Precious Metal Clay, PMC Training, Classes, Courses and Workshops
In this section you'll find teachers and schools offering training, classes and workshops in Precious Metal Clay (PMC). The section is divided into several pages to make it easier for you to find what you're looking for. There is also now a Home Study metal clay qualification available from the Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery and available worldwide.
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Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery Diploma in Silver Metal Clay Proficiency
This independent qualification is only run by the Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery. It has no association with any supplier of metal clay and also includes an element of silverwork, allowing students to make their own silver findings.
This is the first metal clay qualification in the world to be offered as a Home Study Course. Students can buy the course packs which include all resources and materials as well as DVDs of tuition and a CD of notes and resources. Working at their own pace, students send in their finished project pieces for evaluation. There is a network of official Diploma Support Centres all over the UK, as well as Ireland, Greece, Germany, Austria and Spain. These Centres offer local help and advice as well as complementary courses for students.
The course is recognised by the PMC Guild International and the grades of competency greatly exceed the minimum requirements suggested by the PMC Guild. Teachers training this Diploma all have formal teaching qualifiations as well as many years of experience working with metal clay.
Competency Certificates are awarded at each grade to successful students. Once the student has passed all four grades, their name will be registered and displayed on the Diploma Graduates page of the Mid Cornwall School of Jewellery website. Upon completion of all four grades, artists will be entitled to use the registered letters after their names. For example, Mary Maker, MCSJ Dip. MC.
There are four grades which have to be completed to gain the full qualification. Grade 1 is for complete beginners and is a two day course covering the basics of working with metal clay. Students make at least two pairs of earrings, two pendants, two beads and a shell charm.
Grade 2 is for intermediate level students and is three days. This covers more complex projects and students make at least two pendants, a ring, two pairs of earrings and three charms.
The Grade 3 class is two days and covers very advanced projects including three pairs of earrings, two brooches and a silver box bead.
There are two routes to follow at Grade 4. One is the teaching module, the other is the Design and Construction module. Students can complete one of these modules for the full diploma. They are able to take both modules at Grade 4 if they wish.
The two day teaching module covers lesson planning, learning theory and what makes a good class. Essential business topics like insurance and health and safety are also discussed. Students have to prepare and deliver a short training session to allow the teacher to assess their training skills.
The two day Design and Construction module covers the principles and elements of design. With this information in mind students construct an advanced project to their own design and take part in a group critique of each persons work. This class will suit students who want to progress to a higher level in their artistic and technical abilities.
PMC Certification
PMC Certification classes are defined by the PMC Guild as 'a special kind of class that is based on projects made to conform to a specific and universal standard. The rigorous class covers a wide range of techniques, and includes information on forming, firing, and finishing. Upon successful completion of the three-day class, certified artisans are entitled to certain discounts at the sponsoring company.'
There are two main companies offerering PMC Certification training in the US; Rio Grande and PMC Connection. These links show you what's included in their training. The syllabus is different for each of them. They have been developed by these companies in conjunction with the manufacturer of PMC, Mitsubishi.
The PMC Connection training is divided into three segments. Part one is a two day class - click here to see what is covered in this class. Part two is a three day class of more advanced techniques - click here to see what's covered in this class. Part three is a two day class and covers even more advanced techniques.
The Rio Grande Certification is a three day class and covers advanced techniques through seven projects. The expectation is that the student for this class has already got quite a bit of experience with metal clay. Click here to find out more about it.
PMC Connection and Rio Grande only allow teachers who have gone through a rigorous selection process to give certification classes. Both PMC Connection and Rio Grande call these teachers senior teachers or instructors. When someone has been trained by these senior teachers they can train introductory or specialised PMC classes - like making rings, beads etc. They cannot certify students to get the discounts though, this can only be done by a senior teacher.
In the UK, there is a certification programme run by The PMC Studio in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. It is structured in three modules that can be taken in any order. It has a flexible format which allows students to choose the Module they want to do during any Certification session. Suitable for those who have completed the Introduction to PMC or Creative Copper Clay, each module takes two days to complete and is taught in small groups. The PMC Studio operate a network of PMC Studio Accredited Teaching Centres (ATCs) across the UK. A current list can be found on their website. As the official distributor of PMC in the UK and Eire, The PMC Studio Certification Programme is supported by the Mitsubishi Materials Corp., the manufacturer of PMC.
In France, PMC Studio France is the only training centre running full certification classes in France and Continental Europe. Wholly independent, their courses are fully recognised by the PMC Guild internationally and the grades of competency exceed the minimum requirements set by the Guild. Their certification courses are modular (three in total), three days long and can be taken in any order. Some of their students complete the full course over nine days, some spread them out over several months, others complete them as part of a learning holiday.
In Australia, there are four levels available for PMC Certification. Taught by Senior Instructor May Bartrum, this workshop will allow people to teach at an introductory level and to receive a discount of 10% on purchases of PMC.
The PMC Guild supports the development of Certification programmes. Anyone can set up a certification programme for PMC provided they follow the guidelines from the PMC Guild. The following is taken from the PMC Guild website:-
"The PMC Guild is an international member-based organization whose mission is to promote, support, and encourage PMC activities. Consistent with its educational mission, the Guild has created this list of minimum requirements to help schools, teachers, and others develop certification programs. This list is offered as a starting point, with the assumption that companies and individuals will tailor their program to their specific market, perhaps adding additional items to this list. "
To see the PMC Guild's minimum requirements referred to above, click here. The Guild will recognise a teacher who is following these guidelines and they will be allowed to display the Guild logo on their marketing material and website. No formal teacher training is required to deliver this training.
