Introducing the MasterPeaceAcademy

23 Nov 2020

Image: Norma with tutors, L-R: Tony Brown, setter; Kyalo Kiilu, gemmologist; Paul Spurgeon, jeweller; Walter Fletcher, polisher; Omujwok Okwa, Black Heritage jeweller and Horace French, goldsmith/wax carver. Not in picture: Marcus Osborne, wax carver.

Supported by the NAJ and part- funded by The Benevolent Society, The Goldsmiths’ Company and Beaverbrooks, MasterPeaceAcademy is the brainchild of jewellery designer Norma Jean Banton.

Three atrocities that took place in America this year rightly prompted a global wave of condemnation… as well as soul-searching. In February this year an unarmed black man, Ahmaud Arbery, was murdered by white vigilante police officers while jogging. Less than two weeks later another unarmed black man, George Floyd, was murdered in broad daylight when a white officer knelt on his neck. Shortly after this an unarmed black woman – Breonna Taylor – was murdered by white police officers while she slept.

“Those events rightly caused organisations around the world to look within themselves and within their industries, with regards to diversity,” says NAJ president David Doyle.

“From the outset the NAJ was determined to work with its trade partners to eradicate any form of racism, and all other forms of discrimination, from within our industry. The horrific turn of events has rightly reinforced the urgent need for the jewellery trade – and others – to take a long hard look at itself and to ensure that we offer a truly multicultural environment for all to thrive and where success is achieved by a person’s efforts and no-one is held back by their race or creed, or by any other form of discrimination.”

“These murders were just the tip of the iceberg following centuries of racial injustice and genocide of African people and their descendants,” adds UK jewellery designer Norma Jean Banton.

“I carried out some social research and found that nine out of 10 black people experienced racism in the UK jewellery trade and nine out of 10 experienced racism while training.

This June Norma established the ‘Black Jewellery Quarter Guild’ “to support local black jewellers and with a mission to celebrate, promote and pass on the legacy of African Caribbean culture in the British Trade”. In the interest of passing on that legacy the vision for MasterPeaceAcademy was born.

The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity is delighted to be able to support the MasterPeaceAcademy project in partnership with the Benevolent Society. Increasing diversity in the sector has to be a goal for all those working in the industry and the Academy is piloting a new approach to working with hard to reach communities. We are looking forward to seeing the outcomes of the pilot and how this develops in the future.

Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company, Richard Fox

Starting in January 2021 and over the course of a year, 24 students with a keen interest in jewellery making will join the programme to learn the key manufacturing skills from local crafts people… and be inspired.

“The jewellery trade has made huge strides forward in terms of gender in the workplace over the recent past, and is equally committed to ensuring that we follow through on the issue of diversity too,” David continues.

“So the NAJ was intrigued to hear of a project that was being discussed and scoped out in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter by Norma.

“Following ongoing conversations on diversity that we were having with the Goldsmiths’ Company, we were very excited to learn about it. It is certainly important for the NAJ to get involved with a sustainable way of delivering more opportunities to black and ethnic minority communities, so that they can learn about the trade. It needed to be in an environment that younger black people will feel comfortable in, and it had to be something that will deliver lifelong skills that will enable them to advance in their careers in the trade, if that is what they want.”

“Our mandate is to create the UK’s first permanent, culturally relevant jewellery academy in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter in partnership with industry leaders, to raise up the next generation of master jewellers in a safe, supportive environment,”

Norma explains. “We aim to foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone can thrive and we welcome applications from all people, aged 19 or over, of low-income backgrounds, for whom the high cost of training and tools might be a barrier to entry.” “The NAJ cannot re-write history but we can certainly influence the here and now, and also set the path for the future by engaging with projects such as this,” adds David.

“With this in mind the NAJ sought the support of the Goldsmiths’ Company, having already been approached by Beaverbrooks Charitable Trust about working on this project. We’re delighted to say that both organisations were keen to get involved and both have supported this pilot project financially from the outset.”

Beaverbrooks is delighted to support the MasterPeaceAcademy and increase diversity, equality and inclusion within the industry. We’re proud to be a part of such a fantastic project which is making positive changes in the trade.

Anna Blackburn, Managing Director, Beaverbrooks

“This is a Unity project and our major theme is ‘UBUNTU’, a South African word meaning ‘I am because you are’ and ‘Unity, Harmony and Peace’,” explains Norma.

“We hope that this project will be a testament to how people from different backgrounds can harmoniously work together for the greater good and to make the British jewellery industry relevant and accessible to all.”  

Norma is no stranger to the concept of making a difference. In 2011 she founded ‘Treasured Foundation’, a registered charity with a mission to “make jewellery change lives” and in partnership with local charities she has worked to establish jewellery projects for marginalised people in Haiti, India, Nigeria and Grenada in the Caribbean. She was born in Handsworth in Birmingham and having started out as a fashion model she later gained a degree in business and retrained as a lecturer in that subject. She taught Business English to company directors in Stuttgart, Germany before returning to the UK to teach business at a local sixth form college. In 2002 she founded The Silver Fish Jewellery Company, based on Vyse Street in the Jewellery Quarter.

“I am so grateful to all members of the Black Jewellery Quarter Guild – especially our tutors for their unwavering commitment to this project,” says Norma. “And we are very grateful to David Doyle of the NAJ for truly embracing this vision, along with the Goldsmiths’ Company and Beaverbrooks.”  

If we can equip these young people with the skills now to enable them to then go on and seek employment in our trade, we will have achieved a win-win situation for both them and the jewellery industry. This Project enables them to learn new skills in a culturally relevant environment, which is an added bonus, and we all understand that learning in an environment that you feel comfortable in can only be a good thing.

Gary Wroe, NAJ chair

“The NAJ believes that the MasterPeaceAcademy project can help to start to make the changes needed in our industry and can be a significant driver in the ongoing process of long-term change,” David emphasises.

“The Association represents around 2,000 companies and 26,000 individuals and short-termism is not appropriate on important issues like this. We wish to see change – radical change – in this area and have done so for quite some time. Now the industry is focused on this, we see it as incredibly positive and we will do what needs to be done to address this issue for the long term. We need to research and educate ourselves, and then with our network and trade partners we can start the process of effective and real and lasting change, where required, for the good of all. The Academy will start that ball rolling."

 

Source: The Jeweller