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Silverworks are proud to sponsor & support GALVANIZE SHEFFIELD.

Silverworks have designed & developed the Galvanize brand, built the website and designed all marketing material.... and have now produced a podcast to enhance the festival even further.

Galvanize Festival Press Release:

Sheffield, the city built on cutting edge metal craft and innovation is looking to the future this November with a new, annual festival called Galvanize Sheffield.  The festival, which runs from 14^th November - 9^th December 2007 at various venues within the city, is intended to spark new interest in contemporary metal design and provide visitors with an insight into the city's vibrant metalwork industry.

Galvanize Sheffield will be a perfect opportunity to see and purchase metal work, meet contemporary designers and learn about the making process and latest innovations.  The festival is coordinated by Sheffield City Council in collaboration with partners; Sheffield Assay Office, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust, Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust, Yorkshire ArtSpace, Freemans College and David Mellor Design. The festival programme includes exhibitions, tours and events, featuring stunning work by 25 designers based in Sheffield and the South Yorkshire region.

Cllr Mike Pye, Cabinet Adviser for Culture, Sheffield City Council stated:

"Culture is at the heart of every great international city.  Sheffield City Council is committed to active participation and cultural excellence, where culture is central to successful individuals, thriving communities and a vibrant economy.  Galvanize symbolises Sheffield's distinctive characteristics, amazing talent, strong reputation and independent energy for creativity and metal production"

The festival is expected to attract visitors from within the region and beyond.

Richard Jones, Chief Executive of Yorkshire South Tourism, key partner of the festival commented:

"It is a great honour for Sheffield and Yorkshire South to be working with Galvanize Sheffield as it represents our metal heritage, cultural excellence, on-going creativity and the overall tourism product of the sub-region.  An event of this scale will successfully raise the profile of the city and the region, placing us firmly on the national map as a region rich with design, style, innovation and most of all a wonderful place to visit"

This year's festival focuses on contemporary metal lifestyle products including jewellery, kitchen equipment, cutlery, tools and creative pieces for the home. There are exhibitions, factory tours, talks and demonstrations planned to take place in over 20 venues. The festival will also include ‘Radiate', a key event that will showcase the best of Yorkshire's contemporary silversmiths and jewellers and a choice selection of their finest work in non-gallery spaces throughout the city centre, including high street shops, galleries, hotels and locations of distinction. As part of the event, several commissions will also be made, including the creation of a new advent wreath for Sheffield cathedral. A growing programme of events is also available on the festival website www.galvanizesheffield.com

A photo-call to officially launch Galvanize Sheffield will take place on Thursday 12^th July 2007, at the Persistence Works at 9.30am. Cllr Mike Pye, key partners and organisers of Galvanize Sheffield will be attending the photo call along with several Sheffield based designers including Brett Payne, Maria Hanson and Victoria Delany.

Address details:
Yorkshire Artspace
Persistence Works
21 Brown Street
Sheffield
S1 2BS

For further media information please contact Gini Rodgers, Bonner & Hindley Communications on 0113 279 9909 or email gini@bandhcommunications.co.uk

Notes to editor:

Festival Partner Information

Sheffield City Council - www.sheffield.gov.uk
Culture is at the heart of every great international city.  Sheffield City Council is committed to active participation and cultural excellence, where culture is central to successful individuals, thriving communities and a vibrant economy.  Galvanize symbolises Sheffield's distinctive characteristics, amazing talent, strong reputation and independent energy for creativity and metal production.

Yorkshire South Tourism - www.yorkshiresouth.com
Yorkshire South Tourism is the destination marketing partnership, covering Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster and is one of Yorkshire's first regional tourism partnerships to be established. Yorkshire South Tourism actively promotes the sub-region to business and leisure visitors on a national and international level. The region offers short breaks, a wide range of venues for conferences and events, award-winning attractions, exciting events as well as breath-taking countryside. Yorkshire South also offers a one-stop shop venue finding service ‘Conference Yorkshire South', regional expertise and an accommodation service. Yorkshire South Activity is funded by Yorkshire South.

Sheffield Assay Office - www.assayoffice.co.uk
Since 1773 Sheffield Assay office has been authorised by Parliament to provide the oldest form of consumer protection there is - the hallmark. The instantly recognisable Sheffield mark of the Yorkshire rose provides customers both nationally and worldwide with an assurance of quality and purity, and is carefully applied to items of precious metal which can range from the most delicate chain to a stunning one-off table centrepiece created by a contemporary designer. With a history rooted in craftsmanship Sheffield Assay Office are committed to supporting the outstanding contemporary designers who are working in precious metals today, and are delighted to be involved in Galvanize.

Sheffield Cathedral - www.sheffield-cathedral.org.uk
Sheffield Cathedral is a community of faith rooted in the Church of England. The Cathedral's mission is to be a place for all people and to witness to the kingdom by teaching the faith, seeking justice for the poor, extending hospitality to all and working in partnership with others for the cultural and spiritual regeneration of our city and county. The Cathedral welcomes the opportunity to be involved in the Galvanize Festival as it celebrates the renewal of manufacturing and design in the City of Sheffield.

Sheffield Hallam University - www.shu.ac.uk
Sheffield Hallam University has a world-renowned metalwork and jewellery department which inspires students of all ages to develop creative contemporary metalwork. Founded within the historic metalworking traditions of the City, we challenge design thinking, and celebrate the application of innovative technologies alongside traditional craft skills. Students are inspired by leading contemporary practice utilising a broad range of materials and processes. Their fresh and exciting ideas help to sustain Sheffield's reputation for excellence, with many graduates choosing to remain in the city to join the cultural metal making revolution.

Yorkshire ArtsSpace Society - www.artspace.org.uk
Yorkshire ArtSpace Society exists to provide good quality affordable studio space to visual artists and craftspeople.  In addition it offers a range of professional development support and delivers a variety of education and outreach projects for schools and members of the public.  The Starter Studio Programme for Designer Silversmiths is our 2 year incubation programme for emerging designer silversmiths.  We are immensely proud to present these talented newcomers and their innovative designs at the forthcoming Galvanize festival.

Freeman College - www.ruskin-mill.org.uk
Ruskin Mill Educational Trust is a specialist further education college for young adults from 16 and 25. Freeman College is the third centre opened by Ruskin Mill Educational Trust specialising in developing outstanding and practical facilities from both the contemporary and traditional metal craft industries of Sheffield that support student development and independence training. The college is currently being relocated to new premises at Stirling Works, adjacent to Butcher Works which is also managed by the Trust as an Academy of Makers.

David Mellor Design - www.davidmellordesign.co.uk
David Mellor, Royal Designer for Industry, has an international reputation as designer, manufacturer and shopkeeper. Born in Sheffield, he has always specialised in metalwork and has often been described as 'the cutlery king'. The David Mellor Design Museum, located alongside the cutlery factory in Hathersage, showcases a history of his work, along with that of his son, Corin Mellor. David Mellor Design welcomes the opportunity to be involved in the Galvanize Festival, and feels that it is vital for new generations of contemporary metalworkers to have the chance to be recognized.

Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust - www.sheffieldgalleries.org.uk
The Millennium Galleries is home to an internationally important designated collection of metalwork that is on permanent display in the Metalwork gallery. With the city's strong historical and present-day association with the metal industries, production and design, Sheffield Galleries & Museums Trust ensures that there is a lively programme of exhibitions on site, with a particular focus on historic metalwork themes as well as highlighting the abundant cutting edge and innovative designs by the most talented contemporary artists.

Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust - www.simt.co.uk
Sheffield Industrial Museums Trust is an independent charitable trust operating the two sites of Kelham Island Museum and Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet. The Trust also provides a service for open days and group bookings at Shepherd Wheel. Kelham Island Museum was opened in 1982 to house the objects, pictures and archive material representing Sheffield's industrial past. The displays at the Museum tell that story of the area's metalwork and steelwork production from the "Little Mester" to mass production, revolutionary processes, invention and innovation. Inside the Museum buildings you can witness the sights and sounds of industrial Sheffield through exhibitions, working machinery, activity areas and event days.

South Yorkshire based makers

Pollyanna Beeley                                Brett Payne

Stephen Bottomley                             Chris Perry

Alex Brogden                                      Maya Selway

Alison Counsell                                   Hiroshi Suzuki

Victoria Delany                                   Keith Tyssen

Sarah Denny                                       Tanja Ufer

Katey Felton                                        Janet Wass

Jennie Gill                                           Owen Waterhouse

Maria Hanson                                     Joanne Young

Rebecca Jocelyn

Victoria Kershaw

Chris Knight

Cameron Maxfield

David Mellor

Corin Mellor

Related website: www.galvanizesheffield.com