Making Change: Ceramic Practice as a
Medium of Social & Political Change & Resistance
6 May 2022
When Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada established the Leach Pottery in 1920, it marked one of many acts of radicalism to punctuate the Pottery’s unfolding story. From Leach resisting the expectations of his social background, to upholding the artist-potter narrative, to valuing the act of making and hand-made pots in a time or growing industrial production – radical acts can, like ripples on water, be bold and also subtle inspiring echoes of change and resistance.
The idea of radicalism is fluid, transient, changing through time and from individual and cultural perspectives. One hundred years on, we are interested in today’s radical ceramic practice and have convened a series of talks and conversations to ask how clay is working as a medium of social and political change and resistance.
The programme, developed by the Leach Pottery as part of its Leach 100 celebrations, will explore ceramic practice as an agent for social change through practice and engagement and ceramic practice as a site and/or medium of political resistance and engagement.
Event Programme
10.00-10.10: Welcome: Libby Buckley Director, Leach Pottery
10.10-10.30: Convenors’ Introduction: Tanya Harrod, Craft Writer and Historian
10.30-11.00: Clay and contemporary art: Dr Jareh Das, Researcher, Writer and Independent Curator. Taking the contemporary display of Body Vessel Clay: Black Women, Ceramics and Contemporary Art as a point of departure, Dr Jareh Das will explore how clay continues to serve as a political and transformative medium for a generation of contemporary artists.
11.00-11.10: Questions
11.10-11.15: Comfort Break
11.15-11.45: 'These are fragments shored against the ruins’; clay, stories, shards: Edmund de Waal, Artist and Writer. In this short, illustrated talk Edmund de Waal will look at projects dealing with memory and restitution including his library of exile and exhibitions in Vienna, Paris and New York.
11.45-11.55: Questions
11.55-12.05: Webinar close and move to Zoom networking meeting / comfort break
12.05-12.25: Networking in a Zoom meeting (optional)
12.25-13.00: Lunch
13.00-13.10: Convenors’ Welcome: Tanya Harrod
13.10-13.40: Craft as commons: some reflections and an agenda for practice: Dr Leila Dawney, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, University of Exeter and Emma Daker, Exhibitions and Project Development Manager, Craftspace. Dr Leila Dawney and Emma Daker will consider the problems of collectivising in an individualised world, how craft making can communicate alternative political imaginaries, and ways to speak across intellectual and practical forms of knowledge. They will reflect on their recent AHRC research network “Crafting the Commons”, which supported the development of Craftspace’s ‘We are Commoners’ exhibition. The network brought together exhibitors, craft professionals and academics to discuss and make work in relation to the idea of the commons.
13.40-13.50: Questions
13.50-13.55: Comfort Break
13.55-14.05: Convenor’s Closing Reflections: Tanya Harrod
14.05-14.15: Webinar close and move to Zoom networking meeting / comfort break
14.15-14.40: Networking (optional)
14.40: Event Close
Grants for Radical Action
We recognise that acts of radical action and social change are often embedded and happening in our communities. In the spirit of practice, of promoting participation and creative opportunities for all, and helping change to happen, the Leach Pottery invites practitioners, groups and communities to apply for one of our Grants for Radical Action, each worth £500.
Update: the grants were awarded and this information will soon be made available.
Supported By
The financial support for this talk, provided as part of the Leach Pottery’s Leach 100 activities, uses funding from Arts Council England, the Garfield Weston Foundation, and Cornwall Council.