Stoke-on-Trent is so synonymous with ceramics that even the city’s own website declares that it has “respectfully claimed the title of World Capital” for the material.
And since the link between the region and the industry dates back to the creation of Josiah Wedgwood and Sons in 1759, it is natural that Staffordshire University should be an important centre for ceramics education.
It offers a prestigious MA in ceramic design with strong ties to local manufacturers as well as a BA in 3D design: crafts, in which some students go on to specialise in ceramics after an initial foundation year. It also hosts the annual conference of the National Association of Ceramics in Higher Education.
This autumn it has been listed as the first of three sponsors for the British Ceramics Biennial, taking place for the fourth time from 26 September to 8 November. This is now a major event, showcasing leading international designers and cutting-edge creative work while also attempting to promote local businesses, bring in visitors to Stoke and encourage more young people to consider a career in ceramics.
This year’s main exhibition, held at the original Spode factory site, will give 11 artists, selected by a panel of judges, the opportunity “to present new works exemplifying the energy and vitality of the best of British contemporary ceramics practice” in styles “rang[ing] from monumental architectural detail to intricate and intimate contemplative pieces”.
Other shows feature vases inspired by 18th-century porcelain, work engaging with the “diverse cultural communities living in Stoke-on-Trent” and a “multi-media installation bring[ing] together ceramics, sound and public participation to commemorate the soldiers of the North Staffordshire Regiment in the Great War”.
Although the university’s support for the biennial is partly financial, it mainly takes the form of providing office space to the Clay Foundation, the charity that runs the event. Executive pro vice-chancellor Rosy Crehan and the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Creative Technologies, Astrid Herhoffer, both have a place on the board of trustees.
So how does this partnership enable Staffordshire University to pursue its corporate and educational goals?
David Sanderson, professor of ceramic design, describes himself as “a design consultant and collaborator with industry”. In 2010, he created a university spin-off company called Flux, which, according to its website, aims to drive "a veritable renaissance of design, craftsmanship and quality manufacturing” in “the traditional heartland of fine bone china since the 18th century”. The firm’s “distinctive, eclectic designs”, many of them involving input from students or recent graduates, hope to “exude a quintessential Englishness which is synonymous with Staffordshire”.
At this year’s biennial, he says, Flux will be exhibiting the results of “a fairly recent collaboration…Last year I was approached by a region of Japan called Arita, one of the centres of porcelain manufacture. They make high-value products in one of the authentic crafts centres of Japan, but they have no market share in Europe and so wanted to collaborate with Flux.”
This led to joint project “based around the principle of fusion, with us looking at ideas inspired by the Japanese market and vice versa. Students who enrolled last September were given a task to design products specifically for sushi and pouring vessels for sake. We will be exhibiting the best of that. We will also have some ideas on porcelain from Japan displayed within our Flux collection.”
Such work is described by Professor Sanderson as “a product of intent, a range of student solutions to a problem” that may or may not eventually be brought to market. There are also possibilities for exchange schemes, for example with a ceramic college in Arita that is keen to send students to Stoke to complete their education.
Since an American company called 3D Systems is donating a 3D printer, Staffordshire students are also working on a project brief for a ceramic piece that will be put into production during the biennial. This is already attracting interest from local businesses and may form a basis for further collaboration.
Finally, an exhibition called Fresh will offer a space for 22 promising recent graduates (three of them from Staffordshire itself) to present new ceramic work to the public. During the biennial, a panel will select the best. Awards include a one-month residency at Guldagergaard, the international Ceramics Research Centre in Denmark, and three £1,000 scholarships for Creativity and Innovation in Ceramics to support those who want to continue on Staffordshire’s MA course.
In numbers
22 graduates have been offered a space in the Fresh exhibition
Campus news
University of Warwick/Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Engineers are using imaging technologies and big data to help entomologist colleagues tackle malaria. Researchers from the University of Warwick’s School of Engineering, working with colleagues from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, are using high-frequency cameras to record how mosquitoes respond to protective barriers treated with insecticide during experiments in Tanzania. Software to analyse the large number of high-resolution images had to be specially written by the Warwick engineers.
Brunel University London
A recent university graduate has been shortlisted for an international award after creating a kitchen waste pipe that traps and recycles cooking fat. James Seers, who graduated in product design from Brunel University London, is in the running for the international Dyson Awards for his final-year project: a device that replaces the traditional U-bend with a hydrodynamic filter system. Mr Seers hopes that his Berglar device – which was runner-up in the UK stream of the awards – will stop the formation of so-called “fatbergs” in sewers.
University of Lincoln
Dog lovers have long cited the loyalty of their pets in the important “dogs versus cats” debate. Now scientists have confirmed why dogs are friendlier: they perceive their owners as a focus of safety and security. While a study from animal behaviour specialists at the University of Lincoln, published in Plos One, notes that cats are more social and more capable of shared relationships than traditionally thought, it adds that adult cats appear to be more autonomous and not necessarily dependent on others for protection.
Coventry University
A senior academic is to be honoured with a peace award. Alpaslan Özerdem, professor of peacebuilding and co-director of Coventry University’s Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, will receive the International Peace Medal of the Peace Corps of Nigeria at a ceremony in Washington DC. Professor Özerdem has worked extensively with communities in Nigeria in recent years to help with peacebuilding initiatives and the prevention of ethno-religious conflict in the country.
University of Manchester
Drug company AstraZeneca and a Russell Group university have announced a collaboration to deliver personalised healthcare for cancer patients. The five-year agreement with the University of Manchester will see the organisations apply information from clinical trials to “better identify the right cancer treatment for the right patient at the right time”, the university said. As part of the collaboration, AstraZeneca will provide a total of £11.5 million to support clinical bioinformatics research at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre.
Teesside University
An academic and artist whose work draws from his own personal experience of disability is to showcase his talents at one of Ireland’s most important arts events. A piece by Simon McKeown, reader in animation and post-production at Teesside University, is one of three “Ignite” projects commissioned as part of Cork’s Culture Night on 18 September. His 30-minute live art projection mixes digital technology and animation and will draw on his experiences of being born with osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition that causes extremely fragile bones.
University of Leeds
A UK university has secured more than £2 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England to support the commercialisation of medical technologies. The University of Leeds has received the funding for the Medical Technologies Innovation Catalyst project, which will translate the best medical technology research from five universities in the region into practical products available to patients.
University of Winchester
Serial killers, genocides and political assassinations were all discussed at an academic conference earlier this month. The University of Winchester hosted the “Encountering Perpetrators of Mass Killings, Political Violence and Genocide” event, which looked at the motives behind such outrages. Emiliano Perra, senior lecturer in modern European history at Winchester, said that the conference had been “tremendously successful”, adding: “Understanding the perpetrators of genocide, mass killings and political violence is essential in order to prevent the occurrence of future crimes.” The conference ran from 1 to 3 September.
