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29/9/2011

British Ceramics Biennial 2011

Different locations, Stoke-on-Trent

The British Ceramics Biennial is a prestigious cultural event taking place in Stoke-on- Trent from 30 September to 13 November 2011. This six-week long festival of exhibitions, events and activities embraces the heritage of the Potteries as the home of British ceramics, and celebrates the city's creative edge as an international centre for excellence in contemporary ceramics.

The British Ceramics Biennial launched in 2009, is a five-year initiative of residencies, fellowships, commissions, education and enterprise projects from 2009 to 2013 with a major festival every two years. BCB is intended to be a catalyst for regeneration in the region and to create a platform for the best in current ceramic design, both nationally and internationally. The Biennial draws on the historical strengths of the past in championing new future directions for the city.

The Biennial works in partnership with organisations and individuals in the museums, cultural industry, education, community and voluntary sectors across the city in the development and delivery of projects with a particular focus on public engagement. The festival and supporting BCB Projects programme will not only highlight and raise the profile of the many ceramics industries still working in Stoke-on-Trent, but will also create commissioning and exhibition opportunities for local ceramic artists as well as national and international artists.

The British Ceramics Biennial returns to Stoke-on-Trent this autumn. Building on the success of the inaugural festival in 2009, this international cultural event, taking place from 30 September to 13 November, will continue to present the very best in contemporary ceramics. Six weeks of celebrations will include exhibitions, site-specific installations, artist residencies and creative responses to the region’s industrial and architectural heritage.

The historic listed site of the former Spode Pottery factory will form the creative hub of the 2011 festival, with a mass of exhibitions, events and installations. Other events and exhibitions will take place at venues in the City Centre, with a special programme of talks, seminars, films, and workshops animating the festival.

Co-Directors of the British Ceramics Biennial Barney Hare Duke and Jeremy Theophilus comment: ‘We are delighted to be given the opportunity to present the second Biennial for Stoke-on- Trent, which we are confident will continue to fascinate and excite new audiences for ceramics as well as revealing the potential of the city itself as a centre for innovation and an international profile as a world ceramic city.’

At the heart of the British Ceramics Biennial is AWARD at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, a major exhibition of work by artists, potters and designers working at the creative leading edge of contemporary ceramics practice in the UK. From the 28 finalists exhibited, one winner will be awarded a £10,000 prize at an event to celebrate the Biennial on 21 October.

On the former Spode factory site in Stoke Town, FRESH will showcase the work of 40 recent UK graduates, together with a spotlight on six ground-breaking post-graduate research programmes, representing the vitality of current emerging ceramic artists in an exhibition that makes use of the redundant furniture and equipment from the factory buildings as an integral part of the display. FRESH will also highlight the Crafts Council’s “Firing Up” project to re-invigorate the learning of ceramics in secondary schools. ReFRESH will give visitors opportunity to see examples of ground-breaking ceramic research by post graduate students.

One of the largest shop floors on the former Spode site will be the home of A Great Wall. This large-scale installation will feature a mass of selected products pieces from across products from the breadth of the UK ceramic industry from tableware to technical ceramics, highlighting its diversity, innovation and creativity.

A new body of work by acclaimed Stoke-on-Trent-based ceramic artist Phil Eglin, Mould Store will see the artist reuse and reclaim the discarded ceramic moulds from the nine remaining stores at Spode. Eglin joins five other artists who will create specific responses to the factory buildings to allow visitors to explore the ten-acre site. Elgin’s work for the Biennial is a result of the Artists into Heritage programme launched at British Ceramics Biennial 2009.

The work of ten international artists will be brought to Stoke-on-Trent for Sunday Morning @EKWC. The exhibition looks at the results of artistic experimentation and potential benefit to Stoke-on-Trent of a similar centre of excellence.

The exhibition is co-curated by Neil Brownsword, an internationally acclaimed artist from Stoke-on-Trent overall winner of a 2009 BCB Award.

An associated programme OPEN will see the area’s museums, galleries and ceramic industries complement the Biennial with their own ceramics-inspired programme across three weekends during the festival.

The British Ceramics Biennial Ltd is funded by Stoke City Council, Arts Council England and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

Image: James Evans, Kong, Ceramic, 35cmx45x35, signed.

For national and international press enquiries please contact Iliana Taliotis at Colman Getty on +44(0)20 7631 2666 or iliana@colmangetty.co.uk

Biennial Opening Weekend
Friday 30 September 2011, 10am – 5pm
Saturday 1 October 2011, 10am – 5pm
Sunday 2 October 2011, 12noon – 5pm
FREE
Drop-in and join us in the Artists’ Studio to try a range of hand on activities all inspired by the original Spode factory site and the BCB exhibitions. No booking required

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