Metal Mount Making 18 to 20 May 2026 with Sophie Manhire

Object and Materials Conservation

Ref: M2E40052

Location: West Dean

£659

Places available

About this course

Museum mounts support and protect objects on display and in storage, acting as a form of preventive conservation, and helping to create a dynamic experience for exhibition visitors.

This course may be of interest to museum technicians looking to expand into mountmaking as well as collections care staff, curators or conservators wishing to understand more about the mountmaking process. It is suitable for beginners or those with some experience of silver soldering and/or working with museum objects.

Course Description

This is a practical course with a focus on making small/medium metal mounts, but will also cover the theory behind mount design which is applicable to larger objects and mounts made in other materials. Participants will have access to a range of example mounts during the course and be given advice on suppliers for purchasing materials for mountmaking.

By the end of this course you will:

Have practiced assessing objects and designing mounts for object display
Understand how mounts fit into the overall design of an exhibition or gallery
Be able to select appropriate museum quality materials for mountmaking
Have made one or more mounts using brass, steel and silver soldering
Have an understanding of appropriate finishes and barrier materials to use

The number of mounts you make will depend on previous experience and the complexity of your chosen object/s. Suitable practise objects will be available for you to use but you are also welcome to bring something of your own (e.g. a ring, brooch, coin or small object such as a chess piece) to work on.

Course Materials

Included

Materials will be provided for mounts made during the course.

What students need to bring

This course takes place in a workshop environment, so please dress appropriately. This includes stout covered footwear (e.g. trainers or boots). No open-toed shoes, flip flops or sandals. You may wish to bring an apron to protect your clothing. Long hair should be tied back.

Timetable

Arrival day
Residential students can arrive from 4pm, non-residential students to arrive by 6.45pm for registration
6.45pm: Welcome, followed by dinner (included)
8pm-9pm: Presentation of projects

Daily timetable
Course teaching 9.00am - 5pm (lunch included)
Dinner: from 6.30pm (included for residential students)

Departure day
Course teaching: 9.00am 4.30pm (lunch included)
Residential students will need to check out of rooms by 10am

Please note, the tutor may make slight variations to the daily timetable as required.

General Information

Terms & Conditions

Tutors

Sophie Manhire

Sophie is an experienced museum technician and mountmaker. She worked at the V&A for 10 years and, during this time, was the lead mountmaker on projects including ‘Frida Kahlo: Making Herself Up,’ ‘Epic Iran’ and the new Young V&A museum.