A collection of some 70,000 moulds were left behind in the Spode factory when it closed in 2008. Now one artist is making it his mission to preserve them for posterity, and along with them the entire pottery region’s rich heritage of craft, skill and dexterityStoke-on-Trent’s rich ceramic history is one which local artis1Neil Brownsword is keen to sustain. At this year’s British Ceramics Biennial, he created an installation in the former Spode factory site using plaster moulds left behind since its closure in 2008. The site-specific commission, ‘Externalising the Archive’, featured a selection of the 70,000 moulds that remain as a representation of the work that went into the making of each Spode piece, showcasing the history of craft and the legacy that lies within the city.

Known as ‘The Potteries’ and coined the ‘World Capital of Ceramics’, Stokeon- Trent is home to many well-known brands such as Spode and others including Burleigh, Wedgwood and Royal Doulton. As a result, it’s worth highlighting the dedication, passion and development of craft, which has been a central focus of this region for decades past.

The British Ceramics Biennial began in 2009 and was back this year for the sixth time. Brownsword, a graduate of the Royal College of Art in 1995 and Professor of Ceramics at Staffordshire University, has worked with the Biennial since its inception, curating a variety of exhibits to powerfully convey the findings from continuous research within the industry. This year he wants to drive home the importance of preserving the associated histories found in the collection of moulds and to celebrate the work of the makers and ceramicists behind them.

The Festival is keen to support Brownsword in restoring interest in the city’s wealth of history. In fact, the event was initially founded to encourage regeneration in the area and celebrate the impact that Stoke-on-Trent has had on the ceramics industry globally.
Since the early 18th century, the region has developed and in 1938 half of the local workforce was employed in pottery factories, reaching a peak 10 years later at an estimated 79,000 people. However, the resident industry has struggled in more recent decades, contending with rising global competition and changes in consumer habits. This has led to many companies outsourcing their labour to other countries and, coupled with technological advances, caused a knock-on eff ect to the local employment levels.

Spode was one of the country’s longest standing factories still running from its original site when it closed its doors 11 years ago. Operating continuously from the Copeland Spode Works for more than 230 years, the brand is now owned by the Portmeirion Group, and the 10-acre site now in the possession of Stoke-on-Trent City Council. It can’t be denied how Spode and other factories have left their mark on the area. ‘They are Stoke’s heritage assets, and the region’s industrial past has given the place its unique identity today,’ says Brownsword, ‘There is a raw aesthetic architecturally in Stoke that still retains its integrity, but this needs to be preserved with sensitivity to ensure its soul remains.’

With a plan to regenerate the site and with some units already being reused as a museum, hotel, café and artists’ studios, the thousands of moulds still held within 11 buildings on site are at risk. Although some believe a city should progress forward, Brownsword considers these objects integral to the city’s history, which need to be showcased and celebrated to help take it into the future. ‘The moulds are by products of manufacture that tell a very human story,’ he says. ‘In the past, they have not been assigned the value they deserve as the finished ceramic object has always taken precedence.’The moulds themselves date back to the mid-late 1800s. As they are currently located in rooms which are isolated due to health and safety restrictions, Brownsword will be installing a selection of them, from more recent production, in a larger and more open part of the site. Although many are estimated to have ‘little historic value’, the moulds represent an important segment of post-industrial history. As there is no inventory, the mould stores could contain trials and unpublished designs that never reached the market. With a move towards digital production, they are a genuine reminder of the labour that went into creating each piece, alluding to the handmade methods used in the past.

Brownsword trained as a model and mould maker at Wedgwood aged just 16, and by using his personal connection to these artefacts, he wants to highlight the production behind them and the hours of labour that went into each one. ‘Many of these analogue skills have now been replaced,’ he comments, ‘so it’s important to ensure we keep their legacy visible. With 138 many traditional modes of craft, so much relies upon material knowledge, haptic sensibility and confidence with tools, much of which tends to be overlooked in respect of industry.’ Although often regarded as prosaic, the introduction of moulds facilitated new design possibilities and revolutionised systems of mass-production.

The external installation, situated in a deconstructed part of the Spode factory, will also emphasise the architectural beauty of the moulds. Alongside a physical installation, curated film footage of analogue model and mould making projected onto the walls of the space expressed the narrative of intangible heritage preservation. ‘I’m drawing attention to the vernacular language of craft in the industry,’ Brownsword continues, ‘People often fail to recognise the complexity of knowledge embodied within a ceramic product and this project sets out to illuminate the levels of intelligence that go into a piece.’ Together with his commission, Brownsword invited architect Ken Taylor of Quay2c to design the m2 Gallery Pavilion social arts project on the site too. Brownsword’s colleagues from Staffordshire University exhibited their own configurations and interpretations of Spode’s manufacturing histories in this space, encouraging additional interaction with its archive.
In the main hall of the exhibition and Spode Museum Trust Heritage Centre, Brownsword installed virtual reality technologies to navigate visitors into the physically inaccessible mould stores. It is another method of connecting people with the unknown spaces within the site and underlining the importance of the industry in its perpetuation of the city. While Brownsword realises not all the moulds may be able to be saved during the ongoing regeneration of the site, he is hopeful that a representative portion of them will be archived as a research or heritage project. Funded by Arts Council England, and in partnership with the Spode Museum Trust, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire University and the University of Brighton, he is leading investigations into the possibility of 3D scanning and 3D printing the moulds in the event of disposal. With the housing of the physical moulds posing an issue, this could be one way of preserving part of this collection for posterity.

Brownsword is hoping that through his research and work around the festival, he can bring a broader message to the city. ‘You can’t brush over the fact that this is a huge part of the city’s makeup,’ he says. ‘It’s not about being nostalgic. It’s about giving critical attention and recognition to marginalised industrial craft practices. Through my work, I want to reappraise aspects of the city’s tangible and intangible heritage, hopefully showcasing to others its cultural value and benefit. After all, the key to moving a city forward is to celebrate the legacy it already has.’

With his investigative and passionate desire to keep the appreciation of ceramic expertise alive, artists such as Brownsword are key to the future of craft. Through the re-interpretation of what was a subliminal element to design, he is telling a story so much wider than the subject itself. It’s a story of legacy, skill and dexterity that remains the backbone of this historic region and, through its appreciation, this approach can continue to shape its future.
spodemuseumtrust.org
‘It’s not about being
nostalgic. It’s about
giving critical attention
and recognition to
marginalised industrial
craft practices’WORDS RODDY CLARKE PHOTOGRAPHS JENNY HARPER