Birmingham museum to host inaugural 2027 jewellery biennial

The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery will host the flagship exhibition of the inaugural Birmingham Jewellery Biennial, organisers announced.

Former Victoria and Albert Museum curator Sophie Morris has been appointed as exhibition curator to oversee the showcase, scheduled for May 2027. Morris previously managed the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection at the London institution.

An open call will launch in August, offering jewellery artists across the UK the opportunity to display their work alongside contemporary designers.

Organisers have selected a 12-member jury of industry figures to manage the open call and award monetary prizes. The group includes designer Hannah Martin, gemmologist Joanna Hardy and Dover Street Market International global director of jewellery and watches Mimi Hoppen.

Four non-voting advisers will support the panel, including National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) chief executive Ben Massey and festival director Alex Nicholson-Evans.

The event follows Birmingham’s designation as a World Craft City for Jewellery and Allied Trades by the World Crafts Council in 2025. Co-founded by the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust and Birmingham City University, the festival will run from 1-31 May 2027.

Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “We are incredibly proud that Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery will be the flagship exhibition venue for the Birmingham Jewellery Biennial 2027.

“The city’s jewellery heritage is woven into Birmingham’s history, but the biennial is also about looking forward – championing the artists and makers who are shaping the future of contemporary jewellery.”

Morris added: “Working with an outstanding panel of jewellery experts, the exhibition will celebrate the extraordinary skill and creativity that goes into jewellery-making in the UK today. It will put that work in dialogue with the museum’s collections, Birmingham’s thriving communities and globally renowned jewellery artists.”