4 April 2013
Golden fundraising idea has ring of success for jewellers
A group of aspiring Dundee-based jewellers will take part in the UK's largest jewellery trade show later this year following a month-long fundraising campaign saw them smash their target by almost 20 per cent.
The nine designers, based at the award-winning Vanilla Ink Studios, will exhibit at International Jewellery London this September after raising £8,115 through the Kickstarter.com website - far exceeding the initial target of £6,800 that was needed to pay for their space at the prestigious event.
Kickstarter is a crowd-funding platform where those who make a pledge are offered something in return for their support. Vanilla Ink put together an innovative range of handcrafted goods, including one-off and bespoke jewellery pieces for those who made pledges ranging from £1 to £700.
By the time the campaign came to an end, 242 pledges had been received from individuals, business, and other organisations. Vanilla Ink founder Kate Pickering, a graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (DJCAD), thanked all those who contributed to the campaign and said she was looking forward to representing Dundee at the event.
"We were so humbled by the amount of support that was given. We didn't expect to smash the target with a week to spare and the backers still kept rolling in," she said. "The local support has been amazing but we knew it would be as Dundee is such a supportive community for creative industries.
"We put together an innovative package of rewards for pledgers, including Vanilla Ink-branded goods like key rings, tote bags, our famous aprons, unique pieces of jewellery and one-to-one jewellery making classes. To keep up the momentum and show our gratitude we added some exclusive rewards of some beautifully crafted jewellery made in the Dundee studio at a fraction of the retail price.
"We also had a lot of support from companies that have been backing us from the start as well as jewellery companies, and we really want to thank every single person and company that helped us. The £1,315 that we made over and above our target will be spent on things like display and marketing to really make the most of this opportunity.
"We are really keen to represent Dundee and show London what we are made of. We have created a real buzz with the campaign, and people down in London are starting to take notice of what we are doing."
Kate founded Vanilla Ink at WASPS, the unique creative hub supporting craft, innovation and collaboration in the industrial quarter of Dundee, in July 2012. Since then it has played host to an exciting and diverse range of jewellers and jewellery. Resources are extended to open up craft to the wider audience by hosting a varied programme of jewellery classes for all levels.
The nine jewellery designers who will be travelling to London are all self-employed and based within the Vanilla Ink Studios. Six are graduates of DJCAD
The Studios serve as a business incubator for start-up jewellers and have won awards for their innovative approach to supporting talented individuals looking to make their mark in the creative industries. Many of the jewellers, who faced stiff competition to earn a place at Vanilla Ink for one year following graduation, have themselves won awards for design and craft.
Having received funding from organisations promoting entrepreneurship, Kate hopes to continue to grow Vanilla Ink. A new crop of eight Vanilla Inkers will be welcomed into the Studios in October 2013, and she hopes one day to establish a Vanilla Ink in every major city.
International Jewellery London takes place at Earls Court from 1st-4th September.
More information about Vanilla Ink is available at http://vanillainkstudios.co.uk
Meanwhile, the current Fourth Year Jewellery & Metal Design have also launched a Kickstarter appeal to enable them to showcase their work to leading industry professionals. The class is seeking to raise £2,500 to enable them to travel to this year's New Designers exhibition in London.
To find out more about the campaign, please visit www.kickstarter.com/projects/jamd13/spread-the-dundee-jamd/posts.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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