Creative Talk with Workshop6

This month we talk with Cheryl Sills, a creative and designer with Workshop6, a jewellery design company based in Auckland, New Zealand. Their workshop allows you to book in, use the tools and learn the craft, and they also offer mini half-day group workshops - perfect for a bit of team bonding!

This photo was taken By Frances Carter.

 

 

Cheryl, tell us how Workshop6 came about?

Workshop6 was established in 1993 by a collective of jewellers looking to share their material knowledge, technical skill and studio space.

 

Workshop6 has been around for more than 30 years. What do you think has kept a creative collective alive for that long?

Workshop6 has evolved over the years and is an entity in itself, with some people leaving and some joining. I think this ebb and flow of talented people keeps it relevant and exciting. By teaching, we’ve created a community of makers who come back time and time again, or go out into the world and take their craft further.

 

Was it an organic move to own a workshop collab?

We've always worked with each other and organised as a collective organically, with the understanding that as life changes and evolves, so does the organisation.

 

Four creative people running a business together sounds both brilliant and challenging — how does the collective actually work?

Organically! With good communication, understanding and humour. We have loose roles within the partnership, and are flexible as needed. A weekly meeting helps us stay accountable and in the loop.

 

Did you study design or jewellery design?

I studied art and design, specialising in jewellery and metalwork, so there was both design and hands-on making.

 

You run Workshops for teams; how do these look?

As well as running weekly classes, we teach private group classes which are so much fun. These are usually 3-hour classes that help complete beginners make a simple bespoke silver ring to take home!

 

What’s some of the feedback you get from the workshops?

People are usually amazed at what can be achieved in such a short time.  They are also surprised to see behind the scenes of the actual step-by-step process or how handmade jewellery is made.

 

How do you advertise - are you prolific on social media or has it been word of mouth?

In the past, we have found word of mouth to be the best advertising. In recent years, we have attempted to be more social media savvy. We have a great website and some expert digital assistance to help us reach our audience.

 

Are people becoming more interested in making things with their hands again as our lives become increasingly digital?

I think people are definitely more interested in working with their hands and have seen the benefits of having a creative outlet. The social aspect is also really important.

 

Has technology changed contemporary jewellery, or is this still fundamentally a craft of hands, tools and materials? Do you incorporate 3D printing, etc?

Technology has changed contemporary jewellery in many ways, with different materials and the way that things can be made. Teaching has changed also with people watching online videos, although I think it can’t compete fully with face-to-face learning. There are some jobs for which 3D printing makes sense as a process, but that makes up a very small part of our work.

 

What changes or trends are you seeing within Auckland's creative community right now?

It's great to see Karanga-a-Hape Road thriving as a creative hub. In general, the last few years have been a tough squeeze for the creative community in Tāmaki Makaurau and across the motu. Many valued spaces and organisations have closed due to funding cuts, resulting in the loss of expertise and resources that will reverberate for years to come.  We'd love to see the arts and artists valued as the hard-working, culture-creating community we are.

 

How do you feel New Zealand sits on the international jewellery stage?

Aotearoa jewellery has earned high regard in the international jewellery scene. Contemporary jewellery festivals including Schmuck and Munich Jewellery Week in Germany, and Radiant Pavilion in Melbourne have all featured the work of New Zealand jewellers and collectives. The Handshake Project, run by Makers 101 for over 10 years, fostered emerging and mid-career talent with international art mentors and exhibition opportunities at epic galleries including Galerie Marzee in the Netherlands—one of the principal promoters of Contemporary jewellery worldwide since 1978. Fingers Jewellery in Auckland also has an international collector base, notable as an artist-run collective since 1974.

 

Who is doing work in New Zealand at the moment that you think more people should know about?

Our jewellers at Workshop6! Anna Wallis - founding partner, Cheryl Sills (myself), Mia Straka (Handshake participant), Lucinda Barrett, Elicia Hunt, Amelia Rothwell. You can find amazing contemporary jewellery of an international level at local galleries: Fingers Jewellery, Masterworks Gallery, Public Record, The National (Ōtautahi), Moray Gallery (Dunedin) and other retail spaces around the country. Octavia Cook, Jane Dodd, Areta Wilkinson and Lisa Walker are all Workshop6 alumni doing extraordinary work that continues to evolve and push the boundaries of jewellery, while also being gorgeous wearable artifacts.

 

A lot of creative education has disappeared in New Zealand. What do we risk losing when there are fewer places to learn physical creative skills?

This is hard to answer in a brief sentence. In the words of Professor Peter O’Connor 'The disappearance of physical creative education in New Zealand risks severely damaging the country's economic future, democratic citizenship, and student well-being.'

 

Any last words?

Come and see what we're all about; we have two more terms in our lovely studio on Richmond Road. In April 2027, we'll be moving our operations to a new space in Grey Lynn. Check our website for classes and offerings, and sign up for our newsletter there to be kept in the loop.

 

Website: Workshop6