New statue set to honour the women of Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery industry

A new statue is set to give long-overdue recognition to the women who shaped Stoke-on-Trent’s world-famous ceramics industry.

Plans to commission the city’s first statue honouring the women’s historic contribution will go before the city council’s cabinet on Tuesday 22 July.

At the start of the 20th century, women made up nearly half of the workforce in the local pottery industry. Yet their roles were often overlooked, underpaid and undervalued - with men taking on the most skilled and lucrative positions.

Women played a vital part the creation of ceramic products that were exported around the world – helping secure the city’s global reputation and ultimately, its city status in 1925.

The statue would be installed outside The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery – where the ‘Steel Man’ statue is currently located.

Under the proposals, Steel Man would be loaned to Goodwin PLC, returning to the foundry in Hanley where it was originally cast almost 50 years ago. In return, Goodwin would fund and commission the new bronze statue.

Steel Man was created by artist Colin Melbourne in 1974, commissioned by the Shelton Steel Action Committee. It would remain on public display at its new home – clearly visible from the main road.

The new statue forms part of the city’s wider Centenary celebrations, marking 100 years since the city was officially granted its status in 1925.

Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “This is about giving recognition to a part of our history that has too often gone unrecognised.

“Women were often the backbone of the ceramics industry – decorating and finishing some of the world’s most iconic pottery, often without the recognition or pay that men received.

“For every Clarice Cliff or Susie Cooper, there were hundreds of women whose names we don’t recognise but whose skill and labour made this city what it is. This new statue is a proud, permanent tribute to their work and their place in our history.

“I’m also pleased that there are plans for Steel Man to return home to the foundry where it was originally cast. It’s a proud symbol of our industrial heritage and it will continue to tell that story in a new setting.”