Cockpit Winter Open Studios 2024
Article by Haley Shim
In November, K2 Academy participated in the Open Studios event at Cockpit Bloomsbury, the vibrant creative hub that houses over 175 artists across more than 20 disciplines. Held twice a year, in June and November, this event invites the public behind the scenes into the studios of Cockpit’s talented community. Visitors have the unique opportunity to engage directly with the artists, gaining insight into their creative processes and craftsmanship. Each time, the K2 workshop, where we exhibit our students’ work, attracts hundreds of visitors, many of whom describe it as the most exciting studio in the building!
Being based at Cockpit offers our students a significant advantage. The exciting Open Studio events gives them a unique opportunity to present their work, engage with the public, and receive feedback, which is invaluable for their artistic growth. It also allows students to experience the full process of setting up an exhibition, learning how to display their work in a professional matter, and manage the logistics involved. They gain practical experience in business and marketing, essential for their future success in the creative industry.
One of the standout pieces in K2's showcase was a collection of rings by our Level 4 Diploma student, Janine Fox. Her work received widespread praise, and she took the opportunity to connect with potential clients during the event.
To preserve the workshop atmosphere of the space, we encouraged students to work on their projects at benches set up in a corner of the studio during the event. Visitors enjoyed observing the creative process behind the jewellery. The dynamic work on display, coupled with the opportunity to witness the jewellery-making process firsthand, inspired many visitors to enrol in our courses.
Project Spotlight – The Fairytale Theme & Stone Setting
During the winter term, Diploma students focused on individual projects centred around the given conceptual theme of "Fairytale." They began by exploring their favourite stories or characters from fairy tales, expanding their research to encompass a range of aesthetics, including romantic, magical, dark, mysterious, macabre, and even alien.
The technical focus for the term was stone setting, as well as connections & links. Level 4 students were taught how to set round and square stones using bezel and flush settings. They also had the opportunity to explore experimental techniques for setting and unconventional ways of connecting elements.
Koara Yamamoto, Level 4 Diploma student
I developed my idea from an experimental exercise with recycled materials that we did. It was to create my own fairytale narrative. In the story, cats exploring the forest got caught in a net. The astronaut came to save the cats from the net, and they became friends, travelling to NYC. The silver necklace incorporates elements of the narrative, with a more abstract approach this time. Techniques used include soldering, melting silver, hammering, bending, and reticulating the surface. I struggled with making the clasp, aiming to incorporate it into the piece while ensuring it remained functional.
Juan Castro-Varón, Level 4 Diploma student
The idea for this bracelet comes from an urban legend about razor blades in candy, supposedly given by strangers with the intent of harming children. Razors don't belong in candy, or on the wrist: the bracelet relates and contrasts notions of self-harm with our collective fears of "the other" harming us.
Instagram: @minilith_
Website: minilith.co.uk
Eloise Gleek, Level 4 Diploma student
These earrings are inspired by enchanted forests, with their intertwining branches reflecting the challenges and mystery of the woods. The branches are made using a technique called reticulation, where silver wires are twisted and fused together, creating a rough, uneven texture similar to tree bark.
The focus of the design is the round stone setting in one of the earrings, a detail that required precision and patience to create. The stone is a faceted green quartz, which fits well with the forest theme.
Instagram: @the_clumsy_jeweller
Naomi Gaynor, Level 4 Diploma student
I developed my idea from Oscar Wilde’s fairytale ‘The Happy Prince’. In this tale there is a theme of value which really resonated with me and led me to the desire to play with the idea of value within this piece. I wanted my links to imitate scrunched up paper or tinfoil, but I wanted to make it out of more valuable silver. I did this using sheet silver that I then scrunched by hand with pliers. On a technical level I wanted to challenge myself by not using any solder in my piece, which meant that I had to design links using silver wire with balled ends.
Instagram: @ng__jewels
Pictures by Karolina Brodnicka
Find out more about our Diploma Courses
Enrolment is opening early 2025
for courses starting in September!
About K2
K2 offers a Level 3 Diploma (1 year, part-time) and a Level 4 Diploma (2 years part-time or 1 year full-time) courses, providing students with a structured learning path from foundational techniques to advanced jewellery-making skills. In addition, we run various daytime and evening jewellery workshops for students of all skill levels.
Our students come from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, including the UK, France, Colombia, and Japan, which fosters a multicultural and collaborative environment where they exchange ideas and inspire each other in their creative journeys.