Artistic Director / CEO

The British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) is a prestigious and high-profile festival of contemporary ceramics that takes place in Stoke-on-Trent. BCB presents artworks from the UK’s leading ceramicists alongside work by international artists, in exhibitions and special events held across the city. BCB is also responsible for delivery of an exciting year-round programme of artists’ commissions, education and community engagement projects. These projects feed into the festival programme of exhibitions and events.

BCB co-founder and Artistic Director, Barney Hare Duke has decided to stand down after a successful 12 years in the role. British Ceramics Biennial now seeks to appoint a new Artistic Director, CEO, to join the organisation and lead on the development of its artistic programme and further establish the organisation in Stoke-on-Trent and beyond.

BCB has been running for over 12 years.  It is based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, the home of the British ceramic industry, but it has many links, operations and exhibitions elsewhere in the UK, and abroad. With six Biennial Festivals delivered BCB has become a leader in its field, developing and recognising talent, expanding the discipline, supporting innovation and exploring the intersections between ceramics and other social and health contexts. Whilst being embedded in the local, it is well connected to national and international ceramic networks.

The BCB works in collaboration with partners across the city in cultural, heritage, education, health and community sectors in the development and delivery of ground- breaking programmes that support Stoke-on-Trent’s cultural regeneration strategies.

In seeking to secure the organisation’s strategic place within the cultural infrastructure of the city BCB has the ambition to set up the Clay Building, where it can bring all its functions, programme, studio/workshop, office together and from where it can additionally; support and facilitate production of new ceramic works, incubate new creative practitioners and social enterprises; curate and present a programme of exhibitions and generate national/international touring initiatives.