South House Workshop Trust Silversmithing Graduate Scholarships 2025

South House Workshop Trust
Silversmithing Graduate Scholarships 2025-26

Application Guidelines

Following the success of our 2024 programme, the Trustees of the South House Workshop Trust are delighted to announce up to TEN fully-funded silversmithing graduate scholarships for 2025. These residential scholarships are being made available to accelerate the professional careers of promising silversmiths. Each scholarship is for a period of one month or two months, learning a variety of silversmithing skills in an intensive residential placement either in Shetland or Sheffield with master silversmiths Rod Kelly, Brett Payne and Chris Perry. The scholarships include the cost of tuition, travel, accommodation and a subsistence bursary.

The Trustees recognise applicants may have various ongoing commitments and they will try, along with the master silversmiths to be very flexible regarding dates and travel. The training will take place in one-month blocks. Scholarships will be awarded on merit and will be for either one month or two months, the applicants can express a preference at the time of applying. Each scholar will be placed for a period of either one month or two months depending on the strength of the application in either Shetland or Sheffield. There will be some flexibility both on the makers and on the scholar’s behalf. There will be negotiated travel breaks between the blocks of training to suit each individual and each maker. The training will cover in detail: raising, chasing, engraving, soldering, forging, hinge making and hammer work along with discussions on design, marketing and selling. 

Criteria

Successful candidates must be UK residents willing to commit to attending up to a maximum of two months training held in one-month blocks within a set time frame. All applicants must have completed a related BA degree and be a minimum of three years out of University or two years out of postgraduate training at Bishopsland or Marchmont. All applicants should have completed two years in their own workshops. It would be seen as beneficial if applicants are in the process of running their own workshops and producing and exhibiting their own work. All past South House Scholars, Bursary winners and QEST Scholars and mid career silversmiths may apply. All silversmiths must give evidence they have a workshop and are currently making new pieces of silver, either for commission or for exhibition. Include details of your website, Facebook and Instagram pages along with an up to date CV.

How to Apply

Please forward one A4 letter with your own proposal for a project, whether it is based on a one-month or two-month term. Indicate the areas you would like to cover and how this will help your business as a silversmith. Describe what you would like to make and which techniques you would like to use as part of the design. All final pieces must be made in silver. A silver loan scheme is in place with Argex, the cost of silver must be covered by the applicant although it is supplied at a preferential rate.

Closing date for applications

26 February 2025 

Applications should be sent to

southhouseworkshoptrust@gmail.com

Dates

Following selection by Trustees and Advisors, we expect scholarships to begin in Spring 2024

About the South House Silver Workshop Trust

The South House Silver Workshop Trust [Reg Charity No 1151646] was set up in 2013 by master silversmith Rod Kelly (MA RCA). The main focus of the Charity’s artistic and creative activity is to provide intensive training to emerging and established makers in uniquely placed and fully equipped workshops in Shetland. The Charity’s objects are exclusively charitable according to the laws of England and Wales. In particular, the provision of vocational training in the fine and applied arts and need and assistance in the establishment of such persons as craftsmen.

Contact 

E:  southhouseworkshoptrust@gmail.com

W: facebook.com/silverworkshoptrust

W: rodkellysilver.co.uk, brettpayne.com, christopher-perry.co.uk

Scholarships have been made possible by the generous support of our sponsors

• The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity
• The Clothworkers’ Company
• The Radcliffe Trust
• The South House Silver Workshop Trust
• The South Square Trust
• The Saunders Family
• Argex Ltd
• And other donors who prefer to remain anonymous