Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School, Florence:
Alchimia is a private professional contemporary jewellery school in Florence, Italy. We offer academic jewellery design courses at BA and specialization levels, and also short-term programs from 2 weeks to 3 months in length. Our mission is to provide students with knowledge, conceptual and technical, about contemporary jewellery, providing a supporting practical work environment where interaction between students and teachers/technicians will transmit enough experience to prepare individuals as professional makers, artists and designers.
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One of our major aims is to work against the gradual loss of traditional working skills because of industrial production, and we aim to teach these skills and employ them in new ways and designs. The school organizes exhibitions, symposiums and participation in international fairs to complete the education on a professional level. An important feature of the school is size – each class has a maximum of 10 students, which means very intense tutoring.
Courses / Programs:
We offer academic jewellery design courses at BA and specialization levels, and also short-term programs from 2 weeks to 3 months in length. Our three academic courses can be completed in sequence or taken individually.
Basic Jewellery Course:
The first or basic year is for complete beginners, students have no prior education in jewellery making. This year gives the basic instruments for the construction of jewellery, for design ( technical drawing and rendering ) and the elements of the theory of goldsmithing.
Advanced Jewellery Course:
The Advanced Jewellery Course is structured in the following way. We offer jewellery technique, conceptual exercises to enhance creativity and widen the horizon, freehand drawing and jewellery history. In this second year the students leave the traditional path of jewellery and jewellery education, begin to enter and get in contact with other disciplines, what is taught is cultural and personal self awareness, to sharpen their mind, to See with a big S.
Jewellery Course Specialization:
The third year is followed by the German artist Manfred Bischoff. In this year students work totally free from assignments or themes. They are still supervised by a technical teacher, who helps to solve problems regarding their individual projects. Whereas it is Prof. Bischoff’s task to assess the students work, teaching the students to recognise and value quality, in concept and execution, to make them think with their own means, to make them understand the importance of knowing oneself (conosci te stesso) which is the base of any creative work.
Intensive Jewellery Courses:
The intensive courses last from 2 weeks to 3 months and are a good solution for those who have limited time to study and experiment in the area of contemporary jewellery. The courses are taught on a one-to-one basis and are available throughout the year, beginning on Mondays, excluding the month of August. Each student is guided individually to ensure that lessons meet their specific need. Two different types of programmes are offered: technical and conceptual and include subjects such as:
- Basic techniques for beginners
- Experimentation with materials
- Textile techniques in metal
Professional Opportunities:
During the third year the school organises also stands at fairs and exhibitions where the students present their work in order to get in contact directly with clients, dealers and gallerists. Guest lectures with various professionals, designers, gallerists, and museum curators are organised. The school wants to give the students a wide range of possibilities for their future work, and the chance to get in contact with clients in different countries. It is not the aim of Alchimia to push the students in a certain direction but try to guide them to find their own.
Location in Florence:The school is located near Palazzo Pitti and Piazza del Carmine, 15 walking minutes from the Central Station and the famous Florence Dome in the heart of the "Oltrarno", since the Middle Ages the "district" of the handicraft workshops of the city. The neighborhoods are quiet and safe, full of small restaurants and artist studio's in the narrow streets and romantic "piazzas".
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