Ceramic Wordsmith Workshop
with Prof. Sebastian Blackie.
The Ceramic Wordsmith Workshop aims to encourage new, critical and creative writing across the diversity of contemporary ceramic practice. All are welcome whatever experience you have of writing. The only prerequisite is a passion for ceramics.
The workshop will be held one hour each day of the festival and will run over five days. Numbers are strictly limited so please read the following and submit your interest below.
The workshop is intended to be enjoyable and informative. We will consider different strategies and techniques for describing and analyzing art works as well as evaluate different types of existing writing such as exhibition reviews, personal statements, magazine articles, catalogue essays, etc. You will be asked to consider the techniques used, however you will be encouraged to experiment exploring fresh creative approaches to these types of writing.
Research can greatly inform and enrich writing. As this may become a longer term project research methodologies and scholarly conventions will be discussed for those who feel their writing would benefit from further study.
Your views are greatly valued and you will be encouraged to participate as a group to support, encourage and share positive feedback. The workshop will therefore be delivered predominately through presentations and seminars (one hour each day of the festival); however one-to-one tutorials will also be available at other times. You are free to choose whatever subject you wish but the workshop will encourage you to use the Clay Gulgong festival as a resource.
Developing our ability to write about ceramics not only helps build our critical appreciation as a community, but also can support us in our individual creative journey.
Participants are asked to provide their own laptop.
To register your interest please complete the following form:
About Prof. Sebastian Blackie
Professor Sebastian Blackie is a maker, writer and academic. He started his teaching career in the early 70’s on the ceramic degree course, Farnham School of Art (now the University of the Creative Arts). From 1993 he worked free-lance as an artist and lecturer in museums and universities across Europe. In 1998 he accepted a 0.5 post at the university of Derby where he ran a cross discipline MA and supervised PhD students. He was Research Leader for the School of Arts on retiring in 2018.
Sebastian has undertaken numerous international residencies as well as exhibiting his work in Australasia, Asia, America and Europe. He was the first writer in residence at Shangyu Ceramic Art Centre in Zhejiang province China. He has written extensively on contemporary ceramics: articles, reviews, catalogue essays, etc, is author of Dear Mr Leach, was commended in the 2018 CAP writing prize and winner in 2019.