UPSKILL workshops
To address this issue, M101 piloted a UPSKILL workshop in Wellington for 5 HandShake alumni artists. This practical Upskill Workshop /masterclass has been tailored to meet the increasing demand for opportunities to bridge the prevalent skills gap and elevate participants’ technical proficiency, competency, and overall abilities.
Following the success of the pilot workshop, three new UPSKILL workshop programmes are being offered in 2025 (TBC). Two will be hosted in Wellington and will consist of (2x) practical workshops spread over 2025, combined with online and hands-on learning, as well as theory and culture lectures by Andrea Daly and Neke Moa. The other will be in Nelson (April) as part of the Nelson Jewellery Week masterclass programme, and will include online coaching support after the 2-day Nelson workshop finishes.
These UPSKILL workshops offer a tailored blend of theoretical insights, technical expertise, and practical experience, all personalised to align with each participant’s unique artistic vision. The Wellington group will be limited to (2x) five participants, while the Nelson workshop will accommodate eight participants. These workshops aim to enhance participants’ conceptual, technical, and theoretical skills, enabling them to succeed in their chosen artistic pursuits.
The success of these mentorship workshops depends on maintaining small group sizes, providing personalised and impactful exercises with feedback, offering mentorship, lectures, discussion topics, enthusiastic willing participants, and strong group support.
These sessions are exclusively tailored to practising jewellery artists who are actively involved in their craft.
Notes from Peter Deckers (workshop coordinator and tutor):
Jewellery making has been my passion and practice since 1975. The journey began with technical education at MTS Vakschool in the Netherlands, followed by fine art studies at Elam, Auckland. The experience includes apprenticeships in a Nepali street workshop, a Dutch repair workshop, a high-street jeweller and in an artist gallery-studio, and over 40 years in my own home studio.
In addition to being a self-employed/freelance jewellery artist, tutoring for over 30 years has been my other passion, sharing my skills to students. Reaching the desired skill level in students has often been challenging due to time constraints and the pressure of comprehensive curricula, not only at Whitireia but also at other art schools in New Zealand. Basic knowledge and skills have become common challenges for graduates. The UPSKILL workshop aims to accelerate rapid learning to address these gaps.
Guiding the younger generation in honing their technical skills and sharing extensive knowledge is a real privilege. The successful 2024 UPSKILL pilot programme, which blended online and in-person teaching, has inspired further enhancement of these type of workshops. Customised exercises will accommodate various skill levels and interests, providing alternative educational pathways for emerging learners. While YouTube can introduce techniques, true learning comes from hands-on practice combined with insightful feedback.
OPEN CALL
This UPSKILL workshop is specifically designed for up-and-coming jewellers who want to advance their craft. The workshop will include a series of online sessions and two hands-on workshop days at Te Pukenga NMIT Polytechnic during Nelson Jewellery Week.
APPLICATION: The NJW 2025 programme, launched on November 21, will include details on how to express your interest. To apply, submit a brief PDF portfolio along with an artist statement. Tutor and mentor Peter Deckers will select eight participants for the workshop, which will run from February to August 2025. The sessions will be tailored to each participant’s skill level and experience, providing direct feedback during the workshop days, as well as through Zoom calls and email. Additionally, zoom lectures will cover contextual, conceptual, technical, and presentation theories.
Course Description:
Each participant sets their home learning objectives and technical goals. The tutor designs a personalised programme to support these objectives and goals within the workshop duration, which includes assignments for additional practice in participants’ home workshops. Between February to July, monthly group and individual coaching sessions will be conducted via Zoom. The sessions will include lectures on current practices, featuring Peter Deckers’ practice, with discussions about current issues and challenges.
UPSKILL workshop schedule Nelson (Feb – June 2025):
Practical and Theory workshop components:
- Session 1 (Feb): Those selected are provided with a set of questions that will be discussed online. The tutor set tasks for the Nelson Workshop and the rest of the sessions.
- Session 2 (March): personal session related to the homework tasks that will start in the participant’s home workshop and finish in Nelson at the NMIT workshop in April.
- Session 3 (April, at Te Pukenga NMIT, during NJW): Hands-on workshops and practical/ technical skills demonstrations and continue the technical challenge
- Session 4 (April, at Te Pukenga NMIT, during NJW): Hands-on workshops and practical/ technical skills demonstrations and finish the technical challenge. Discussion of homework tasks.
- Session 5 (May) Online lecture and feedback sessions on home tasks with the group.
- Session 6 (June): Online lectures and feedback
Notes:
– Zoom catch-up/mentoring sessions will be held monthly from March to June.
– Participants are responsible for organising their own transportation and accommodation for the two workshop days in Nelson.
Application:
– A portfolio contains an artist statement (in the first person) of up to 200 words, at least 5 photos of your latest work and a short bio about your study and art practice
Homework Tasks:
– Tailored practical and conceptual assignments will be given to participants to work on in their home workshop and during the two Te Pukenga NMIT workshop days. These assignments should align with their artistic objectives and goals.
Expectations:
– We expect each participant to invest a minimum of 5 hours a week of their time, as well as their own resources, to fully benefit from this workshop.
introduction
WELLINGTON Workshops (online and at Workspace Studios):
Two exclusive, invitation-only hands-on workshop series, featuring online components, will be offered in the first and second half of 2025.
The first workshop session, starting in February 2025, is designed for experienced artisans who, for example, participated in the 2024 Workspace workshop pilot and are eager to bring their creative visions to fruition with mentor support.
The second workshop, starting in May 2025, is tailored for emerging jewellery makers who wish to challenge themselves technically and enhance their conceptual skills.
This workshop is task-based to boost technical competency, alongside contextual and conceptual discussions involving in-depth analysis and dialogue about the broader context and underlying concepts of the participants’ practice and interests.
Before these sessions begin, each participant will answer a series of questions that is tailored to their interests.
Peter Deckers will be inviting active contemporary jewellery artists to participate in one of the two tailored UPSKILL workshops. Each session will accommodate a maximum of five participants, customised to their skill level, time restrain, focus, and experience. These workshops offer direct feedback during the sessions and between them through online calls and email communication. The UPSKILL workshops include lectures and discussions on contextual topics, as well as theory and culture lectures by Andrea Daly and Neke Moa. Peter Deckers will provide professional skill insights, demonstrate effective shortcuts and technical procedures, offer tips to enhance each participant’s technical skills and efficiency, and discuss their contextual and conceptual focus.
Course Description: Each participant sets their own learning objectives and technical goals. The tutor designs a personalised programme to support these within the workshop duration, including assignments for additional practice in participants’ home workshops. The practical workshops at Workspace are spaced out to allow time for practice and homework completion. Home workshop exercises are tailored to each participant’s interests and goals, including quick responses to topics from the theory and history lectures.
Practical sessions will begin in the tutor’s home workshop and continue at Workspace Studios in Wellington, complemented by online lectures, feedback, discussions, and communication exchanges between workshops.
invitational
Practical workshop components:
- Session 1 (1 Feb 1) The group gathers at the tutor’s workshop for introductions, presentation of the homework task related to personal goals, an overview of objectives, demonstrations and discussions on tool use, sector topics, and techniques.
- Session 2 (15 Feb): making of tools/punches, technical challenge, demonstrations. Lecture and hands-on demonstrations will focus on technical skills for each specific technical challenge.
- Session 3 (1 March): technical topic lecture, demos. Feedback on homework tasks, individual work for technical challenges, and receive feedback.
- Session 4 (3 May): technical topic lecture, demos. Feedback on homework tasks, individual work for technical challenges, and receive feedback.
- Session 5 (24 May): technical topic regarding resizing, and repairs (task-based), with demos. Feedback on homework tasks and further feedback on overall practice and personalised consultations to address artistic challenges and opportunities.
- Session 6 series ONLINE Masterclass by Andrea Daly and Neke Moa: 1 May, 15 May, 29 May, 12 June, 26 June, 10 July: tutorial lectures. Task-based quick-fire exercises related to the lecture topics.
Theory component notes:
Scheduled are a series of Zoom group and/or individual coaching sessions.
The six Theory and Culture sessions by Andrea Daly and Neke Moa (session 6) are based on introduced theories and include experimental (quick-fire) exercises.
Homework Tasks: Tailored assignments for participants to practice and apply skills beyond the workshop hours, aligning with their (artistic) objectives and goals. They are also encouraged to contribute and host discussion topics that will happen online and in the workshop.
invitational
- Session 1 series ONLINE Masterclass by Andrea Daly and Neke Moa: 1 May, 15 May, 29 May, 12 June, 26 June, 10 July: tutorial lectures. Task-based quick-fire exercises related to the lecture topics.
- Session 2 (7 June): The group gathers at the tutor’s workshop for introductions, an overview of objectives and goals, and demonstrations of specialised tools and techniques
- Session 3 (14 June): technical topic lecture, demos. Hands-on workshops and demonstrations will focus on technical skills for each specific technical challenge.
- Session 4 (12 July): technical topic lecture, demos. Feedback on homework tasks, individual work for technical challenges, and receive feedback.
- Session 5 (9 Aug): technical topic lecture, demos. Feedback on homework tasks, individual work for technical challenges, and receive feedback.
- Session 6 (6 Sept): technical topic lecture, demos. Feedback on homework tasks, individual work for technical challenges, and receive feedback.
- Session 7 (4 Oct): technical topic regarding resizing, and repairs (task-based), with demos. Feedback on homework tasks and further feedback on overall practice and personalised consultations to address artistic challenges and opportunities.
Theory component notes:
Scheduled are a series of Zoom group and/or individual coaching sessions.
The six Theory and Culture sessions by Andrea Daly and Neke Moa (session 1) are based on introduced theories and include experimental (quick-fire) exercises.
Homework Tasks: Tailored assignments for participants to practice and apply skills beyond the workshop hours, aligning with their (artistic) objectives and goals. They are also encouraged to contribute and host discussion topics that will happen online and in the workshop.
support letters