ClayCraft #54

Welcome It was nice to read about Doug and Hannah being back out and about again, and showing at two of the Potfest shows (see Doug's Diary, p70). Jacqui Atkin, who does all of our handbuilding projects, had a stand at Potfest in the Park, where she debuted a new body of work, inspired by mid-century textiles and wallpapers. She said: “I’ve been spurred into experimentation by the work I do for the magazine. It stretches me to do things I wouldn’t normally do, which is exciting and generates new ideas for my own work.” We chatted about how the show had been for her, and she was pleased to report that her presence there had led to sales from one of the galleries that stock her work. I’m very…

It was nice to read about Doug and Hannah being back out and about again, and showing at two of the Potfest shows (see Doug's Diary, p70). Jacqui Atkin, who does all of our handbuilding projects, had a stand at Potfest in the Park, where she debuted a new body of work, inspired by mid-century textiles and wallpapers. She said: “I’ve been spurred into experimentation by the work I do for the magazine. It stretches me to do things I wouldn’t normally do, which is exciting and generates new ideas for my own work.” We chatted about how the show had been for her, and she was pleased to report that her presence there had led to sales from one of the galleries that stock her work. I’m very aware that…

IN THE NEWS VENUE CHANGE FOR 2021 BCB The British Ceramics Biennial moves to Swift House in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent for the 2021 festival. Since 2011, the China Hall of the original Spode factory site, owned by Stoke City Council, has been home to the British Ceramics Biennial (BCB). Stoke City Council has secured significant investment for the ongoing regeneration of both the China Hall and other buildings at Spode. Following the most recent surveys of the site, some new structural safety concerns have been identified in China Hall, and as a result, the space can’t be used as a festival venue for 2021. The BCB and Stoke-on-Trent City Council have been working to find an alternative venue and can now confirm that Swift House in the heart of…

The British Ceramics Biennial moves to Swift House in the centre of Stoke-on-Trent for the 2021 festival. Since 2011, the China Hall of the original Spode factory site, owned by Stoke City Council, has been home to the British Ceramics Biennial (BCB). Stoke City Council has secured significant investment for the ongoing regeneration of both the China Hall and other buildings at Spode. Following the most recent surveys of the site, some new structural safety concerns have been identified in China Hall, and as a result, the space can’t be used as a festival venue for 2021. The BCB and Stoke-on-Trent City Council have been working to find an alternative venue and can now confirm that Swift House in the heart of the city will be the main festival hub for BCB…

Hove Museum & Art Gallery has reopened with a fascinating new collection of work. ‘Mantelpiece Observations’ presents a new commission by Richard Slee, and consists of a series of objects and installations inspired by Mass Observation’s 1937 Mantelpiece Reports. The Mass Observation Project (MO) was a pioneering social research organisation in the 1930s, that aimed to document everyday life in Britain. Its first initiative, the Mantelpiece Directive, invited its national panel of volunteers to share what was on their mantelpieces. The resulting reports demonstrate how the seemingly insignificant objects in our homes are, in fact, full of meaning, and led the organisation to conclude that we are what we live with. Slee has an interest in the everyday, the domestic and the kind of objects that might be seen displayed on the…

NEW EXHIBITION Hove Museum & Art Gallery has reopened with a fascinating new collection of work. ‘Mantelpiece Observations’ presents a new commission by Richard Slee, and consists of a series of objects and installations inspired by Mass Observation’s 1937 Mantelpiece Reports. (Photo: Madeleine Waller) The Mass Observation Project (MO) was a pioneering social research organisation in the 1930s, that aimed to document everyday life in Britain. Its first initiative, the Mantelpiece Directive, invited its national panel of volunteers to share what was on their mantelpieces. The resulting reports demonstrate how the seemingly insignificant objects in our homes are, in fact, full of meaning, and led the organisation to conclude that we are what we live with. Slee has an interest in the everyday, the domestic and the kind of objects…