Not renowned for showing much emotion, Cameron Maxfield was immensely pleased with his £1000 prize, awarded by the Marsh Christian Trust at the recent Heritage Skills Association's conference at the V&A in London.  Unfortunately we were prevented from attending the ceremony because of the bad weather.  Instead we handed him his prize in the Starter Studio for Silversmiths & Jewellery where he has been sharing his expertise with the early-career silversmiths.  

In Max' own words:  "I still don't know how this came about and why I deserve it, but I'm really chuffed with this prize and want to thank everyone who had something nice to say about me".  

Max was nominated by: Mir Jansen, programme manager at Yorkshire Artspace; Chris Knight, one of his former pupils and now senior lecturer in the department of Metalsmithing and Jewellery at Sheffield Hallam University; Rajesh Gogna, silversmith and former pupil now based in Birmingham and Rebecca Joselyn, silversmith and former starter studio beneficiary who now has her own workshop at Persistence Works Studios.

Max worked for 25 years at Sheffield Hallam University as senior lecturer. Since his retirement he has supported 23 early-career silversmiths and jewellers who were selected for the Starter Studio Programme for Silversmiths & Jewellers, based at Persistence Works Studios.