Summer School 2025

We are so excited to bring you these Week Intensive Summer School Classes in Ōtautahi Christchurch and Ōtaki Beach!

Ōtaki: Monday 13 - Friday 17 January from 10am - 4.30pm.

Christchurch: Monday 20 - Friday 25 January from 10am - 4.30pm.

Discover colour in your silver jewellery!

Students will enjoy tuition from a number of tutors in many different techniques.

The focus of this week is to develop student's understanding of how to bring colour into their work, this will include glass enamels and lampwork glass techniques. With a whole week to explore there is plenty of time for a deep dive into jewellery making.

This programme is open to learners of all levels, complete beginners will gain foundational jewellery making skills and can expect to produce 2 or more well-finished pieces. More advanced students will be able to develop their existing abilities and learn some new techniques. Depending on where they are in their jewellery making journey, they may wish to spend more time on design fundamentals, and/or discussing their business plans with mentor Annie Collins.

We are only taking 6 students in Ōtaki and 10 students in Christchurch. This smaller group size allows for flexibility in how students work and what they create, though we are unable to introduce additional techniques beyond those planned for the week.

If you have specific questions about your level, the curriculum or what you can make please email us.

Course fees include a generous metal pack, enamels and glass allowance. Extra materials will be available to purchase and advanced students are welcome to bring along their own materials.

Our website asks for full payment on enrolment (Afterpay is available at checkout), but we are also offering payment plans for those who need to pay over time. Please contact us to arrange this.

Course Curriculum

Monday: Introductions & Possiblities

Health and Safety induction and studio familiarity session. As a group we will explore our samples, which serve as demonstrations for the techniques we'll cover on the week, and their possible combinations. We will then get stuck into texturing on copper and brass to get our creative juices flowing. Beginners will be shown how to anneal (heat) their metal in order to texture and shape it, as well as fold forming and an introduction to piercing. More advanced students will be forming and texturing also - though they may already be working in silver, or checking out samples in base metals. We will discuss the plan for the week and how to incorporate these textured pieces with our hot glass elements.

Tuesday: Colour & Fire

In Christchurch - half the class will explore Lampwork Glass Beads and the other half enamels, then they will swap over for the afternoon. In Ōtaki we may all be working on each technique together depending on numbers. Lampwork glass is the process of heating coloured glass rods with a torch and applying them to a mandrel to create a bead. Students will be shown how to shape and manipulate their glass with an eye to combining them into their silver projects. Glass enamels come in a powder form and are carefully applied to the surface of silver and copper, then fused in the kiln. This day is about learning how to create colourful components to add in to your silver projects.

Wednesday: Connections and Design

How do we incorporate these beautiful and delicate glass creations into our designs? Students will learn cold connections such as rivets and pins, as well as soldering skills to join their pieces together. They will carefully plan their final pieces and be helped along with their designs.

Thursday: Production

Students will work on their final designs. They may need to revisit Lampwork or Enamels to make more coloured pieces, or continue to work on their silver designs. Beginners can use pre-made findings to allow them time to focus on the colour elements, and more advanced students can practice making the connections for their work.

Friday: Finishing and Exhibition

This day will be spent getting pieces into a finished state ready to exhibit in the evening! Finishing is a very important step in jewellery making, it is what takes a piece from "student work" to "saleable". Our tutors will encourage those on the selling path to really up their quality. There may also be time on this day for those looking to create works to sell to have a business discussion with Annie Collins about their next steps. From 4.30pm on Friday we will display student's works to friends and whānau, and have some drinks and nibbles to celebrate!