TUTORS & TEAM
at Orchard Jewellery Workshop
As Professional Tutors, we strive to provide welcoming and empowering workshops. With decades of combined experience, we are on hand to help you achieve your jewellery goals in a fun and accessible way.
Kim Thomson
Lead Tutor & Mentor at Orchard Jewellery Workshop
Kim has been a passionate, self employed jewellery tutor for the last two decades. Her grandad, Stanley, taught her to use hand tools from the age of four, and his brother, Uncle Rusty, inspired Kim's interest in metalsmithing and jewellery. After struggling through school and failing her exams due to undiagnosed learning difficulties, Kim went on to graduate from her BA Honors Degree in Jewellery Metalsmithing with the highest marks in her year. Because of this, Kim is passionate about the difference the right type education can make, and she strives to make all classes as inclusive and empowering as possible.
Kim has a strong background in supporting learners with neurodivergency and those who benefit from adaptations to make smithing as accessible as possible. She launched her business 'Make it with Kim' in 2003 and has delivered thousands of community, adult education and further education courses including being Co-Director of community interest company, 'Make it Mentoring', for four years.
Kim is well-known within the Jewellery Community for her series of free tutorials #12MonthsOfMetal and as an Industry Mentor for the Jewellers Academy on their Silver Jewellery Diploma and Jewellery Business Diploma. She also co-hosts the Jewellers Academy Podcast.
Her learning journey has never ended. She has continued to gain multiple qualifications and attend training from internationally renowned tutors and she loves to set herself annual 'challenges' to develop her learning and inspiration.
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In 2023, Kim expanded her own teaching practice by setting up 'Orchard Jewellery Workshop' in Kingswood, Bristol. The studio is one of the largest and best stocked in the South West, with a growing team and supportive community.
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Check out Kims social media profiles below.
Genevieve Ford
Resident Tutor at Orchard Jewellery Workshop
Gen has been making jewellery for a decade. She began her creative journey with Kim's guidance, then founded her own business, Gennywren Silver, in 2015. She has since worked and traded locally in North Bristol and can often be found behind her stall in local parks on market days. A self-confessed magpie, Gen's fascination with texture, hand-stamped motifs, and natural gemstones shapes her designs, adding a distinctive, narrative touch.
With a passion for teaching, Gen has taught a range of classes, from one-on-one tuition to group workshops, as well as youth enrichment programmes in local secondary schools. She loves learning new skills and sharing them with others. Her teaching philosophy is to empower others to explore their creativity and unlock their potential.
As a teacher, Gen cultivates a space where fundamental skills can be honed, allowing imaginations to flourish. Through a hands-on approach and encouragement, she instills confidence in her students, enabling them to take creative leaps in their own practice.
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Check out her social media profiles, below.
Char Smith
Support Tutor at Orchard Jewellery Workshop
Char embarked on her metalworking journey in 2018 while working as a lorry mechanic. It was here that she discovered her passion for fabrication, particularly welding. Eager to expand her skill set, she enrolled in a silversmithing evening course alongside her mechanical apprenticeship, further enhancing her expertise.
Before venturing into metalwork, Char studied film studies, textiles, and graphic design, and completed an Art & Design Foundation Degree. This diverse artistic background, combined with her metalworking skills, led her to establish her small business, Foraged Steel. Char focuses on repurposing recycled materials to create unique pieces, breathing new life into items that might otherwise end up in landfill. The challenge of transforming discarded materials into bespoke, handmade products brings her immense joy.
Char began her teaching journey in 2021 at WTF Workshops, where she conducted scrap metal welding sessions alongside an all-female team. She finds great fulfillment in empowering individuals to explore new skills and confidently use tools.
In 2024, Char joined our Orchard Jewellery Workshop team, quickly becoming an invaluable member as she supports students and shares her expertise.
To see more of Char's work and creative pursuits, check out her social media profiles below.
Talora Welsh
Studio Technician at Orchard Jewellery Workshop
Talora first fell in love with Metalwork at De Montfort University, where she started creating mixed-media artworks, before focusing on Silversmithing. She continued her training and after graduating with a Masters Degree in Jewellery and Metalwork from the Royal College of Art. Talora moved to Bristol in search of new inspiration and found her way to Orchard Jewellery Workshop.
Talora's passion is saw piercing and she generally prefers working with copper more than silver, much to her university tutor’s dismay. Having previously focused more on Metalsmithing than Jewellery, Talora is now enjoying working in an environment full of passionate Jewellery Makers.
In her free time Talora loves drawing and sleeping, two things that she is yet to work out how to do at the same time!
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Check out her social media profiles, below.
Buddy Boy
Studio Dog & Chief Cuddle Provider
Buddy joined the Orchard Workshop Team in August 2024. Originally from Ireland, he was abandoned due to his goofy nature and inability to herd sheep. His life was due to be incredibly short, but thankfully, Many Tears Rescue Centre stepped in, and he hopefully has many happy years ahead of him. Despite his rocky beginnings, Buddy loves people and is happiest welcoming students to Orchard Jewellery Workshop with a waggy tail and goofy grin.
Get in Touch
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