West Dean College awards and visit
Bass Hyman
Outstanding Excellence
We’re pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Founders' Brunel Awards for Metalwork at West Dean College.
These awards recognise significant accomplishments in the field of craft metalworking, and we acknowledge the achievements of two individuals: Laura Day and Bass Hyman.
Dave Allman’s Report on visiting West Dean for their Scholars’ Reception, Open Workshops, Studios and Summer Show tells you all you need to know.
Visit to West Dean College, Chichester, 9th July 2025
The day began early, with a trip to West Dean and back to Bishops Stortford involving 2 walks, 4 train journeys, 3 buses, 2 tubes across London at rush hour both ways, and a taxi for good measure.
Credit: Bass Hyman
West Dean is accredited by the University of Sussex for a broad range of Art and Craft courses, blending design and conservation, and is a truly delightful place to live and to study. I attended the Scholars’ Reception, Open Workshops, Studios and Summer Show at the invitation of Heidi Hennessy, Student Funding and Outreach Manager, on behalf of the Company, and had the pleasure of meeting many students and staff.
What shone through, for me, was the universal sense of satisfaction and indeed joy expressed by the young people I met across a range of discipline including furniture design, metal conservation and even clockmaking. They love their courses and feel that their teachers are equally well organised, knowledgeable and passionate.
The stars of the show for me were the metalwork students, two of whom are in receipt of prizes from the Founders for either outstanding excellence or for making the most progress in their Foundation Degree Arts – Metalwork.
Kate Jennings, Subject Leader for Metalwork prepared the following nominations, each for a prize of £500:
Outstanding Excellence in Metalwork: Bass Hyman
I would like to nominate Bass Hyman for demonstrating outstanding excellence across all areas of the programme. Over the course of the year, they have shown exceptional competence in an impressive range of techniques and materials—including forging, casting, jewellery making, box construction, raising, and working with ferrous metals, copper alloys, and precious metals.
Their projects are consistently well thought through, with careful consideration of how components will interact both materially and aesthetically. They scope their work with insight—choosing challenges that promote development while remaining achievable within the time constraints—showing a strong sense of direction and self-management.
They bring together creative and practical skills in a way that is both purposeful and engaging, and their ability to reflect on process and outcome is particularly noteworthy. Articulate and thoughtful, they demonstrate a deep understanding of their learning journey, clearly identifying where they can push their abilities further and how to achieve this. Their studio practice is underpinned by a strong analytical approach and a commitment to quality at every stage.
This balance of creativity, technical skill, and critical reflection marks them as an outstanding student.
Most Progress in Metalwork: Laura Day
I would like to nominate Laura Day for the exceptional progress she has made throughout the year. Beginning the programme with very limited experience in metalwork, she has steadily built an impressive range of practical skills through quiet determination and an unwavering commitment to learning. Her repertoire now includes casting, raising, forging, hot and cold joining, and box construction—achievements that reflect both persistence and a growing confidence in the workshop.
As the year has progressed, she has become increasingly experimental, undertaking projects such as testing a range of patinas and attempting the challenging task of life casting delicate flowers. Her thoughtful engagement with materials has been matched by theoretical development; her technical files are carefully researched and directly inform her studio work.
Importantly, she has also become more reflective, viewing suboptimal results not so much as setbacks but as opportunities for learning and refinement. This attitude has fostered meaningful growth in both her practical and analytical abilities, and her progress has been impressive to witness.
Unfortunately I was not able to meet Laura on the day, however I did have an interesting and detailed conversation with Bass over their interests and aspirations. Without exception the young people I met were enthusiastic and keen to showcase their work and their pride in being part of such a uniquely uplifting institution.
The people, the place, and the overwhelmingly positive sense of pride and mutual respect I felt during this visit made it truly memorable.
Dave Allman, 14 July 2025