Emma White, one of Yorkshire’s leading contemporary jewellers and jewellery teachers, is expanding her studio and workshop at the iconic Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, near Leeds.
Emma has been based at Red Lane Mill at the historic mill complex for almost ten years and is now moving into the adjacent Twisting Gallery, which is currently undergoing an extensive renovation.
These are busy times for Emma, as she is currently taking part in the popular BBC Two series All That Glitters: Britain’s Next Jewellery Star.
She explained: “I’m very excited to be expanding into the Twisting Gallery, I have been a tenant at Sunny Bank Mills since 2013 and I love being part of the hub of creativity and energy that landlords John and William Gaunt have nurtured.
“I am very proud to call the vibrant village of Farsley my home and love that I am part of the mill complex and neighbour to the myriad of wonderful businesses that are housed here.
“I am currently based in a smaller space at Red Lane Mill, just through the wall from the Twisting Gallery, and I will be knocking through to make one bigger jewellery workshop, full of fun and light.
“The new larger space will be perfect for teaching my jewellery courses and classes to larger groups and improving the day to day running of my handmade jewellery business Emma White and the Jewellery Makers.
“The courses run throughout the year and are suitable for complete beginners up to experienced makers. We teach weekly classes, project-based weekend sessions and also one to one. Jewellery-making is a great hobby and it’s very rewarding to know that you have made something special, that you can wear forever, with your very own hands,” said Emma.
During the past ten years Sunny Bank Mills, one of the most famous family-owned mills in Yorkshire, has been transformed into a modern office and mixed-use retail and leisure complex for the 21st century, creating 400 sustainable new jobs.
William Gaunt commented: “The regeneration of the Twisting Gallery is another piece in the jigsaw in the regeneration of Sunny Bank Mills. Once the renovation is completed in October, it will be a tremendously stimulating space in the heart of our mill complex.
“We are absolutely delighted that Emma is taking the opportunity to expand her studio and workshop space at Sunny Bank Mills by linking Red Lane Mill with the new space at the Twisting Gallery. We are especially pleased because Emma is one of our longest and most-valued occupiers, who has flourished here at Sunny Bank. We are proud to have nurtured her business.
“It is also fitting that Emma has made her home here, as she is a true Yorkshire craftsperson and maker, which chimes in with the mill’s rich history. Her decision to expand her business here is a tremendous endorsement of our ever-growing creative community at Sunny Bank Mills.”
He added: “The first phase of the £1m regeneration of the three storey Twisting Gallery will be completed in October. This phase of the redevelopment is creating four bespoke creative and retail units. All these units, including Emma’s, are pre-let.”
