Shine 2026 applications are now open
The Goldsmith Centre’s free, four-month training programme supports emerging jewellers and silversmiths
By Amy Wakeham
Applications for Shine 2026, the Goldsmiths Centre’s free training programme for jewellers and silversmiths in their first five years of business, are now open.
Since it was founded in 2020, the scheme has supported more than 70 people to develop the essential skills to succeed in the jewellery business. Ten applicants are selected to take part every year after assessment by a panel of internal and external experts, with a focus on the quality, presentation, and narrative of their collections.
The Shine programme is four months long and takes place online, offering live webinars, self-paced modules and practical assignments that help students to articulate their creative vision, capture their collections through photography and video, develop effective online and in-person sales strategies, and confidently price and prepare work for selling events.
Graduates presenting their work at the Shine 2025 exhibition.
Sessions are led by industry experts including Toyin Laketu, fashion business and digital consultant; Shaun Levin, novelist, creative writing lecturer and editor; Alison Skeates, co-founder and director of EC One and pricing and costing expert; and Zoe Cooper, luxury retail sales consultant.
“Shine gives early-career designer-makers the confidence, practical skills, and exposure they need to grow their businesses,” says Charlotte Dew, head of public programmes at the Goldsmiths’ Centre. “Beyond the programme, many alumni continue to develop their careers through retail opportunities, collaborations, and advanced training, making Shine not just a course, but a launchpad for sustained success in the jewellery and silversmithing industry.”
Shine 2026 will culminate in a live exhibition at the Goldsmiths’ Centre in September, giving participants the opportunity to showcase their work in person. They will also have the opportunity to feature their creations in the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s online shop and share self-filmed videos – produced with guidance from the Centre’s team – with its social audience of more than 26,000 followers.
The Shine 2025 graduate exhibition.
Previous graduates have secured prestigious commissions, awards, and continued to retail their collections through opportunities, such as Goldsmiths’ Fair Emerging Business Bursaries, and Goldsmiths’ Centre partnerships with leading retailers such as Dover Street Market, the London Museum Docklands shop, Newby Teas and New Ashgate Gallery.
“Shine is a really nurturing mentoring programme that helped me focus my collection and launch it publicly,” says Heather Blake, a jeweller who was part of the Shine 2025 cohort. “ Before I did the programme, I was struggling with really finding my way. The deadlines and structure have made me more consistent and confident with my work, rather than drifting endlessly between ideas.”
Applications for Shine 2026 close on the 18th of May, 2026, at 5pm. A free online information session with Charlotte Dew, the programme’s lead, will be held on the 23rd of April, 2026, from 1pm-1.30pm, and the 28th of April, 2026, from 6pm to 6.30pm, giving prospective applicants the chance to learn more and ask questions before applying. The Shine 2026 graduating exhibition will take place on the 16th of September, 2026, from 5pm at the Goldsmiths' Centre.
For more information, to book an info session and to apply, visit www.goldsmiths-centre.org/shine
Main image: A Shine 2025 graduate’s work on display. All photos by Julia Skupny for the Goldsmiths’ Centre.