Jewellery Designer Honors Parents’ Legacy Through Academy

Norma Banton, a jewellery designer who established an academy for young individuals, states her objective is to uphold her parents’ legacy. Banton has been involved in jewellery creation for 22 years and holds the distinction of being the first black woman to own a jewellery shop in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter. Her parents, Nancy Burrell and Dillon Banton, arrived in the city as members of the Windrush generation, with both finding employment within the Jewellery Quarter; her mother at the Birmingham Mint and her father at the Lucas car factory. “I feel like I’m continuing their legacy… they are very much part of what I’m doing,” she stated. Ms. Banton further explained, “My family home was always open. My mum fed all our friends.” She elaborated on her current efforts, saying, “Twenty two years later, I might not be letting people into my home, but I am creating a home from home, creating a safe space for young people to learn skills.” Ms. Banton recounted encountering racism during her training, including instances where she was excluded from exhibitions without clear justification. She mentioned a tutor who referred to her as “hot black stuff” due to her preferred technique of chasing, which utilizes black tar. During the coronavirus pandemic, she initiated a support group for jewellers. Subsequently, in 2021, she established MasterPeace Academy, prompted by accounts of racism shared by other jewellery designers. The academy provides training to local young individuals, especially those who perceive obstacles to entering the jewellery profession. Ms. Banton revealed that her initial belief was that she needed to “grow a thick skin.” “But when I interviewed 60 black jewellers I was getting the same stories,” she reported. She established the academy “as a safe space so nobody has to experience racism whilst they’re training in this trade again.” Approximately 30 students have completed her diploma since the academy’s inception. “I feel a sense of responsibility that it’s up to me to make a difference to the next generation of black jewellers because, if not me, then who?” she expressed. She added, “We want to work with organisations to make the future brighter. Not just for the black students but for everyone in the jewellery trade. “We want to leave the trade safer, and fairer, and more just than we found it.”