National Ceramic Centre Survey

A survey has been sent to petitioners asking for their views on the need for a National Centre for Ceramic Art.

We believe that there is evidence that while the petitioners wish us to continue monitoring the position at Rufford, there is also a need for a National Centre for Ceramic Art and a co-ordinating voice to represent all areas of contemporary ceramics.

If you would like more background, just read the letter that follows, otherwise if you would like to complete the survey and have not already done so, please click on the survey link immediately below:

National Ceramic Centre Survey

Thank You

The Save Rufford Petition Committee

Full Letter to all Petitioners

Dear Petitioner,

You will have seen our response to Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) at our meeting in January and we have now responded to their subsequent letter. We feel, as we have already outlined on the petition site and the Blog, that the petition has achieved some limited objectives, both in bringing into public scrutiny what the NCC have planned and already largely implemented and by obtaining limited commitments from the NCC regarding the future of some key elements of the Rufford Ceramic Centre.

Sadly, the NCC have demonstrated their determination to totally disregard the impact of their actions on the Worldwide reputation of Rufford as a Ceramic Centre, despite many comments from ourselves and those signing the petition. They also totally dismissed our suggestion to put forward a study to create a Trust to support the costs at Rufford and to develop a wider National Ceramic Centre based at Rufford. It defies sense to understand why they would NOT want more of what they already have and profess to want – at a much reduced price, subsidised by a Trust. However that is their position!

Faced with this reality and the strength of what appear to be widely held views that the time for establishing a National Centre for Ceramic Art is long overdue we have decided to ask you whether you would like us to investigate the possibility of creating a National Centre of some sort for the whole Ceramic Art Community.

We need to establish whether there is the will and encouragement available for us to spend time identifying how your wishes and needs can be met by a National Centre and if there are some consistent threads as to what is needed.

To do this we will ask you to answer a few basic questions, but first we will set out a possible scenario for a National Centre to help your thoughts and response. This is neither right nor wrong, but is intended to help identify some views as to what is really needed.

We have been told regarding a National Centre ‘this was tried at Bideford a few years ago and failed, so don’t waste your time!’ Bideford (Ceramic Review No. 198) was looking for £30 million for phase one, rising to £48 million for phase 2 and incorporated ideas for a brand new ‘beacon building of major international architectural significance’
Let us be quite clear – this is NOT what we envisage. We are practical, down to earth and will get value for every pound spent – and will spend the least amount consistent with optimum value in meeting your defined needs. Apart from some set up costs we envisage that costs and income should be in balance for ongoing activities.

The National Centre we envisage would start quite small, selecting one or two of your priority activities and making these work, before moving on to the next priority and so on… However the overriding vision of a complete National Centre would be set out from day one and would form the framework for building the National Centre over, perhaps the next 10 years. Each new step to be put in place, only when the last has been brought to fruition.

We feel that many issues, Rufford’s partial closure is an example, are treated in isolation and at a local level. A significant part of the “Centre’s” role would be to look at these in a National context and hence provide a more powerful and effective response to such issues. It would also seek to promote and publicise individual ceramic organisations to help maximise the visibility and utilisation of their activities across the country.

THE VISION is:

To create an inspirational central focus and voice for artists and makers in Britain who use clay as a medium for their Craft/Art and to provide strong support for them throughout their artistic journey.

What might the National Centre comprise of?

Well that is what we want to ask you, but some ideas include:

Things that would provide income, cover their costs:

- real and virtual exhibitions
- residencies and exchange visits
- education programme, including schools competition
- travel and tours
- group stands at design/art shows
- website advertising
- corporate and public sponsorship, grants etc.
- small membership fees to cover admin

Things that would be provided freely or at cost for members

- A public voice on major issues of concern, representing the whole ceramic community, or supporting a stand taken by other important bodies on ceramic related issues
- A source for information about events, courses, workshops, exchange programmes in the UK and worldwide
- Achieving economies of scale for members, with discounts from suppliers, insurers etc..
- Establishing standards and best practice to help ceramic artists/potters
- Undertaking research
- Providing marketing and promotional expertise
- Providing an electronic forum
- A market place for unwanted surplus equipment
- Grants and awards in various categories
- Access to worldwide ceramic and design groups
- An electronic news blog with up to date news, with paper a version for those requiring it

How to pay for it – do we hear you say?
Well, as mentioned above, we would prioritise those activities you feel are important, we would coordinate/work with existing organisations where possible to avoid reinventing what is there already. We would set out the vision, but create it in manageable steps.

Ok! But where is the money?
Well we hope that if you feel the need for a National Centre, that you would all support it – a little. We will explore the possibility of setting up a Trust – The National Ceramic Art Trust (NCAT) and we would seek a small contribution from several thousand ‘stakeholders’ This would provide initial funding and our plans and budgets would use part of this to set up the initial activities which would then generate income to cover on going costs. The amounts needed may not be large – certainly manageable and practical. We have and will get good business management – not through expensive consultants, but through our members and team.

So to the questionnaire:

It would be very helpful if you could reply to a small number of questions which you can complete by using the link immediately below:
National Ceramic Centre Survey

The questions are simply to establish your level of interest in our investigating the possibility of creating a National Ceramics Centre. There are less than 15 questions and they ask about whether you feel there is a need for a National Centre, would you be prepared to support it, what services you feel are needed, where you think it should be located and could you offer help in its creation either in money or skills.

PLEASE do complete the Questionnaire – both positive and (hopefully not too many) negative responses will be of great value in helping to decide whether to invest our time and energy in undertaking the initial study.

We look forward to and thank you in anticipation of your response to the questionnaire. Can we ask that you complete it as soon as you can and ideally within 2 weeks?

With kind regards

Alan Birchall
Stephen Dee
Carl Gray
Katie Greenfield
Andy McInnes