North and South Wales Potters and Aberystwyth Arts Centre present the 17th International Ceramics Festival, a biennial event initiated in 1987. With its enduring popularity, it is the UK’s leading festival of ceramics. The event features demonstrations, kiln firings, performances and talks from distinguished international practitioners from a variety of ceramic practices. It offers working potters, artists, teachers, students, collectors and lovers of ceramics and craft, the chance to see ceramicists demonstrate their technique and meet them to discuss their ideas and processes.
The Festival takes place throughout the Arts Centre, with demonstrations in the Hall, lectures, films and illustrated talks in the Theatre and Cinema and various trade stands housed in marquees outside. Kiln building and firings take place in the outside areas. In addition, Festival visitors will be able to see numerous exhibitions of ceramics, within the Arts Centre galleries, in the Student Union and outside in the marquees. There is also the opportunity to buy guest demonstrators’ work from a special selling exhibition which is only available during the Festival weekend.
The Masters of Ceremonies throughout the weekend will be the much–loved ceramic artist Jim Robison, who has been part of the Festival since 1987 and ceramicist and educator Ingrid Murphy who is Subject Leader in Ceramics at Cardiff School of Art.
2023 PROGRAMME
You can download a PDF of the 2023 Festival Programme by clicking here:ICF 2019 brochure PDF
A summary of the timetable for demonstrations and lectures is below:
Please note the above timetable may be subject to change. To keep up to date with announcements of guests and activities, please follow us on our social media sites. We will also be posting updates in the news section of the website.
FRIDAY
The registration desk opens at 2pm so you can collect your information packs, relax after your journey and book into your accommodation in plenty of time. You will need a full weekend pass to gain entry in to the opening ceremony on Friday-day tickets are only valid for either Saturday or Sunday.
We will be running site tours on Friday late afternoon, and again on Saturday morning ask at the Festival reception for details.
New!
There will be a Make & Go activity at Claytopia to make pinch pots for Terry Davies kiln. This will be a drop in event on Friday afternoon from 4 – 6pm especially for solo travellers to make new friends for the weekend. Everyone is welcome.
7pm: Official opening followed by short introduction by each guest.
The programme is opened on Friday evening by Honorary President Lars Tharp, who joined the festival in 2013. He is an author, curator and museum director specialising in ceramics, and of course well-known as broadcaster who is part of BBC’s Antiques Roadshow team. Following this, the weekend’s guest demonstrators will introduce themselves and their plans of work for the weekend. The Potterycrafts Lifetime Achievement award will also be presented.
SATURDAY
Saturday and Sunday are filled with demonstrations, lecture and films while kiln building, firings and hands-on events will take place outside. There will be plenty of opportunities to socialise throughout, including an evening of live music and spectacle kilns on Saturday evening.
9am – 5pm
Inside: Continuous demonstrations, films and lectures, exhibitions and other activities see draft programme above for times.
Outside: Kiln firings, trade stands, hands-on activities, student demonstrations, demonstrator areas.
5pm Break
Evening: Live music from 9pm in the Theatre Bar upstairs in the Arts Centre. Tongue ‘n Groove play a bit of everything from Funk, Soul, Rhythm & Blues to, Rock & Roll. Followed by DJ Badly. Spectacle/Performance kiln firings take place outside from 9pm.
Sunday 9am – 4pm
Festival Cup Sale
All festival participants and visitors are invited to bring with them a cup (or similar cup-sized item) to be displayed and ultimately sold in aid of the Festival. All cups will be exhibited and the sale begins on Sunday morning at 8.30 am so get there early!
Inside: Continuous demonstrations, films and lectures, exhibitions, cup sale and other activities
Outside: Kiln openings, trade stands, hands on activities, student demonstrations, demonstrator areas.
From 4:30pm Finale, awards, raffle and official close.
Paul Priest demonstrating in the Great Hall. (2017)
The full 2019 programme will be available here form Mid Jume. The 2017 programme is available as a PDF to download where you can see the type of activities and events that happen over the weekend -click here: ICF brochure 2017
