News

Lighting the fire

Published 4 January 2013

The University of Brighton is helping a campaign to relight school kilns and introduce children to clay and ceramics.

The Crafts Council has launched Firing Up throughout the country and the university's Faculty of Arts has been asked to take the lead in the south-east.

The faculty will provide an ambassador, a technical demonstrator and five students who will work professional ceramists, teachers and children in up to five secondary schools to teach children in Years 9 and above.

Teachers have already been learning about ceramics at university workshops over the autumn.

Heading the programme for the university will be Alma Boyes, sculptor, ceramicist and senior lecturer in the School of Art, Design and Media.

She said that by providing school children with access to the specialist facilities and hands-on tuition the university hopes to build a partnership that is both educational and rewarding.

Alma Boyes with design and craft students

She said: "Ceramics is a subject that is rarely taught in secondary schools despite huge benefits that children receive from learning with their hands. Firing Up will raise awareness of the importance of clay in our everyday lives, support schools to use clay creatively and confidently, and encourage children to view ceramics as a viable career option.

"This project offers a fantastic opportunity for teachers and pupils to engage with ceramics as a means of expression and to experience ceramics professionally as a future career path.

"It will also enable students on the faculty's 3D Design and Craft courses an opportunity to work with established artists within an educational context and to share their experience of pursuing ceramics professionally through higher education. We are proud to take an active role in facilitating the success of this initiative."

Funding for Firing Up which will be launched on 16 January has been provided by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation which aims to improve the quality of life for people and communities in the UK, and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation whose mission is to maximise opportunities for individuals and communities to realise their potential and to experience a better quality of life.

The Crafts Council is supported by the Arts Council of England. Find out more about Firing Up on the Crafts Council website.