TELEGRAPH & ARGUS
18 SEPTEMBER 2001
Kath puts her mind to a gem of a venture.
. .
Kath
Libbert admits she took a risk when she gave up her job as a psychologist
to run her contemporary jewellery business full-time - but it was
a risk worth taking, as Sally Clfford reports.
Flicking
through her portfolio while sipping from a coffee cup in Salts Mill,
Kath Libbert is modestly proud of her achievements as she recaps
on a career which has taken more twists and turns than a rollercoaster
ride.
The 42-year-old, who originates from London, is clearly at home
in the mill surroundings.
That's understandable when you consider her mother Margaret, who
now lives in Canada, came from a mill-owning family, and it's believed
one of their relations may have worked at Salts when it was a textile
mill.
Kath's work involves showcasing and selling work by up-and-coming
British jewellery designers.
The business, which was launched at Salts in 1996, is becoming internationally-renowned
throughout the world of contemporary jewellery.
Up until now Kath has worked exclusively with British designers,
but she is now developing her business as a platform for international
talent with her first international show in November - Schmuck -
showcasing work by five German jewellers, and an exchange exhibition
with an established gallery in Barcelona is planned for next summer.
But Kath's career started out very differently. Initially, after
finishing her psychology degree at Sussex University, where she
also found time to do a jewellery course in the evening, she worked
on various community-based projects.
Her first post was helping to set up facilities for teenage girls
in Brighton, before moving North to help homeless teenagers in Leeds.
Kath's role in youth and community work eventually brought her to
Bradford where she worked with the city's Family Service Unit before
returning to Leeds to work in community health services - a role
which finally enabled her to put her psychology into practice.
But, despite her busy workload, she still found time to fulfIl her
hobby - jewellery. Weekends were taken up with travelling to craft
and trade fairs where, gradually, she learned her trade and got
to know all the up-and-coming jewellery designers. This was to stand
her in good stead for the future. Eventually she started buying
work from designers which she sold from a table at Leeds Corn Exchange,
and she also did jewellery parties. But her ambition was to set
up her own business. She had already found the perfect location
- Salts Mill.
Initially Kath juggled running the business with her psychologist's
role, until she fInally threw caution to the wind and gave her job
up in November to concentrate solely on the business. She knew it
was a risk and even her mum was concerned it was a 'flight of fancy.'
"I think she thought 1 wouldn't stick to it," said Kath.
But it wasn't a dramatic career change as she thought - she was
still helping people but instead of sorting out people's problems
and helping them to turn their lives round, she was providing a
platform to promote talented people.
She says the job has helped her to spread her wings and given her
the opportunity to travel to some of the most beautiful places in
the world sourcing new jewellery designers.
And there is no-one more proud of her success than her mum, from
whom she says she has inherited her creative flair.
Kath's latest exhibition, showcasing eight British contemporary
jewellery designers, is entitled Flight of Fancy and runs until
September 30.
But looking back over-her career, Kath is modest about her achievements
and is-still coming to terms with the fact that her business, which
started off as a table top shop, has evolved into a growing enterprise.
"It has gone from being something on the side-line to something
really quite signifIcant to me," said Kath.
