A mature student from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has gone from strength to strength after deciding to go back to study and pursue a new-found passion for silversmithing.
Emma-Jane Rule, who is about to graduate with First Class honours from the Design Crafts course at DMU and who also completed a foundation degree in Art and Design, has recently swept up a host of commendations as she prepares to embark upon a brand new career.
Amongst the awards she has received is the Contemporary British Silversmiths Design in Silver Award and she was also one of just seven students talent spotted by The Goldsmiths Company who will receive support and training to help them further their careers.
She was also awarded the £400 Goldsmith's Silver Bullion Award to create her final project for her 2nd year collection, and then the £500 Goldsmith's Bullion Bursary for her 1st project in her 3rd year.
“As one of the seven I’ve got professional silversmiths I can go to for help with silver if there’s anything I need and there’s also £1000 worth of training with a master silversmith so it’s two really useful prizes.”
Emma-Jane’s work focuses on a technique called fold-forming which involves folding, forging, heating and then unfolding the metal to achieve the desired shape.
Her bursaries were immediately put to use as Emma-Jane used the combined £900 to buy Britannia silver and then created two collections which she displayed at New Designers, where every year thousands of talented graduates from Britain’s leading design courses exhibit everything from textiles to furniture – and of course, silver.
It was the New Designers exhibition that got mature student Emma-Jane into silver after she decided on a change of career.
“I took redundancy from my old job,” she added. “I went to New Designers just off the cuff about six or seven years ago and I was completely blown away by the work I saw so I decided to go to university and have a go myself.
“I chose DMU because there was a glass workshop. I’d always loved glasswork and I thought that was what I would end up doing.
“Then during the foundation year I was introduced to metal works and fold-forming. I’ve never looked back and it’s been the only thing I’ve been interested in since.”
As a mature student who took her time to find the right path for herself, Emma-Jane is now determined to make a go of being a success as a fully-trained silversmith.
She added: “Firstly, I have to praise the foundation degree because that’s where I first got into working with metals.
“I came to DMU with a fixed plan of where I wanted to go, to ultimately be self-employed. I’m now planning to sell my house and move back to Cornwall where I’m from and set up as a self-employed silversmith.”
Emma-Jane also believes she benefited from some of the employability schemes at DMU which help make students stand out to employers in competitive industries. During her time at DMU she participated in both the Frontrunners and Graduate Champions schemes.
“The schemes are absolutely brilliant really, they introduced me to new skills I wouldn’t necessarily have used in my own work, and they were paid as well which is just amazing for a student.
“It’s been really hard work and a massive learning curve. But all in all it’s been an excellent experience and it has been very worthwhile.”
Next up for the increasingly impressive Emma-Jane is a trip to Manchester where she has been offered a stand at the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in October. This will mark another milestone for her budding career as it will provide her with her first experience of selling her products to members of the public.
Posted on Thursday 9 July 2015