Dr Elizabeth Shaw, a Senior Lecturer and Convenor of Jewellery and Small Objects at Queensland College of Art Griffith University, first connected with Ethical Metalsmiths in late 2006. Liz was in the process of making changes to the Jewellery Program at Queensland College of Art–Griffith University (QCA) and was keen to talk to academics and researchers with shared interests. Christina Miller was her first contact and they began conversing by email and mail. The conversations led to Christina and her collaborator Susie Ganch visiting QCA to host a Radical Jewellery Makeover in 2010 (RJM V: Brisbane). Liz also joined Susie and Christina to deliver an RJM in New Mexico in 2011.

RJM XII is the second to be hosted in Australia and was led with the assistance of Clare Poppi, a QCA Masters candidate. Students mostly used the remaining donations from their 2006 RJM project, but did collect a some new donations as well. A final exhibition and sale of work was held at WEBB Gallery, on QCA’s South Bank campus.