The Glassmakers Dance 2006 Biennale

Background

Ruskin Glass Centre

The Ruskin Glass Centre is situated in Stourbridge’s historic glass quarter; located within the industrial heartland of the West Midlands; on the site of the former Webb Corbett/Royal Doulton glass factory. It is also the site where the British Glass Biennale exhibition and the International Glass Festival are hosted.

The Ruskin Glass Centre Ltd is a subsidiary of the Ruskin Mill Educational Trust, a charity pioneering in specialist education for young people with learning difficulties. The Trust promotes culture, arts and special needs education within the context of social regeneration and is inspired by the ideas of John Ruskin, William Morris and Rudolf Steiner.

Why the British Glass Biennale was initiated

In the early days of planning the International Festival of Glass, it was recognised that there was an urgent need for an exhibition that would expose the state of affairs in the UK based glass world. As most artists work within confines of their own studios, it is often hard to know what is going on outside of that environment, or even how many makers there are throughout the country. The exhibition would be an opportunity to demonstrate a regular snapshot or ‘slice of now’.

The British Glass Biennale was set up to be a part of the inaugural International Festival of Glass in 2004. Prior to this show, there had been no major review of the British glass scene since 1993 Crafts Council touring exhibition ‘The Glass Show’ (a retrospective of 30 years of studio art glass) (– see Andrew Brewerton essay in 2004 catalogue.) The British Glass Biennale was to show ‘the pulse of recent achievement in contemporary British glass, and to display this wide range of creativity‘.

Aims

Each British Glass Biennale is a landmark juried exhibition of contemporary glass by artists working and living in the UK and working in glass. The 2004 Biennale displayed the work of 80 artists, and in 2006 101 artists were selected.

Artists submit work for selection that has to have been made in the last two years and be available to purchase. Makers have to be living and working the UK for the last two years – i.e. showing a commitment to being based in Britain. Each jury consists of five panel members selected from a range of backgrounds. Each British Glass Biennale features a completely new jury. The juries view all the images anonymously, judging each piece on its own merit. The objective is to give each contributing artist an equal opportunity to have work selected and create as level a playing field for all artists as possible.

The Biennale does not aim to establish an historical survey but to take the pulse of the current British glass scene; to observe, reflect and catalogue trends and influences emerging each year. It also aims to put makers in the UK on an international platform, and celebrate what is being achieved in this country with glass.

Organisers

Janine Christley – Director of the International Festival of Glass
Keith Brocklehurst - Director of the International Festival of Glass
Candice-Elena Greer – British Glass Biennale Exhibition Organiser