FORGE and Cooksongold Join Forces to Support The Next Generation of Jewellers
23 Oct 2026
London’s award-winning creative jewellery hub FORGE has joined forces with leading jewellery-making supplier Cooksongold to launch the FORGE x Cooksongold Graduate Residency 2027–2028, a new initiative supporting emerging jewellers as they make the transition from education into independent professional practice.
The collaboration will provide one recent graduate or equivalent early-career jeweller with a fully sponsored part-time bench membership at FORGE for 12 months, giving them access to a professional jewellery workshop in the heart of Hatton Garden one day each week.
Cooksongold will sponsor the bench membership, valued at £1,000 plus VAT, and provide a £125 Bench Essentials tool kit and 100g of sterling silver, valued at £200, towards the creation of a new collection.
The successful applicant will also benefit from professional photography of their completed collection, arranged by Cooksongold, together with opportunities to access specialist knowledge and advice where appropriate.
Throughout the residency, the selected maker will become part of the FORGE community, with opportunities to attend Private Views, industry talks, LINK-UP networking evenings and FORGE’s annual Meet the Experts event.
The residency has been designed to address some of the practical challenges that emerging jewellery designers face after completing their education, when access to affordable workshop facilities, materials and professional connections can be difficult to establish.
Rather than following a prescribed programme, the resident will be encouraged to develop their own creative direction, experiment with techniques and processes, and work towards producing a new collection or significant body of work.
The experience will be documented throughout the year, sharing an insight into the development of a jewellery collection, from initial ideas and experimentation through to the finished pieces.
The residency will begin on 18 January 2027, with the resulting collection exhibited at FORGE in February 2028, coinciding with the creative hub’s fifth birthday celebrations.
Supporting emerging talent
Amanda Mansell, Founder & Director of FORGE, says,
“One of the biggest challenges for jewellery graduates is what happens after education. They leave with skills, ideas and ambition, but often lose access to the workshops, equipment and support networks that have been so important to their development.
FORGE was established in part to help bridge that gap, and I’m delighted that we’re working with Cooksongold to create a meaningful opportunity for an emerging jeweller.
What makes this residency particularly valuable is the combination of practical support and access to a professional community. Having somewhere to work is important, but so are the people you meet, the conversations you have and the opportunities that come from being part of the industry.
I’m especially looking forward to seeing how the successful resident develops over the year and to presenting their collection as part of FORGE’s fifth birthday celebrations.”
Sian Brown, Brand and Commercial Partnership Manager of Cooksongold, says,
“Creativity needs more than a good idea. It needs tools, materials, space to experiment and the opportunity to turn ideas into something real.
Having been a jewellery designer-maker for over 20 years, I know how exciting, and challenging, it can be to find your feet in this industry. We have so much talent coming through, but that talent needs the right opportunities to flourish.
That's what makes this partnership between Cooksongold and FORGE so exciting. Working with Amanda Mansell to bring this residency to life is about more than supplying tools and silver; it's about opening doors, making connections and giving an emerging maker the space to push boundaries, develop their own voice and create something that's truly theirs.
I want to see what happens when we give the next generation the tools, materials and support to make their ideas a reality. That's how we keep our industry moving forward, and I can't wait to see what they create.”
Applications and eligibility
The residency is open to UK-based jewellery graduates and emerging makers who completed their education or equivalent structured training during the 2023/24 academic year or later.
Applicants from university jewellery courses, recognised vocational programmes, apprenticeships and comparable training routes are welcome.
Applicants should possess sufficient technical skills to work independently within a professional shared workshop.
The application will require a portfolio of recent work, a personal statement, an outline development and financial plan, and initial ideas or designs for the collection they would like to develop during the residency.
Applicants will be assessed on the quality and potential of their work, their creative ambitions, their commitment to the opportunity and the proposed direction of their new collection.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview and will be asked to bring examples of their work. The final selection will be made by a panel including:
- Amanda Mansell: FORGE, Director
- Sian Brown: Cooksongold, Commercial Partnership Manager
- Jessica Jue: Accomplished silversmith & jeweller
- Makila Nsika, FORGE Part-time member (MA Central Saint Martin’s 2024 graduate, and first time Goldsmiths Fair exhibitor in 2026)
Applications close at 23:59 on Sunday 1 November 2026.
Apply now
View Cooksongold
Source: Cooksongold