BENCHspace

BENCHspace occupies a workshop unit on Brightlingsea's Shipyard Estate, where silversmith Karen Cooke teaches jewellery making. Cooke trained in silversmithing and jewellery at London Guildhall University's Sir John Cass Faculty, qualified as a gemmologist, and worked as a silversmith in Clerkenwell before completing a PGCE and turning to teaching. She opened BENCHspace in 2019, fitting the studio with individual jewellers' benches and full tool sets so each participant works their own piece from start to finish. Courses range from single taster sessions for complete beginners to masterclasses in hammered and stamped rings, gemstone-set rings, and stacking rings, made using recycled, hallmarked silver. The workshop also runs wedding-ring-making sessions and corporate team sessions.