The British Ceramics Biennial is returning to Stoke-on-Trent for a fourth time from the 26 Sept to 8 Nov 2015. Following the success of the last Biennial in 2013, the festival will again take over the spectacular China Hall at the original Spode factory site in Stoke town. Applications are now open for the prestigious AWARD and FRESH exhibitions.
AWARD
At the heart of the British Ceramics Biennial, the AWARD exhibition will again be “It is the energetic, non-conformist, challenging spirit we need to encourage. It is the spirit which brought about Stoke-on-Trent’s success in the 18th century. And the Biennial plays an important part in reviving that culture by bringing in talent, discovering new designers, and forcing us to think on an international scale.” Tristram Hunt, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, writing in Apollo Magazine
The celebrated AWARD exhibition will sit at the centre of the fourth British Ceramics Biennial taking place in Stoke-on-Trent from 26 September to 8 November 2015.
In 2015 we will be developing AWARD, with an emphasis on new work, work with little previous exposure, work which projects ceramic practice forward to match the ambition of BCB as a national showcase.
You are invited to apply for the BCB AWARD 2015 – a prestigious exhibition that celebrates the vitality and standing of contemporary British ceramics, in the context of its long history in Stoke-on-Trent.
Deadline for applications: Monday 30 March 2015
Building on the success and growing reputation of the AWARD exhibition by siting the show at the centre of the programme of exhibitions on the Spode site. A new selection panel chaired by Alun Graves (Curator of Ceramics & Glass at the V&A) will choose 10 artists, giving each exhibitor more space, providing a platform and more focused opportunity for critical appraisal.
A single cash prize of ££5,000 will be made together with an offer to the winner to be involved in both the selection process for AWARD 2017 and the subsequent BCB 2017 exhibition programme.
Artists are asked to submit proposals, outlining what work they would seek to present if selected. It is a condition that all work proposed will be current (no more than three years old). We anticipate that many of the artists will propose to make new work for the 2015 exhibition.
FRESH
“The Fresh exhibition is so much more than a collective graduate show; it is about representing our education, about being present and creating a presence in the ceramics field”
Helen Felcey
Manchester School of Art, NACHE executive
and chair of Fresh 2015 selection panel
The acclaimed FRESH show will be one of the main exhibitions at the fourth British Ceramics Biennial, taking place in Stoke-on-Trent, from 26 September to 8 November 2015.
Graduates (BA, MA) of UK higher education universities and colleges who graduated in 2014 or 2015 are invited to apply for the BCB FRESH 2015 – a prestigious exhibition that celebrates the emerging talent in contemporary British ceramics, in the context of its long history in Stoke-on-Trent.
Deadline for applications: Monday 6 July 2015
What is FRESH?
FRESH is:
A curated survey exhibition of new ceramic work by recent graduates from UK Higher Education programmes. Organised by the British Ceramics Biennial BCB and the National Association of Ceramics in Higher Education (NACHE).
Venue: BCB Exhibition Space the original Spode factory site, Stoke Town, Stoke-on-Trent
FRESH will:
Promote the high quality work of graduates to a professional and public audience through a combination of visitors to the show, symposium, journal articles and reviews.
Represent the range of practice of graduates within the field, which is anticipated to include work from across the ceramic spectrum: studio pottery, tableware and industrial design, figurative and abstract sculpture and installation.
Provide an invaluable launch pad for the exhibitors as they embark on their professional careers.
Award commendations for three exhibitors demonstrating talent and professional potential in the disciplines of craft, design and fine art.
Find all the details here: www.britishceramicsbiennial.com/get-involved/artist-opportunities/?mdid=0
