British Ceramics Biennial 2019 at the China Hall of the original Spode factory, Stoke-on-Trent, Cast of Thousands installation by the school children of Stoke-on-Trent, photo Jenny Harper.

I never imagined that I would fall in love with Stoke-on-Trent, but after 10 years of travelling up there for my work on the British Ceramics Biennial, that’s exactly what’s happened!

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the British Ceramics Biennial - an amazing international ceramics festival, plus an ongoing programme of clay-based work in the city. There is so much to see in this year’s festival, which runs until 13 October - such as exhibitions and installations in the post-industrial former Spode factory site, soundscapes in the iconic Middleport Pottery, a performance pottery piece at World of Wedgwood and a brilliant exhibition of contemporary flat back ornaments at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery. It’s so worth a visit and makes for a very special day out.

One BCB project that has really captured people’s imagination is called ‘Cast of Thousands’. Dotted all over the city are thousands of terracotta figures made by school children in Stoke-on-Trent. The aim is for every schoolchild in the city to create a figure. Totally brilliant.