City of Suffragettes: Part of Manchester Jewellery Week

City of Suffragettes is a major contemporary jewellery exhibition celebrating Manchester’s pioneering role in the fight for women’s rights.

Opening as part of the inaugural Manchester Jewellery Week, the exhibition brings together jewellers from across the UK and internationally to explore the city’s remarkable feminist legacy through original, thought-provoking jewellery.

Manchester is known around the world as the birthplace of the suffragette movement. Inspired by this extraordinary heritage, members of the Association for Contemporary Jewellery (ACJ) were invited to create new work responding to the women, movements and ideas that have shaped the city – from Emmeline Pankhurst and her family to today’s activists, artists and community leaders.

The resulting exhibition presents a diverse collection of contemporary jewellery exploring themes of equality, protest, resilience, courage and transformation. Each piece offers a personal interpretation of Manchester’s feminist story, demonstrating how jewellery can communicate powerful social and political ideas as well as exceptional craftsmanship.

City of Suffragettes has been curated by Eve Redmond, Co-Director of Manchester Jewellery Week, in collaboration with Joanne Haywood, Head of Programmes for ACJ, with support from a panel of invited selectors: Jessica Bennett, Manager of Manchester Craft & Design Centre, Rebecca Skeels, Chair of the ACJ, and Sabira Silcock of Sken Studios, Manchester.

The exhibition is one of the highlights of the first Manchester Jewellery Week – I Wanna Be Adorned, a new city-wide festival celebrating contemporary jewellery, art jewellery and adornment.

Inspired by the internationally renowned Munich Jewellery Week, the festival features exhibitions, talks, workshops, studio trails and events across Manchester, Sale, Chorlton and Altrincham. Manchester Craft & Design Centre is the festival hub, hosting exhibitions, talks and special events throughout the week.

The exhibition is accompanied by a Suffragette Studio Trail throughout Manchester Craft & Design Centre, featuring work by resident jewellers and invited makers responding to the theme.

EXHIBITION DETAILS
Saturday 12th September – Thursday 24th December
Free entrance
Opening Hours:
Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5.30pm
2nd Sunday of the Month, 11am – 5pm
Every Sunday in December, 11am – 5pm

EXHIBITION PREVIEW
Saturday 12th September, 2pm – 5pm
Join us for a drink and meet the artists.

 Access
We welcome guide and support dogs and kindly ask that all dogs are kept on leads. The exhibition space is currently raised and not directly accessible for wheelchair or mobility aid users. However, the open layout allows the exhibition to be viewed comfortably from a distance.

 

 

EXHIBITIONS & POP UPS AROUND THE BUILDING

I Wanna be Adorned | Divinity Studio, First Floor
Eve Redmond invites a selection of UK-based jewellers to make a piece of jewellery responding to the theme of Manchester Jewellery Week.

Astrid Davis 2025 MMU Divinity Graduate Exhibition | Divinity Studio, First Floor

Nathan Gallimore 2026 MMU Divinity Graduate Exhibition | Divinity Studio, First Floor

Verdant Wanderings II: Toni Mayner | &Made Studio, First Floor

Emerging Makers Showcase | Studio 1, Ground Floor

Rebecca Lawley, Jo Bull, Tara Kirkpatrick Showcase | Studio 6, Ground Floor

Sadie Blythin & Grit Showcase | Fronte, First Floor

City of Suffragettes Tenants Trail | Various Studios
Jeweller tenants respond to the exhibition theme in various studios across the building.

WALKING TOURS

Suffragette & Contemporary Change Makers Walk with Sibby
Starts at Manchester Craft and Design Centre, 3pm – 5pm on Friday 11th September
Tickets £16.96 BOOK ONLINE

Tour of Manchester Jewellery Week Exhibitions with Emma Fox
Starts at Manchester Craft and Design Centre, 11am – 1pm on Saturday 12th September
Tickets £16.96 BOOK ONLINE

TALKS

Sunday 13^th September in Space2, Ground Floor

11am – 12pm Norman Cherry & Dauvit Alexander PP on their project Swords into Ploughshares BOOK FREE TICKETS

12pm – 12.45pm Artist talk with Felieke van der Leest BOOK FREE TICKETS

12.45pm – 1.30pm Lunch

1.30pm – 2.30pm Crafts Council Handling session BOOK FREE TICKETS

2.30pm – 3.30pm Panel discussion on contemporary jewellery chaired by Norman Cherry (Jewellery artist), with Stephen Bottomley (Head of School of Design Glasgow School of Art), Sally Collins (Course Director BA Hons Jewellery Central St Martins, London), Lynne Speake (Founder of Precious Collective) and Jo Bloxham (Mancunian Jewellery Collector). BOOK FREE TICKETS

3.30pm – 4.15pm Networking

Monday 14^th September in Space2

12.15pm – 1pm Artist talk with Toni Mayner BOOK FREE TICKETS

2pm – 2.45pm Artist talk with Mark McLeish BOOK FREE TICKETS

2.45pm – 3pm Barry Clarke, local Craft historian BOOK FREE TICKETS

WORKSHOPS

Manchester School of Jewellery Workshops
Thursday 10th September: Make a Ring in a Day, 10am in Space2 | £85 BOOK TICKETS
Friday 11th September: Introduction to Enamelling, 10am in Space2 | £95 BOOK TICKETS
Saturday 12th September: Anodised Aluminium Jewellery, 10am in Space2 |£50 BOOK TICKETS
Sunday 13th September: Make a Bangle in a Day, 10am in Studio 10 | £130 BOOK TICKETS