In this four-day jewellery workshop, contemporary jeweller Sultana Shamshi invites participants to explore bold design ideas through the creative use of natural and found materials.

The workshop begins with a collecting walk around York and along the Avon River, where participants gather small objects, textures and fragments from the landscape. Seeds, fibres, pods and unexpected materials become the starting point for a series of experimental jewellery explorations.

Back in the studio, Sultana guides participants through a process of sampling and experimentation using contemporary jewellery techniques. Participants will explore how found materials can be combined with stitch, resin, metal, textile scraps and mixed media to create distinctive wearable pieces.

Over the four days, ideas are developed, tested and refined as participants move from experimental samples to resolved jewellery designs. Finished works may include earrings, pendants, brooches or bracelets, with each participant developing pieces that reflect their own creative direction and response to the materials they have gathered.