Ceramics take centre stage in city’s Centenary year

Stoke-on-Trent is marking its Centenary year with a series of major events celebrating its world-famous ceramics heritage.

Stoke-on-Trent is marking its Centenary year with a series of major events celebrating its world-famous ceramics heritage.

From rare oriental ceramics to the historic role of Middleport, they will showcase the designs, traditions and global influence that shaped the city.

Building on the recent awarding of World Craft City status, and ambitions to become a UNESCO Creative City, these celebrations will explore the industry that gave the region its name - The Potteries - and helped secure city status in 1925.

Opening in September at the Spode Museum, Willow Pattern Ceramics and Stories of ‘Other’ explores the cultural history of the iconic willow pattern, featuring loans from regional museums and private collections1.

From 6 September 2025 to 29 March 2026, visitors can also see performances by ceramic master artisans from China and Stoke-on-Trent, offering unique insights into the Chinese influence on local ceramic traditions in located in public/non-heritage spaces, including interpretation/collaboration to/with former ceramic manufacturing sites2.

On 21 November 2025, a free two-day ceramics symposium will take place at Stoke Town Hall. Bringing together experts, academics and members of the public, the event will celebrate the city’s heritage and reflect on its modern World Craft City status3.

The conference will bring together academics and interested members of the public as well as speakers from around the globe - in the Jubilee Hall, Stoke Town Hall to discuss the past and present of Staffordshire ceramics.

In addition, the city’s flagship museum – The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery – will expand its renowned ceramics collection thanks to a partnership with the University of Staffordshire. The museum will display the Thornhill collection, a set of rare oriental ceramics gifted to the university in 1944, for the first time since the 1980s4.

Re-Form Heritage will host open days, activities and workshops showcasing city’s ceramics heritage from their flagship heritage building, Middleport Pottery. These include the Clay College Alumni Showcase - displaying the work of eight ceramic artists from the respected ceramics diploma course - and walking tours exploring the history of the city’s legendary potting dynasties. A free Festival of Craft event at Middleport will also celebrate the city’s rich arts and crafts heritage – including ceramics and techniques such as guilding (applying a thin layer of gold to a surface) - as part of the Stoke-on-Trent 100 celebrations5.

The UK’s largest ceramics event also returns in the Centenary year. Running from 6 September, the 2025 British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) is a free, six-week celebration of contemporary clay and creativity.

Highlights of the extensive programme include the BCB’s flagship exhibition, Award, where 10 leading artists are competing for the £10,000 BCB Award Prize and BCB’s first Clay Films programme showcasing the work of 10 Global Majority artists working in film and clay6.

Councillor Lyn Sharpe, Centenary Champion for Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: “We built this city on clay and coal and I’m so proud that ceramics are at the heart of our Centenary celebrations.

“Pottery is in our blood. It gave us our nickname, The Potteries, and it continues to shape our identity today. What Stokie hasn’t turned over a piece of pottery to see where it was made at least once?

“Whether you’re an interested amateur or a dedicated academic, there’s something for everyone in this year’s celebrations. This is a chance to honour our past while showcasing the creativity and innovation that will carry our city’s story forward.”

Footnotes:

1. Willow Pattern Ceramics and Stories of ‘Other’ is curated by Professor Tiejun Hou, Jingdezhen Ceramic University and Professor Neil Brownsword, University of Staffordshire. Supported by Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Spode Museum Trust, The Holdway Collection, University of Staffordshire, Jingdezhen Ceramic University, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, and Dore and Rees.
2. Ceramic Performances funded by Arts Council England (13th/14th September) and the National Lottery Heritage Fund (17th October to 20th December).
3. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Booking now available via Eventbrite: Legacy and Continuity Ceramic Symposium Tickets, Fri 21 Nov 2025 at 09:00 | Eventbrite
4. The collection is being loaned to the PMAG for an initial five years, with plans to display the ceramics in a dedicated exhibition space, with teaching and research facilities. This will follow the completion of the City Council’s planned extension of the museum, backed by £5m investment of Arts Council funding. The collection of more than 270 items contains Chinese wares, along with a small number of Korean and Japanese pieces. The items range from the simple earthenware of the Shang dynasty (1700 -1028 BC) to the richly painted porcelains of the Ming (1368 – 1644 AD) and Qing (1644 – 1912 AD) dynasties. 
5. Re-form Heritage transforms historic buildings at risk for the benefit of the local and wider community. We create places that inspire, educate and connect people with their past. In December 2023, Re-Form Heritage was appointed the Heritage Development Trust for Stoke-on-Trent. Information about what’s on is available at https://re-form.org/heritage-buildings/middleport-pottery/whats-on/?current-page=2
6. British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) is an arts organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent with a vision of making change through clay. British Ceramics Biennial is proud to be an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and has support from Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the University of Staffordshire. For more information go to: https://www.britishceramicsbiennial.com/