Jewellery Biennial Launches Flagship Open Call in Birmingham 2026

Key Points

• Event Launch & Timeline: The inaugural Birmingham Jewellery Biennial is scheduled to run as a month-long festival across Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and the wider city from 1 to 31 May 2027.
• Flagship Exhibition Venue: The core flagship exhibition will take place at the prestigious Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG).
• Exhibition Theme: The official theme for the flagship showcase has been revealed as ‘Colour’.
• Open Call Details: Launched in August 2026, the open call invites UK-based jewellery practitioners at any career stage to submit work with no entry fee. Organisers are also covering transport costs for all selected pieces.
• Cash Prizes: Winning participants can secure major monetary awards, including £2,000 for first place, £1,500 for second place, and an additional £2,000 for a post-exhibition People’s Choice Award, with further prizes pending.
• Organisers & Founders: The Biennial is co-founded by the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust (JQDT) and Birmingham City University (BCU), operating as a City Curator Project supported by the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ).

Birmingham (Birmingham Express) August 6, 2026 — Ahead of the inaugural Birmingham Jewellery Biennial slated for May 2027, organisers have officially launched an open call for its flagship exhibition. The major event offers jewellery practitioners from across the United Kingdom a rare platform to exhibit alongside internationally recognised names inside one of the nation’s premier civic cultural institutions.

What Is the Theme of the Birmingham Jewellery Biennial Flagship Exhibition?

As reported by Harriet Whitaker of Professional Jeweller, the exhibition theme has been formally revealed as ‘Colour’. Organisers and an independent expert jury are actively searching for ambitious, statement-making pieces that respond directly to the theme while simultaneously demonstrating creative design, technical excellence, and high-quality materials.

As detailed by Harriet Whitaker of Professional Jeweller, the exhibition will be hosted at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG). The showcase is designed to invite audiences to discover and celebrate the extraordinary world of jewellery, using colour as a conceptual lens to explore the multifaceted processes of making, wearing, gifting, and viewing pieces.

Who Is on the Jury and What Are They Looking For?

According to coverage by Harriet Whitaker of Professional Jeweller, the expert jury comprises leading voices from the global jewellery, fashion, journalism, and wider creative industries. The decision-making panel will look closely for entries that experiment with, take inspiration from, or explore the varied stories and symbolism of colour. Submissions are warmly welcomed across both traditional and contemporary materials, spanning a broad array of complex jewellery-making techniques.

Sharing her vision for the exhibition, Exhibition Curator Sophie Morris stated in a release covered by Harriet Whitaker of Professional Jeweller:

“The exhibition is such an exciting opportunity to celebrate the mix of skills, materials and ideas that constitute jewellery-making now. We are seeking colourful, ambitious and meaningful works that demonstrate artistic excellence, inspire new makers and welcome people into the extraordinary world of jewellery and the joy it brings.”

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What Prizes Can Winning Jewellery Practitioners Win?

The open call provides lucrative incentives for participating artists. As noted by Harriet Whitaker of Professional Jeweller, the artist securing first place will be awarded £2,000, while the second-place artist will receive £1,500. Furthermore, following the conclusion of the physical exhibition, a People’s Choice Award winner will take home an additional £2,000, with further prize categories expected to be announced in due course.

Makers at any professional career stage are eligible to apply, and notably, there is no entry fee to submit work. Applications remain open via the official Birmingham Jewellery Biennial website until 6 September 2026. To ease financial barriers for independent designers, organisers have confirmed they will cover the transport costs of all selected works.

Where Will the Exhibition Take Place and What Is Its Cultural Significance?

As highlighted in joint reporting by Jewellery Outlook and Professional Jeweller, the flagship exhibition finds its home at BMAG, a landmark building situated in the heart of Birmingham. Home to the famed Staffordshire Hoard—the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered—BMAG has remained central to the cultural life of Birmingham since 1885.

Emphasising the cultural importance of the venue choice, Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, the co-CEOs of Birmingham Museums Trust, stated as reported by Jewellery Outlook:

“We are incredibly proud that Birmingham Museum & 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.”

They added, as published by Jewellery Outlook:

“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 BMAG’s world-class collections, Birmingham’s thriving communities and globally renowned jewellery artists. For visitors, it will be a chance to see breathtaking jewellery up close, and to get to know artists and stories that keep the craft alive today.”

What Is the Background of the Birmingham Jewellery Biennial?

The Birmingham Jewellery Biennial was originally established following the city’s official recognition 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 (JQDT) and Birmingham City University (BCU), the month-long festival aims to cement the city’s status as a global hub for the art, heritage, and innovation of jewellery.

Running from 1 to 31 May 2027, the festival programme promises a diverse array of open studios, workshops, show-stopping installations, and major exhibitions spanning across the historical Jewellery Quarter and the wider Birmingham city centre. With the open call now live, creators across the country are encouraged to submit their portfolios to become a foundational part of what is anticipated to be a landmark celebration for British craft and design.