Meet Foundation Programme alumna Nadia Malik Khan
Nadia Malik Khan is a Foundation Programme student at the Goldsmiths' Centre. Her educational background and experience led her to the Goldsmiths' Centre to become a jeweller. A few months after the course had started, Nadia discovered all of the other specialties that she could choose from, apart from jewellery making and now enjoys a variety of different modules. She says: 'The Foundation Programme really helped me because there are more topics for you to do and there are more chances of me enjoying it rather than getting bored of the same topic'.
The first question is why did you choose the Goldsmiths’ Centre?
I chose the Goldsmiths’ Centre because first of all I read about it online. When I was online they had information about the Foundation course and the Apprenticeship course, and also the contact details of the Goldsmiths’ Centre. So the first thing I did was to get in touch with Goldsmiths’ to find out what the Foundation course and the Apprenticeship course was, and how I can get into the course. I think it‘s a really good place to study jewellery, engraving, silversmithing and anything like that because I enjoy those subjects and it’s a really good place to study if you know what you are doing.
What is the best part about studying here or what’s the most exciting thing that you’ve learnt so far?
The best part is that you don’t do only one subject, you don’t just stick to jewellery because we come here five days a week. So the first lesson we will do is jewellery, the whole day and then we will do silversmithing, design, engraving, chasing so it gives us the chance to learn different subjects and different skills that we have not learnt before.
That is a really good thing for me because at first I wanted to do jewellery, but then 3 months into this course my option has changed. I wanted to do jewellery, but now I also want to do engraving and design and these are the things I really like and enjoy. So this course is really good because it gives you time and choice to decide to what you want to do for the future.
Have you made your first piece yet and if yes what was it?
The first thing that we made in jewellery was a square pendant. I made a silver pendant and in silversmithing we started using brass and silver to make a spoon. For design, there is a competition where you get to design a medal and I‘ve done that in design. In chasing we will be using brass to design and turn over and repeat the same design again. We‘ve done some pieces and some of them are finished and some of them are not. It’s really fun to do different things.
I think you mentioned three specialties jewellery, engraving and design, but I don’t know if you have decided yet which you prefer?
These are the three I like at the moment, but I am not sure which one I should do as an apprenticeship for next year. That’s the one thing I like about this course, the fact that you have time to think about what you want to do. First I liked jewellery but then my mind changed as I was doing certain things at certain times so I changed my mind.
Is there a designer at the Centre you admire?
I like Jenny who is our design teacher. I really like the way she teaches design, shading and painting because she did design. I loved her design because I did art a year ago and that was me wanting to design as well. I also like Kevin our jewellery teacher. He is a really good teacher in doing different jewellery pieces. At first I thought I can’t do this, but once you start doing this, you get to learn something. And also Wayne our engraving teacher when he does things he does it so quickly and nicely, but when we do it we can’t do this, but then we learn and those are the three teachers that I really enjoy.
The final question is whether you think that the Foundation Programme helped you grow as a person as well?
I think it has because when you are in second school or college there are academic subjects. I am not really an academic person. I am a creative person. I like to do art and different things. I don’t want to stick to the same subject.
Whereas the Foundation Programme really helped me because there are more topics for you to do and there are more chances of me enjoying it rather than getting bored of the same topic - doing it again and again.
So that’s what I like because it gives you time to think what you want to do in the future. Do I really want to do jewellery, engraving, silversmithing? I think this course will help people who are interested in doing jewellery, silversmithing, engraving, or enjoy art and can do design. I think it will help them really well if they come to this course.