British Ceramics Biennial

Who we are

The British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) develops, sustains and expands innovative ceramics practice and improves lives together with artists and creative communities. We do this by delivering an engaging year-round programme of artists’ commissions, education and community projects. All of which feed into a festival of contemporary ceramics that takes place in Stoke-on-Trent.

Initiated in 2009, the BCB festival has grown to be the single largest contemporary ceramics event in the UK. We present artworks from the UK’s leading ceramicists alongside work by international artists, in exhibitions and special events held across the city every two years.

We work in partnership with organisations and individuals in the museums, cultural, industry, business, education, community and voluntary sectors across the city in the development and delivery of projects with a particular focus on public engagement. British Ceramics Biennial receives generous core funding support from Arts Council England, Staffordshire University and Stoke-on-Trent City Council. 

Our culture and values

All British Ceramics Biennial team members work within the spirit of and contribute to the delivery of our vision, mission and core values.

Our Vision:

Making change through clay

Our Mission:

To develop, sustain and expand innovative ceramics practice and improve lives together with artists and creative communities

Our Values – The Way We Work

▪ Bold

▪ Accountable

▪ Welcoming

▪ Significant

▪ Grounded

▪ Inclusive

▪ Connected

▪ Collaborative

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

We recognise that there is an under-representation of diversity in the ceramics sector and acknowledge that as an organisation we share responsibility in addressing systemic inequalities that persist. We need to increase representation of diverse artists and practice in our festival, exhibitions and events programmes.

We have a responsibility to artists working in clay and to the contemporary ceramics sector in addressing the under-representation of diverse artists and the barriers in accessing opportunities to progress. We are taking actions to better support an increase in applications from artists who feel their identity and background are under-represented in our exhibitions and festival programme.

BCB believes that the arts are for everyone and that equality, diversity and inclusion help to support creativity. We are committed to community engagement and encouraging wider access and participation in our work.

We actively encourage and support artists from under-represented communities and people with protected characteristics including those based on race, ethnicity, nationality, creed, gender, sex, class, sexuality, gender reassignment, learning ability, physical impairment, mental illness, age, occupation, income, wealth and unrelated criminal conviction.