British Ceramics Biennial

I've shot my mouth off about various Biennials before. Usually trying to find the good, but there are times when they frustrate. And I had a theory for a while the largely disappointing Biennials in Liverpool and Venice over the last few years were a sign, or reflection, of this dystopian world in which we now find ourselves. Istanbul was different and struck a chord for that very reason.

Pity, then Stoke. A city made up of six towns and home to what was once a powerhouse of ceramic manufacture - Spode, Wedgwood and the like. Now completely decimated by a combination of new tech, economic vandalism and the relentless rise of cheap Chinese imports. It really has very few uplights. It's vying to be UK City of Culture in 2021. Good luck with that. Really. I'm not being snarky. It would give the place a massive lift, so desperately needed.

Except, from where I'm sitting, the British Ceramics Biennial is a breath of fresh air. This is our third trip and each time we've seen really cool work and optimistic and uplifting pieces. Although the main base is the ex-Spode factory, there somehow seems to be a genuine hat tip towards the future, although a recognition of what went on in these walls before it became obvious the world had moved on and there was no chance this business could survive.

The carts in this shot are a perfect example. They were used to move fired product around the factory. Now they show off new uses for waste product. Worktops made from glass and tar fragments, bottles recycled from shards of other broken bottles, re-purposed clay and other things I can't remember.

Elsewhere around the site there were massive urns, smaller ones placed on the floor to catch the drips of rain coming through the ceiling, little Minion type pieces and the absolutely fascinating project to re-imagine the Brown Betty teapot.

It was all good, if not better and it was a splendid way to spend a rainy afternoon. The company helped and it was cool to catch up with good friends.