Your Impact Story: Jo Thorpe steps outside of her jewellery business Thorpe & Brown to focus on creative growth

For Jo and many other makers in her position, however, the day-to-day demands of maintaining an ever-growing business, which whilst rewarding, can place limitations on freedom and creativity. There simply may be too little time or energy remaining to develop or learn new skills, without financial or practical ramifications for the business. The Goldsmiths’ Centre’s Career Catalyst Grants, now known as Business Catalyst (Large) Grants, were born in part from recognition of this predicament. 

By providing up to £7,000 to makers with over five years’ experience, the Business Catalyst (Large) Grants enable established jewellers, silversmiths, and craftspeople to take a dedicated period out of their daily routine to focus on creative development. This may take the form of technical or business skills training, internships with Masters in their field, international travel to research and develop a range of work, or general artistic experimentation. In return, Grant recipients contribute to the Goldsmiths' Centre’s public programme by teaching on short courses, speaking as part of the charity’s talks programming or mentoring emerging makers.

For Jo, the Business Catalyst (Large) Grant awarded in 2022 offered the chance to temporarily shift focus from developing the business to developing her own skills as a maker; “I'm very proud of what I have created with Thorpe & Brown, but felt the missing link was my own creative development. I was looking for an opportunity to step outside of the business. I’m ten years in, and it’s a never-ending beast - I’m never able to take time out to explore something different or concentrate on my own work.”

This personal development took the form of 21 hours of training with expert craftspeople in laser welding, stone-setting, computer aided design (CAD) and wax carving; all specialisms that Jo says Thorpe & Brown had previously been relying on outside craftspeople to provide.

“We were quite reliant on outside sources, and this was part of the reason for applying for the Grant. We already knew that outsourcing was something we wanted to step away from, but it was difficult to then take the time out to learn new skills or invest the money in learning.”

Jo will be applying her freshly acquired skills to the creation of a collection of engagement and wedding rings. Having worked predominantly on client-led commissions over the past decade, producing pieces based entirely on her own designs is a welcome change, an opportunity for Jo to express herself creatively and explore her own style as a maker, and it’s precisely this kind of personal and professional development that the Goldsmiths’ Centre strives to facilitate through the Grant.

"The majority of what we do at Thorpe & Brown is commissions. Whilst I do like what I make, it's tailored to each individual person, it’s very bespoke and personal. I don't take over a design or insist that they all follow a theme as such, so all the pieces are all very, very different. That can cause a bit of a disconnect between me as a designer and the work, because it's more about the customer than it is me."

"That can cause a bit of a disconnect between me as a designer and the work, because it's more about the customer than it is me. I think that’s right - it’s what the customers come to me for, the pieces are for them, not me, but I do think it would be nice to have my own core range that I’ve built up, that reflects more of what I’d like to express and show. It’s nice to be able to think about what I’d like to make and what I’d like to showcase for a change."

Jo concedes that the transition has not been without its challenges, however - though it’s through overcoming these challenges that real growth can take place.

“It’s not as easy as I thought it would be, as I’ve been facing some difficulty separating the commercial aspect of the work from the creative, design side; what is appealing to me versus what’s appealing commercially. I’m used to being quite strict with myself and being very practical in my approach - making sure pieces are durable and safe and that they will stand the test of time, because I want to make sure my customer is happy. The trickiest part is being more confident and free flowing, but it’s nice to be challenged as otherwise I would still be stuck in my comfort zone, and I work best when I’m under pressure.”

Ultimately, the support and training made accessible through the Grant will not only impact Jo on a creative and personal level but will also have a real impact on the business she has so painstakingly built. Services that were previously outsourced will be performed in-house, both by Jo and by colleagues she has shared her new skillset with, and Jo’s refinement of her own making style will shape the pieces that Thorpe & Brown produces going forwards. Clients will have the opportunity to browse Jo’s collection of engagement and wedding rings online or through physical samples in the shop, and either purchase them outright or make adjustments, striking a balance between Jo’s vision and theirs.