Craft NI Maker Forum 2023

8 March 2023

The Craft NI team are excited to announce the next Craft NI Maker Forum taking place on the afternoon of Wednesday 26th April at the Ulster Museum in Belfast.

We’re grateful to Belfast School of Art for enabling us to welcome our guest speaker at the Forum, contemporary jeweller and head of the Jewellery and Silversmithing Programme at the Glasgow School of Art, Anna Gordon. After a light lunch, we’ll have a chance to hear from Anna on her career and artistic journey, followed, for those who wish, by a tour of the of the Applied Art Gallery of the Museum. Given by new Craft NI Chair and Senior Curator of Art, Kim Mawhinney, she’ll share fascinating insight into the significance of just some of the Museum’s contemporary applied art collection.

Anna has exhibited internationally throughout Europe and America. Now Head of Department and Programme Leader of the Silversmithing and Jewellery at GSA, Anna is also a Trustee of the Scottish Goldsmiths Trust, a Freeman of the worshipful company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers and a Freeman of the City of London. Some of Anna’s research interests include the exploration of structural design and geometric form, specifically, focus on kinetic elements creating movement on the body.

Forum agenda;

12.30 – Light lunch on arrival and networking

1.30pm – Anna Gordon talk and Q&A

Forum to end with a guided tour of the Applied Arts Gallery

We look forward to seeing you there! Feel welcome to share this invite amongst colleagues, peers and interested parties. Make sure to reserve your space by emailing lorna.towns@craftni.org or call the gallery on 028 9032 9342 by Monday 17th April. Please include any dietary requirements.

There will be further opportunities to attend a Maker Forum in September 2023 when we plan to visit the North West, location and venue suggestions are welcome!

To view the resources provided at the previous Maker Forum held at the FE McWilliam Gallery and Studio in November 2022, please see here. These resources include useful information for grant applications, funding bids, service planning and more.