An open call for Birmingham Jewellery Biennial
A newly elected jury will curate a flagship exhibition placing Britain’s contemporary jewellery talent centre stage at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in May 2027
By Rachael Taylor
The inaugural Birmingham Jewellery Biennial has revealed plans for its flagship exhibition, which will bring contemporary jewellery by artists from across the UK to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in May 2027.
An open call will launch in August, inviting jewellery artists to submit work for the exhibition and compete for thousands of pounds in prize money. The successful pieces will be displayed alongside work by leading contemporary jewellers within one of the country’s most important museum settings.
The inaugural Birmingham Jewellery Biennial will run from May 1st to 31st, 2027. Details of the open call will be released in August through the Birmingham Jewellery Biennial website.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. (Image: Birmingham Museums)
Meet the jury
I am delighted to share that I will be part of the Birmingham Jewellery Biennial jury selecting artists for the exhibition and awarding the prizes. As someone who has long championed British jewellery talent, it is a genuine honour to be involved in an event designed to give contemporary makers such a prominent platform.
The Birmingham Jewellery Biennial jury brings together expertise spanning jewellery, watches, craft, design, education, retail and curation. Its members are:
Alistair Audsley, co-founder and chief executive of the Alliance of British Watch & Clock Makers
Melanie Eddy, sculptural jeweller and lecturer at Birmingham City University’s School of Jewellery
Rajesh Gogna, precious metalwork artist and chairman of the Association of Contemporary British Silversmiths
Joanna Hardy, gemmologist and fine jewellery specialist
Mimi Hoppen, global director of jewellery and watches at Dover Street Market International
Manish Jogia, managing director of MJ Group Holdings
Lee Lapthorne, artist and director of creative partnerships at Birmingham City University
Hannah Martin, jewellery designer, consultant and jeweller
Naomi Newton-Sherlock, creative director at Weston Beamor
Muriel Piaser, creative consultant and founder of Precious Room
Rachael Taylor, jewellery and watch journalist, author and editor
The jury will act as the open call’s formal decision-making body, working with newly appointed Birmingham Jewellery Biennial exhibition curator Sophie Morris as the show develops. The jury will also be supported in a non-voting capacity by National Association of Jewellers chief executive Ben Massey, Birmingham Museums Trust curator of decorative art Rebecca Unsworth, Jewellery Quarter Development Trust chair Matthew Bott, and Birmingham Jewellery Biennial festival director and city curator Alex Nicholson-Evans.
The judging panel for the Birmingham Jewellery Biennial.
A dream project
“This is a dream project for any curator, and Birmingham is the perfect place to tell the story of why jewellery craft matters,” said Birmingham Jewellery Biennial exhibition curator Sophie Morris, a curator and object historian specialising in jewellery who has joined the project from the Victoria and Albert Museum, where she was a curator of the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection.
“Working with an outstanding panel of jewellery experts, the exhibition will celebrate the extraordinary skill and creativity that goes into jewellery-making in the UK today,” continued Morris, who started her career in Birmingham at the city’s Barber Institute of Fine Arts.
“It will put that work in dialogue with BMAG’s world-class collections, Birmingham’s thriving communities and globally renowned jewellery artists. For visitors, it will be a chance to see breathtaking jewellery up close, and to get to know artists and stories that keep the craft alive today.”
The city’s Jewellery Quarter is home to many manufacturers, brands and retailers. (Image: Weston Beamor)
Jewellery heritage is woven into Birmingham's history
The Birmingham Jewellery Biennial was announced following Birmingham’s recognition as a World Craft City for Jewellery and Allied Trades by the World Crafts Council in 2025. Co-founded by Jewellery Quarter Development Trust and Birmingham City University, the month-long festival will explore the art, innovation and heritage of jewellery through events staged across the Jewellery Quarter and wider city.
Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, the co-CEOs of Birmingham Museums Trust, released a joint statement about the event that read: "We are incredibly proud that Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery will be the flagship exhibition venue for the Birmingham Jewellery Biennial 2027.
“The city's jewellery heritage is woven into Birmingham's history, but the biennial is also about looking forward – championing the artists and makers who are shaping the future of contemporary jewellery. We look forward to welcoming visitors from across the UK and internationally to celebrate Birmingham as a city where exceptional craft, heritage and contemporary ideas come together."
Birmingham has a long history of manufacturing jewellery. (Image: Hockley Mint)
The Birmingham Jewellery Biennial will run from May 1st to 31st, 2027
Main image: A view of Birmingham. (Image: Georgi Kyurpanov/Unsplash)
