The British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) launched in 2009 with a festival celebrating and showcasing contemporary ceramics from across the world.  Set in Stoke-on-Trent – the heart of the UK ceramics industry, the festival took place in established venues and non-traditional spaces across the city.  Highlights included a retrospective of Spanish artist Jaime Hayon’s ceramics at Emma Bridgewater alongside forty of the best ceramics graduates in the FRESH exhibition; and Indian pots from Gujerat, India in Earthen Vessels.

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery hosted the AWARD exhibition with the coveted overall prize won by local artist Neil Brownsword. One of the festival’s most popular shows was Marl Hole at AirSpace Gallery with an extraordinary film of artists’ explorations at Ibstock Brick Ltd’s marl pit.  All this plus numerous local projects working with local people to create new work inspired by traditional ceramic techniques.