Royal College of Art MA
Donation protected
As an artist working in the field of jewellery and metal, it was a long-term dream to study at the Royal College of Art in London. I was awarded a place in 2016 but had to defer for a year as the result of a serious accident. I subsequently commenced my studies in October, 2017.
My burning ambition is to become an accomplished master goldsmith and practising artist jeweller. It is important that my work not only be of the highest technical quality, but that it engage with a wider public. For example, I was privileged to collaborate with the internationally-renowned artist Ruth Ewan in creating a series of charms attached to a bracelet. The piece represented a timeline of the history, collection, library and archive of the Glasgow Women’s Library. I have also been invited to run a workshop this September at the Glasgow women’s library.
I would also like to create pieces that address urgent socio-political issues. For example the ‘Precious Tears’ series which is an ongoing body of research around the subject of tears. This was also part of an exhibition which aimed to challenge the pervasive stereotype that within masculinity, to be vulnerable is to be weak. Both literally and symbolically, the sacred teardrop is celebrated in this work and explores it’s uncomfortable relationship with traditional ideas of what it is to be human.
A third goal is to work with people who have experienced trauma, allowing them to express their emotions through applied art as part of the healing process.
Although advancing one’s skills is a life-long process, completing the Masters of Art at the RCA is critical to achieving my goals. Their program offers the highest level of teaching in my field. In Year One of the two-year program, I have had access to first-class facilities and expert teaching. I have also undertaken projects with classmates and discussed future collaboration.
However, my future studies at the RCA are compromised by a lack of funding. I managed to finance the first year through a combination of a government loan covering half of the fees and a bank loan taken out by my mother. The fees for the coming academic year are due and I am unable to meet my obligation without additional support.
The government loan will pay for £5,000, leaving a short-fall of £4,500 in school fees. In addition, I will incur an estimated £5,000 in related costs, e.g. materials, specialist machinery tools not available at the RCA, book purchases, exhibition entry fees, travel expenses and staging my degree show.
I live as frugally as possible, residing in either my mother’s council home in southeast London or with a friend’s family. My parents have been staunchly supportive of my aspirations. However, they are in no position to offer financial aid.
So I’m doing everything possible to raise money to complete my MA at the RCA.
Any donation would be hugely appreciated.
I will be entering all the names of those who give a donation into a prize draw for the opportunity to win a piece of my degree show.
Yours Faithfully
Joy BC
My burning ambition is to become an accomplished master goldsmith and practising artist jeweller. It is important that my work not only be of the highest technical quality, but that it engage with a wider public. For example, I was privileged to collaborate with the internationally-renowned artist Ruth Ewan in creating a series of charms attached to a bracelet. The piece represented a timeline of the history, collection, library and archive of the Glasgow Women’s Library. I have also been invited to run a workshop this September at the Glasgow women’s library.
I would also like to create pieces that address urgent socio-political issues. For example the ‘Precious Tears’ series which is an ongoing body of research around the subject of tears. This was also part of an exhibition which aimed to challenge the pervasive stereotype that within masculinity, to be vulnerable is to be weak. Both literally and symbolically, the sacred teardrop is celebrated in this work and explores it’s uncomfortable relationship with traditional ideas of what it is to be human.
A third goal is to work with people who have experienced trauma, allowing them to express their emotions through applied art as part of the healing process.
Although advancing one’s skills is a life-long process, completing the Masters of Art at the RCA is critical to achieving my goals. Their program offers the highest level of teaching in my field. In Year One of the two-year program, I have had access to first-class facilities and expert teaching. I have also undertaken projects with classmates and discussed future collaboration.
However, my future studies at the RCA are compromised by a lack of funding. I managed to finance the first year through a combination of a government loan covering half of the fees and a bank loan taken out by my mother. The fees for the coming academic year are due and I am unable to meet my obligation without additional support.
The government loan will pay for £5,000, leaving a short-fall of £4,500 in school fees. In addition, I will incur an estimated £5,000 in related costs, e.g. materials, specialist machinery tools not available at the RCA, book purchases, exhibition entry fees, travel expenses and staging my degree show.
I live as frugally as possible, residing in either my mother’s council home in southeast London or with a friend’s family. My parents have been staunchly supportive of my aspirations. However, they are in no position to offer financial aid.
So I’m doing everything possible to raise money to complete my MA at the RCA.
Any donation would be hugely appreciated.
I will be entering all the names of those who give a donation into a prize draw for the opportunity to win a piece of my degree show.
Yours Faithfully
Joy BC
Organizer
Joy Bonfield Colombara
Organizer
