Celebrating clay country

An internationally prestigious ceramics prize recognising Cornwall’s China Clay industry returns with a host of finalists and festivities

In September the town of St Austell is due to be transformed into an international festival celebrating the art of ceramics alongside St Austell’s clay country culture and its global china clay connections.

Now in its second year, The Whitegold International Ceramics Prize has chosen its shortlist of artists. Worth more than £20,000, the prize is part of the Austell Project’s Whitegold initiative which aims to engage, educate and inspire people to get involved in ceramics and learn about St Austell’s clay heritage.

The area was once the centre of a huge china clay mining industry employing more than 7,000 people and producing more than 65,000 tonnes of the clay used in making porcelain.

St Austell was awarded a £1 million contribution to transform the area as a visitor destination from the Coastal Communities Fund - helping to bring the story of its so-called Cornish Alps (named for the white mountain range-like waste tips to be found in the area) to life for visitors.

The Whitegold Prize forms part of the regeneration and recognises outstanding ceramic practices that connect people, culture and place – and invited applications which combine environmental sustainability with creativity.

Themes include cooking, eating, drinking, creating a festive and sociable environment, ceramics for growing, works that consider clay as a part of the soil and life cycle, and environmentally friendly food production. The theme of the prize this year is ‘conviviality’.