Burnham jewellery teacher shows how ‘making’ improves mental health

Visitors taking in this month’s Bucks Art Weeks can drop-in on hundreds of artists and makers all over Buckinghamshire until June 25.

Exhibiting for the first time in his  new studio is jewellery designer, maker and teacher, Grant Forsyth, who, along with two other Burnham-based makers, is  displaying and selling handmade jewellery.

They will be on hand to talk to visitors about forthcoming classes and workshops available.

“I started this workshop in October but didn’t really get going until January,” said Grant.

“It’s gone great guns. We’ve got evening classes on Mondays, regular private students coming in and we do workshops on a Saturday and Sunday.”

Grant, a former hotel and catering manger, decided at the age of 48 to make a career change to jewellery designer.

He said: “It was terrifying but I was very lucky that my husband was very supportive.

“I took a bag of jewellery to High Wycombe Buckinghamshire New University and handed it over to the jewellery and silversmithing tutor and said ‘What do you think? Do you think I could do something with this?’ and he said yes and offered me a place.”

The student has now become the teacher, with Grant passing on his design and silversmithing skills to people of all ages.

He said: “I have taught, and I will teach, anybody from 9 to 90.

“ I like teaching, I like meeting new people I like seeing them being creative.

“Nine times out of 10 people will make a ring and then they will make a ring with a stone in it and then a bangle or maybe make a pair of earrings. By the end of the day, they normally go home with three or four pieces of jewellery.

“It gives a real sense of achievement to walk away with a jewellery made out of precious metal.”

In recent months, Grant’s teachings have had a powerful impact on someone with  mental health issues.

Grant said: “One of my students was suffering from PTSD from his work as a police officer.

“He came to us through a charity called Stepping Stones that helps with mental health.

“In the process of that he has run with it and dealt with his PTSD by picking up a hammer and whacking a bit of metal.

“I am blown away by him every time I see him.”

Jewellery making has had so big an effect on this student that he has featured in the jewellery trade presses, detailing his positive experiences under Grant’s tutorship, and news has travelled to other places, helping other men.

Grant said: “Certainly for men, it’s a big thing, mental health, they are not talking enough, they’re not talking to other men enough, they’re not dealing with their emotions and you’ve got to be big and strong and not cry and the stuff he dealt with was just horrendous.

“To come along somewhere like here, and make things, helps to get things ‘inside’ ‘out there’ and for him that is exactly what he needed to do.

“But it applies to all genders and ages as well.

“Even kids can make something and they feel they’ve achieved something in a few hours.

“So with jewellery once you’re over the perceived feminisation of it – especially with kids – you realise you’ve made something precious and you can give it to somebody else and they treasure it as precious and there’s that communication.

“To me that’s what jewellery is all about – the communication with other people which is something we need a lot more of.”

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