. Photo credit: Craftspace. 5/25 -
Initial session with Amy Twigger Holroyd, hand and machine knitting workshop at mac birmingham. Photo credit: Craftspace. 6/25 -
Initial session with Amy Twigger Holroyd, hand and machine knitting workshop at mac birmingham. Photo credit: Craftspace. 7/25 -
Initial session with Amy Twigger Holroyd, hand and machine knitting workshop at mac birmingham. Photo credit: Craftspace. 8/25 -
Initial session with Amy Twigger Holroyd, hand and machine knitting workshop at mac birmingham. Photo credit: Craftspace. 9/25 -
Initial session with Jennifer Collier, paper surface pattern workshop using recycled materials at mac birmingham. Photo credit: Craftspace. 10/25 -
Initial session with Jennifer Collier, paper surface pattern workshop using recycled materials at mac birmingham. Photo credit: Craftspace. 11/25 -
Initial session with Jennifer Collier, paper surface pattern workshop using recycled materials at mac birmingham. Photo credit: Craftspace. 12/25 -
Week apprenticeship: Vicky at the sewing machine guided by Jennifer Collier, Unit Twelve, Staffordshire. Photo credit: Craftspace. 13/25 -
Week apprenticeship: Vicky working on a collage, Unit Twelve, Staffordshire. Photo credit: Craftspace. 14/25 -
Week apprenticeship: Tom working on a Manga collage, Unit Twelve, Staffordshire. Photo credit: Craftspace. 15/25 -
Vicky's commissioned dress, by Jennifer Collier, paper and donated items (work in progress). Photo credit: Craftspace. 16/25 -
Week apprenticeship: Jennifer and Vicky, Unit Twelve, Staffordshire. Photo credit: Craftspace. 17/25 -
Week apprenticeship: Chris and Amy, Amy's studio, Herefordshire. Photo credit: Craftspace. 18/25 -
Week apprenticeship: Mark and Chris discussing samples and designs with Amy, Amy's studio, Herefordshire. Photo credit: Craftspace. 19/25 -
Week apprenticeship: Mark working on the knitting machine, Amy's studio, Herefordshire. Photo credit: Craftspace. 20/25 -
Week apprenticeship: Chris working on the knitting machine, Amy's studio, Herefordshire. Photo credit: Craftspace. 21/25 -
Week apprenticeship: Mark discussing design ideas with Amy, Amy's studio, Herefordshire. Photo credit: Craftspace. 22/25 -
Week apprenticeship: Chris and his scarf, Amy's studio, Herefordshire. Photo credit: Craftspace. 23/25 -
Vicky with her commissioned piece by Jennifer Collier, mac birmingham. Photo credit: Craftspace. 24/25 -
Chris with his commissioned knitting machined, sourced and reconditioned by Amy Twigger Holroyd, mac birmingham. Photo credit: Craftspace. 25/25
Apprenticeships in the Making 2012
Apprenticeships in the Making worked with young people from The Prince’s Trust Fairbridge programme, who were not in education, employment or training. The aim was to discover and challenge their perceptions of contemporary craft whilst introducing them to potential pathways within the sector. In 2011 there was a growing interest in apprenticeships. As a result we explored the potential for young people, who haven’t graduated from an applied art course, to undertake apprenticeships with contemporary craft makers.
A second aim of the project was to act as a provocation for the makers to contemplate taking on a young person, with no previous making skills, as a full apprentice. Makers were encouraged to think about benefits and drawbacks. We also asked them to consider what support, as sole traders, they would need to make a full apprenticeship a viable proposition. Finally the project also hoped to illustrate the process of commissioning, how feasible it is and how it enables the customer to buy a piece of work which has a truly personal provenance.
The project began with three day long craft sessions with Made in the Middle exhibitors. The young people experimented with paper with Jennifer Collier, knitting with Amy Twigger Holroyd and metalword with Kevin Grey.
Four of the participants were then placed with two of the makers for a week long apprenticeship. As well as learning some of the processes adopted by the maker they were also able to commission a piece of work from them. To learn more about the project you can view the film on this website: Videos or read more about it in the 2012 exhibition catalogue: Catalogues
