Fellows and current participants from Bishopsland Educational Trust have achieved outstanding results at this year’s awards presented by the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council, receiving a wide range of Gold, Silver and Bronze awards across both junior and senior categories.

The annual awards recognise excellence in craftsmanship across the UK jewellery, silversmithing and allied trades. This year’s results highlight the depth of talent among Bishopsland Fellows working across disciplines including silversmithing, jewellery, chasing, smallwork and design.  They also underline the impact Bishopsland has had, and continues to have, in training, mentoring and lifetime support for silversmithing in the UK.

Silversmithing and 3D Design Success

In the Silversmiths – 3D Design category, Ben Ryan was awarded Bronze, while Alewijn Slingerland received two Silver awards. A collaborative entry by Angela Cork and Jessica Jue was also recognised with Silver.

Further recognition followed in the Silversmiths – 3D Design & Craft (Senior) category, where Angela Cork and Jessica Jue’s collaborative work received Gold. Alewijn Slingerland was also awarded Gold, as well as Bronze in the same section.

Junior Category Achievements

Bishopsland Fellows were also recognised across several junior categories.

In Silversmiths – Junior, Annie Higgs received Bronze.

Dan Worrall was awarded Bronze in Chasers – Junior and Silver in Jewellers – Junior, demonstrating notable skill across multiple disciplines.

In Silver – Design & Craft (Junior), both Finlay Grant and Caitlin Murphy received Bronze awards.

Senior Category Awards

Senior category honours included a Gold award for Miriam Hanid in Chasers – Senior and a Gold award for Ben Ryan in Jewellers – Senior.

In the Smallworkers category, Rebecca Oldfield and Caitlin Murphy both received Bronze awards.

Additional recognition came in the Laser Section, where Ben Ryan received Bronze, while Kai Wang was awarded Bronze in the Louisa Guinness Award for Mixed Metals and Patina for work produced during studies at the Royal College of Art.

Bursaries, Nominations and Special Recognition

Several Bishopsland Fellows were also recognised through bursaries, nominations and special awards.

Rebecca Oldfield received The Benevolent Society Polishing Bursary for her box, while Beca Fflur was awarded the Phil Barnes Enamelling Bursary.

Dan Worrall was nominated for the English Artworks Award by English Artworks, and the collaboration between Angela Cork and Jessica Jue was nominated for the Senior Award in the Special Awards category.

Finlay Grant received the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths Award, presented by the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths, which includes a valuable training opportunity.

Celebrating the Wider Industry

The ceremony also celebrated the wider craft community. Long-time industry supporter Clive Burr received the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was met with a standing ovation from attendees.

The prestigious College Gold Trophy this year was awarded to Glasgow, recognising the strength of its student entries, while institutions including the Royal College of Art and Birmingham also achieved notable results.

Bishopsland extends its thanks to the Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council, their patrons and sponsors, and The Goldsmiths’ Company for their continued support of excellence in the craft. Appreciation is also extended to English Artworks for recognising emerging talent and to the Institute of Professional Goldsmiths for supporting professional development within the industry.

These results reflect the continued dedication, creativity and technical excellence of Bishopsland Fellows and the vibrant future of contemporary silversmithing and jewellery in the UK.