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[November 2009]
British Biennial Ceramic Awards
The organisers of the British Ceramics Biennial in Stoke-on-Trent (Staffs, England), which opened on 3 October 2009 and continues through until 13 December, have announced awards associated with the event.
The Biennial Ceramics Awards promote and celebrate the energy and innovation of contemporary British ceramics in the context of its long history in Stoke-on-Trent. The awards focus on creativity, innovation and achievement across the breadth of ceramic practice and design, with total cash prizes of £40,000 for individual artists and industry. These were announced at a special event held on 29 October.
An exhibition of work by 27 exceptional participants, selected from over 300 international applications, is staged in the heart of the city at The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Hanley, forming a dramatic centrepiece of the Biennial programme. It will also extend into the collections as each artist selects and highlights an influence on their practice as represented in the Museum’s extraordinary collections of ceramics.
At the halfway point of the festival and with over 10,000 visitors already through the doors, the invited group of 300 dignitaries from the city and the world of ceramics came together to celebrate the very best in new ceramics. Turner Prize winning ceramicist, artist and author Grayson Perry was the special guest at the gala, as the winners were awarded a total of £40,000.
The Award winners in full:
Batch Award – Louisa Taylor.
One-Off Award – Neil Brownsword.
Industry Award – Ibstock Brick Ltd; Johnson Tiles; Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Co.
Built Environment commissions – Robert Dawson, Andrew Roberts, Gwen Heeney & Vicky Shaw.
The Award selectors were the Biennial’s Associates: Emmanuel Cooper OBE, potter and editor 'Ceramic Review'; Alison Britton OBE, ceramic artist and senior lecturer Royal College of Art; Alun Graves, Curator of Ceramics, Victoria & Albert Museum; Ian Dudson CBE, Managing Director, Dudsons; Barney Hare Duke & Jeremy Theophilus, BCB Co-Directors.
www.stokeceramicsfestival.co.uk
ENDS