We're delighted to announce a small exhibition of Welsh-based designer, Norma Kerr's work at the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce), until 1st March 2024.
About Norma Kerr:
Norma previously designed costume jewellery, a job that took her to Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, learning all of the techniques of mass production. She then returned to Fine Jewellery to produce a platinum collection for Van Peterson.
Made by craftsmen working at the Dickensian jewellers’ benches found at the top of the dark and dusty stairwells above the streets of Hatton Garden, to be sold exclusively online, the collection was one of the first luxury brands to be launched during the first dot com boom. The technology and the marketplace fascinated her, so I went back to school and studied for a post-grad Marketing diploma.
With this new knowledge, she moved to the hills of Wales and started an entirely new career at the Hay Festival.
Norma worked her way up to become Producer of Hay Festival Wales, and then Director of Development. Seventeen years and umpteen festivals later, from Hay to Nairobi, Merthyr Tydfil to the Alhambra Palace.
The time came for Norma to return to her jeweller’s bench, to keep her skills and creativity alive. From her life of adventures around the world it is these three words that mean the most to her; to give Love, be full of Hope and, whatever adversity you face, to do so with Grace.
Norma's jewellery is made from over 95% recycled silver, it is made to last and be handed down the generations.
As a fellow of the RSA, Norma shares their mission to enable people, places and the planet to flourish in harmony. Norma makes a small contribution to this by re-wilding and restoring biodiversity at her campsite - an acre of land in rural Herefordshire she opened up in 2021 for up to 10 campers to spend time together in nature.
By restoring habitats, planting trees and allowing areas of scrub to develop Norma has already increased the biodiversity of this previously monocultural pasture land. Find out more at www.maggiesfield.camp.
