This month, The Goldsmiths’ Centre, the UK’s leading charity for the professional training of goldsmiths, was the first education provider outside of Scotland to sign the Ethical Making Pledge, denoting a promise to embark on a journey towards ethical making.
Image: Director Peter Taylor MBE, Luke Potts, Ethical Making Student Ambassador and Goldsmiths’ Company Apprentice at Ottewill Silversmiths and Jewellers Limited and Karen Westland, The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust’s Ethical Making Programme Manager,present the signed Ethical Making Pledge committing the Goldsmiths’ Centre to support ethical making as the first training provider outside of Scotland (Left to right)
The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust (SGT) has officially launched the expansion of the Ethical Making Pledge to art colleges and training providers with jewellery and silversmithing courses across the UK.
The Ethical Making Pledge is a collaborative and community-based initiative encouraging education providers to embed practical and theoretical learning about ethical making into their curriculum, workshop practice and sourcing of materials, with the aim to empower the next generation of makers and apprentices. Since 2022, The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust’s Ethical Making Programme has partnered with The Goldsmiths’ Centre sharing an ambitious plan to extend the Ethical Making Pledge beyond Scottish higher education institutions to a variety of training providers, spreading awareness of environmental and social responsibility in the making of jewellery and silver across the UK.
Karen Westland, the SGT’s Programme Manager for Ethical Making, said: ‘We are thrilled that The Goldsmiths’ Centre will be the first institution outside of Scotland to become a signatory of the Ethical Making Pledge. This will strengthen our efforts to ensure the Pledge is fit for purpose for students and makers across the UK and support more jewellers and silversmiths to enter the trade with an ethical practice as their foundation’.
The Goldsmiths’ Centre’s Director Peter Taylor MBE explains: ‘The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust’s Ethical Making Programme is a fantastic initiative encouraging education providers to make small, manageable steps towards ethical making. Since 2022, we’ve supported The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust’s Ethical Making Programme through funding and collaboration. By signing the Ethical Making Pledge, we’re fully committed to raise awareness, share knowledge and resources in order to create an environment for our team and the next generation of makers to critically explore and learn about the topic of ethical making.’
The Goldsmiths’ Centre has supported jewellers, silversmiths, and the wider precious metal industry, to improve skills and shape careers. Founded by The Goldsmiths’ Company, The Goldsmiths’ Centre offers high-quality skills training and affordable workshop space, creating fair opportunities for craftspeople to develop their best work. It champions young people and exceptional talent, opening-up routes into apprenticeships, employment, further education and the real world of business.
This award-winning venue, designed for the training of goldsmiths, is also a unique place to hold an event, learn, meet and be inspired; and by hiring one of their spaces, you are supporting young people into meaningful careers through their training programmes offered at The Goldsmiths' Centre, for further details please contact: events@goldsmiths-centre.org