Students celebrated as part of national showcase of young furniture makers

The work of seven furniture students, past and present, from Brinsbury and Chichester Colleges was on show at a prestigious national exhibition last month.

The students’ pieces were displayed at the Young Furniture Makers Exhibition in London, having been shortlisted for prizes in the ‘Bespoke’ and ‘Design’ categories.

The exhibition, organised by the Furniture Makers’ Company, saw 100 of the country’s best young designers and furniture makers displaying their innovative designs.

It was attended by several employers, giving the students an opportunity to network and find out more about working in the industry itself.

Tim Evershed, lecturer in furniture making at Brinsbury College, accompanied the students and said: “Our students were in great company with exhibitors from prestigious independent schools and universities among those whose work had been shortlisted – it was, by all accounts, of world class standard.

“We were the most represented of all the schools, colleges and universities in attendance, with the most amount of furniture selected for display.

“It was a tremendous day and really important for our students to be able to get a valuable insight into what it’s like working as an emerging furniture designer or maker in the sector.”

The Young Furniture Makers exhibition was first set up by the Furniture Makers’ Company more than 15 years ago, designed for school children, students and graduates to showcase their work to the design community.

Students and graduates travelled from across the UK to take part in a celebration of furniture and design.

Sally Challis-Manning MBE, Principal of Brinsbury College, said: “Our furniture provision at Chichester College Group is first-class – just last year it was recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize.

“This has been cemented by our presence at the Young Furniture Makers exhibition. To see so many of our students and our students’ work showcased is testament to the work they are doing, and the dedication of our teaching team who help them to unlock their talent.

“We are incredibly proud of our students and what they achieve in a short space of time.”