Down a quiet, cobbled cul-de-sac on the site of an old suitcase factory in the heart of Camberwell, is a creative village hidden from view. Vanguard Court is a buzzing, creative, thriving community of artists, artisans and creative small businesses.
Alex Yule
Once such creative business is Flux Studios: a collective of award-winning jewellers, working independently to make beautiful contemporary jewellery, whilst sharing their skills and knowledge with students though the Flux Jewellery School.
Established in 2008 by Vicky Forrester, Flux provides a home to both aspiring professionals and hobbyists and has evolved into a holistic creative environment where the individual skill sets of all it’s users are valued and shared to enrich the community as a whole. Vicky is proud to work closely with Southwark Adult learning services to promote the craft to the wider community.
Vicky, an alumni of Camberwell School of Art, is a practicing jeweller designer-maker with 23 years of experience in the contemporary jewellery field. She sees jewellery as wearable sculpture: a means to explore relationships and form, to ask questions and present challenges, to soothe the senses or to awaken them. Vicky has exhibited work extensively in the UK and abroad through various specialist galleries (Electrum, Lesley Craze, Flow, ProArte Monaco and many more)
Imogen Belfield – Silver geometric ring
Flux studio members are themselves no strangers to personal acclaim for their craft. Over the years, Flux has been home to a number of established and well-respected jewellers.
Alex Yule is inspired by her surrounding environment, having inherited her father’s interest in wild flowers and love of beach-combing rocky coastlines. Her pieces have an architectural style softened by a love of natural forms. Alex was the winner of won the Craft and Design Selected Maker Gold Award 2014.
Becky Dockree is influenced by her experiences and relationships. Her jewellery is a form of communication to create hand crafted individual statement pieces displaying a narrative journey. Becky was selected as a NexGem in the Professional Jeweller Hot 100 2013 in association with The Company of Master Jewellers.
Vicky Forrester – spirit ring
Amongst the Flux Almuni is Imogen Belfield, whose many accolades are surpassed only by the thrill of fashion, pop and Hollywood stars including Rita Ora, Cameron Diaz, Helena Christenden clambering to wear her jewels. Her work frequently features in Vogue as her meteoric success is set to continue having been shortlisted for the UK Fashion & Textile Awards2015 and Jewellery designer of the year 2015
As summer draws to a close, now is the perfect time to take up a new craft and enjoy what these talented makers have to offer.
From introductory workshops to specialist courses; whether for professional development or for pure personal delight; Flux provides a dynamic and creative environment for makers to not only design and create their own beautiful and unique pieces of jewellery, but where the open exchange of ideas with critically acclaimed studio members combine to inspire creative genius. It is truly a unique space.
Becky Dockree
Flux’s well-equipped studio has everything so all you need do is book. Before long you too will be creating unique pieces of your very own.
Flux are please to announce three courses starting in September:
– Design and make a silver ring (Beginners)
– Creative chain making (Intermediate)
– Improve soldering skills (Advanced)
Flux is also keen to meet like-minded jewellers who would like to become studio members. The Flux Membership scheme offers daily access to one of the best equipped jewellery studios on London, whilst giving members the space to grow in a dynamic and supportive community environment.
For more information, please visit: www.fluxjewelleryschool.com. You can check our FLUX POSTER for details about the September course.
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