A brand-new cultural event celebrating contemporary jewellery, art jewellery and adornment will make its debut this September as Manchester Jewellery Week launches across the city.
Taking place from Thursday 10 to Wednesday 16 September, I Wanna Be Adorned will bring together jewellers, designer-makers, artists, students, collectors and jewellery lovers for a week of exhibitions, talks, open studios, trails, workshops and special events.
Co-founded by Manchester jewellers Jo Lavelle and Eve Redmond – who were inspired by the internationally renowned jewellery week in Munich – I Wanna Be Adorned is the first jewellery festival for Manchester.
Jo and Eve have teamed up with fellow jewellers and makers, Mark McLeish, Sarah O’Hana, Sadie Blythin and Stacey Hill to create an event that will showcase the breadth and diversity of contemporary jewellery while inviting the public to discover it in unexpected places and settings throughout Manchester city centre, Salford, Sale and Chorlton.
The heart of the festival will be Manchester Craft and Design Centre, which will host a series of exhibitions, talks, studio trails and special events throughout the week.
A major highlight will be City of Suffragettes, curated by Joanne Haywood of The Association for Contemporary Jewellery and Eve Redmond, co-founder of I Wanna Be Adorned. The exhibition will explore themes inspired by Manchester’s pioneering role in the suffragette movement and will be accompanied by a Suffragette Studio Trail and a related exhibition at Divinity Studio.
Other highlights include: Cotton to Graphene at Manchester Metropolitan University, showcasing work by jewellery graduates and providing a platform for emerging talent from universities and colleges; Bound, Fabricate, Worn at The Portico Library, featuring new work by the organisers of Manchester Jewellery Week; Adorn at Waterside Arts in Sale, celebrating sculptural jewellery and wearable art in glass.
There will also be exhibitions from Precious Collective at Redstart Gallery and Dialogue Collective, featuring national and international jewellers; and The Curated Self, an online exhibition showcasing the private necklace collection of Jennifer Noble.
Visitors will also be able to explore a city-wide programme of exhibitions and installations at venues including Manchester Art Gallery, HOME Arches, The Portico Library, Fred Aldous, Frog Flowers, Islington Mill, Franny & Filer, Studio Critical and many more*.
A key part of the programme will be the Open Weekender on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September, when jewellers, designer-makers and studios across the city will open their doors to the public, shining a spotlight on Manchester’s thriving jewellery community and independent makers.
Jo Lavelle said: “I am delighted the time has come to host the very first Manchester Jewellery Week. We have such a talented and diverse jewellery community here and this week gives us an opportunity to celebrate that creativity, connect people and open up the world of jewellery to new audiences.”
Eve Redmond added: “Inspired by Munich but proudly rooted in Manchester, we hope that this inaugural event will bring together an eclectic mix of jewellers and designer makers and will create new opportunities for graduates, collectors, and audiences to engage with contemporary jewellery.
Manchester Jewellery Week takes place from Thursday 10 to Wednesday 16 September.
