See skilled makers in action during London Craft Week

The first annual London Craft Week runs from 6 to 10 May with chances to see skilled jewellers and other craftspeople show off their skills and wares at venues across the capital and even opportunities to try crafts for yourself.

London Craft Week was founded by Vacheron Constantin, the world’s oldest watch-makers in continuous production, and is backed by the Mayor of London, the Crafts Council, Walpole and the Heritage Crafts Association. “London has long had a Fashion Week and a Design Festival. From 2015, it will have the equivalent for the craft sector. Featuring the artistic flair, painstaking skills and raw talent of exceptional craftsmanship and, as a result, attracting an ever-increasing quality and volume of collectors and customers.” Guy Salter, founder and chairman of London Craft Week.

Engraving at Vacherin Constantin

The inaugural event has the theme of discovering hidden crafts and will showcase talented makers and hold events where craftspeople actually make as well as in high profile venues.Among the events that have caught the eyes of the London Jewellery School team are:

• Watching making and engraving demonstrations at Vacheron Constantin where you may even have a chance of trying it out for yourself
• A showcase of 28 alumni from the Walpole Crafted mentoring programme at Fortnum & Mason’s Piccadilly store including jewellers Ndidi Ekubia, Ruth Tomlinson, Jo Thorne and Angela Cork.
• A chance to hear about the jewellery design process from Garrard’s chief designer Sara Prentice.
• Open studio events at both Craft Central and Cockpit Arts where you can see lots of makers in their studios and buy beautiful one-off pieces.
• The Crafted City – a specially created pavilion hosting a series of interactive sessions by day and night, including craft workshops, meals accompanied by lectures, discussions and debates about the crafts today.

There are lots more events and chances to see craft over the week so check out the whole programme here and get inspired through some truly craft experiences.