Jewel Joy events are organized by Društvo DIH and Ljubljana Pride to let people create fun, unique and authentic jewellery. There are lots of materials, so you can try different techniques and make different things: earrings, necklaces, keychains etc. To make it even more fun, we provide small toys that you can use in a creative way to put on your jewellery.
The location gets switched between Društvo DIH (Slomškova ulica, 25) and Ljubljana Pride (Dunajska cesta, 10) every month, so pay attention to the information in the post or the calendar before arriving.
A lot of the materials get donated to us by participants and volunteers, including the toys. We would really appreciate it if you can bring some old jewellery that you don’t use to recycle, some old kinder toys or just some leftover chains and wires from your other projects. But no pressure, there is plenty of supplies already, so you don’t have to bring anything!
You can drop in at any point during event hours, there is no need to arrive right at the start. Just make sure to give yourself enough time to create (getting started 30 minutes before closing might feel a bit rushed).
When you come to the event we will ask you to fill in the Logbook, the tool we use to report attendance at our events. It’s fully confidential, we will just ask for your gender (you can choose whatever feels more comfortable for you between male/female/non-binary, and it doesn’t have to align with any documents) and age, no personal details. Sometimes we make name tags with names and pronouns to help everyone communicate comfortably. Taking one is completely optional!
We usually play some chill music in the office. Also, we have snacks and you can make yourself coffee or tea, if you want. We have some fidget toys if you need them as well. Usually participants talk to each other, help others out or just suggest new ideas, but you can always just do your own thing by yourself, if that’s more comfortable for you.
Besides the materials, we also have some tools: wire cutter, pliers, scissors and a heating tool to burn through the toys if needed. However, there isn’t much, so often participants need to share. If you want, you can bring your own.
There are many ways to do things and usually we don’t limit ourselves with methods or topics, so people are free to explore and try out different things. You can watch some tutorials, prepare the references to try, or just ask others for help or inspiration.
We start cleaning up about 15 minutes before closing to pack away materials and tidy the space. You can take your finished artwork home, leave it for the next workshop to recycle, or even gift it to another attendee.
The event is usually facilitated by Mykyta and Evan, so you can get help or instructions in both English and Slovene, but participants are welcome to speak whatever language you feel most comfortable with when talking to other participants. If you have any specific questions, accessibility requirements, or other needs, feel free to reach out via email or direct messages.
Also sometimes we would take some pictures of the process, but they usually only include the materials and collages, not people’s faces. But you can also ask to not be in the pictures at all!
