Innovations in Clay: Artists Announced for British Ceramics Biennial 2025
Plus Stoke station's grand opening today, Stoke chosen for Youth Transformation Pilot and a social supermarket opens in Cheadle…
Good News 🎉
🏺Showcasing the Best New Artists in Clay. The British Ceramics Biennial has announced the 25 artists selected for Fresh, a celebration of the new wave of artists working in clay and one of its flagship exhibitions. This year’s cohort, selected from more than 380 applicants, represents emerging talent from across the UK and Ireland and reflects a wide range of ceramic practices. Also launching as part of BCB is Clay Films, a new strand showcasing the work of six international Global Majority artists working in film and clay. Both exhibitions are part of the 2025 British Ceramics Biennial, at Spode Works from 06/09-19/10.
🎨 👩🎨 THE KNOT’S PERSON OF THE WEEK – ALICIA WALKER 🎨 👩🎨
The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition, which is on show at Fenton Town Hall until 30/08, will feature the work of Alicia Walker, a textile artist from Wolstanton, who just graduated from university with a first-class honours degree in textiles. Her recent work examines the loss of traditional craftsmanship across North Staffs, focusing on the pottery industry in Stoke, and the silk and natural dye industry in Leek. The piece she’s exhibiting, Factory Worker’s Jacket, is inspired by the idea of pottery workers working in dangerous factory conditions and having to constantly mend their worn-down uniforms. Vintage and naturally dyed fabrics have been patchworked together, distressed, and then visibly mended to tell this story. She says it’s a fantastic opportunity to platform her work early in her career, adding, “it’s exciting to exhibit in a region that constantly inspires me.” PS: to coincide with the exhibition, there are free workshops to attend at Keele for all ages, from clay sculpture to bamboo towers.
🚇 Grand Opening for Stoke Station Today! Ongoing since August 2023, the multi-million-pound project to enhance the gateway around Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station has its grand opening today. It will include the official unveiling of the Josiah Wedgwood statue, which has been relocated in front of Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station. So, what to expect? Priority access for buses, improved parking facilities, wider pavements, and new pedestrian crossings.
⚽️ Youth Transformation. Stoke-on-Trent has been selected as one of the areas to benefit from a new £8 million Local Youth Transformation Pilot. The pilot will support councils to improve and invest in high-quality out-of-school youth
services, providing young people with the opportunities, confidence, and life skills they need to thrive. The scheme is part of the Government’s wider Plan for Change, with a focus on reconnecting young people with their communities.
👨🏫 National Teaching Fellowship for Gifted Games Teacher. Course director for Games Design at the University of Staffordshire, David James is one of 61 new National Teaching Fellows announced by Advance HE, which recognises individuals who have made an outstanding impact. A graduate of the University of Staffordshire, David first began teaching 17 years ago at the university, which is home to the largest games department in the UK.
🍎 Social Supermarket Opens in Cheadle. Providing discounted food and pantry supplies for anyone in need, Claire’s Community Pantry aims to help alleviate budget struggles for local people. Having previously operated on the Sunday car boot and out of the parish church, it now hopes to offer more people help to make ends meet, with plans to offer more support in the future.
📕Summer Reading Challenge is On! We may be under the impression that all kids want to do is play Roblox on their devices, but it’s not the case: more than 8,000 children from across Staffordshire have signed up for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge since it launched last month – over 1,000 more young readers than at the same point last year. The event continues until 14/09 and aims to encourage children to read during the summer holidays. You can still get involved: visit the Staffs Libraries website for more info.
🥨 Good Vibes Only: A word from Helen, writer at The Knot
It’s less than a month until the British Ceramics Biennial (BCI) opens, which will usher in six weeks of exhibitions, installations, special events, and hands-on experiences. With 25 artists chosen, Fresh brings critical attention to artists from all over the UK and Ireland at a pivotal moment in their careers. From hand-built figurative forms to cool architectural structures, these emerging talents explore bold ideas, push the boundaries of ceramic practice and embrace the physicality of their material.
The 25 artists will be eligible for Fresh Talent Prizes, which will be awarded to four artists during the Biennial. The Fresh Talent Prizes include a range of residency opportunities in partnership with the University of Staffordshire, Guldagergaard International Ceramics Research Center and Grymsdyke Farm. Prize recipients will also be invited to develop new work and exhibit at BCB 2027.
We’re also intrigued to see how the inaugural edition of Clay Films will unfold, which reflects the ways that artists are exploring clay through film. Showcasing the work of six Global Majority artists of African and Caribbean heritage, the work you’ll be able to see ranges from stop motion animation to moving image.
Year after year, the BCB continues to evolve, celebrating both the transformative power of clay and our region’s rich ceramic heritage. Go check out the latest talents from the world of clay at Spode Works from 06/09 – we’ll see you there…
Really Good News 🎉 Your favourite news from the last week
🎸 Pouring Passion into Live Music: We chatted to the owners of the Artisan Tap
🧛♂️ Dracula Comes to Stoke: Knotters were keen to click and find out more about this production by The House of Lawrence coming on 03/09-06/09.
🤹♀️ A Cultural Feast: You also wanted to know about The Big Feast (23 & 24/08)
The Knot Pod 🎤 ⬇️ Catch James chatting with some of our amazing innovators
🥨 The Red Haired Stokie: Our ace local blogger, photographer & Knot contributor
🗣️ Kirsty Hulse: Get inspired, it’s the founder of leading event Confidence Live
🏃♂️ George Bettany: Jog to this chat with the founder of MARA Run Club
📽️ Daniel Moore: So much creativity going on in Stone at top agency Dissident
🎶: Ash and Ryan: Listen to two of Stoke’s biggest names in music and fashion
🕯️Beth Warren: Founder of sustainable candle brand The Wandering Bee
Weekly Weather (Stoke-on-Trent):
Mon ☀️ 27° (16°) Tue ☀️ 29° (15°) Wed ☀️ 27° (14°) Thu ⛅️ 25° (13°) Fri ⛅️ 23° (13°)
Sat ⛅️ 23° (11°) Sun ⛅️ 22° (11°).
Sunrise 11/08 ☀️05:42 Sunset 11/08 🌅 20:45
