Workshop: Sustainable Brooch-making

Discover new ways of creating sustainable jewellery with jewellers Susan Peacock and Radka Passianova, as part of the 2026 Environmental Art and Design Prize.

This session brings together contemporary jewellery and sustainability, exploring how environmentally conscious design practices can shape the way we make.

Led by Susan and Radka, participants will learn about each designer’s practice and approaches to sustainable making. The group will then move into guided brooch-making using found materials, wire, cordage and other recycled materials, with participants taking home their own brooch.

All materials provided.

About Susan Peacock

Susan Peacock is a maker based on Garigal land in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, where she draws inspiration from the region’s diverse and vibrant landscape; its ocean, sheltered bays, and native flora. Her work reflects these natural elements, incorporating their textures and forms through techniques such as piercing, etching and casting. She is President of Silver Plus Studio in Ingleside. Her work has been shortlisted as a finalist in several prestigious awards including: JMGA National Exhibition, Perth 2024; Northern Beaches Environmental Art and Design Prize (2022,2024, 2026); Contemporary Wearables 23: Biennial Jewellery Award (2023); Meroogal Women’s Art Prize (2022); Greenway Art Prize (2022).

About Radka Passianova

Radka Passianova is a Sydney-based jewellery and object designer/maker, originally from the Czech Republic. She studied Contemporary Jewellery & Object Design at TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore, where she has taught since graduating in 2008, mentoring emerging makers with a strong focus on technical excellence, material understanding, and conceptual rigour. In 2013, she completed a Master of Design at the University of Technology Sydney, deepening her engagement with contemporary practice. In November 2023, she founded The Metal Space, a silversmithing and jewellery-making studio located in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. The studio reflects her commitment to community building, skills development, and creating a supportive environment for both emerging and established practitioners.