Ikon Slow Boat journeys along the Trent & Mersey Canal, Stoke-on-Trent

This Spring, Ikon’s Slow Boat is programmed and produced in collaboration with GRAIN Projects, an arts organisation that specialises in contemporary photography and the delivery of socially engaged photography projects, exhibitions and publications regionally and nationally. Slow Boat hosts a range of arts and photography activities with young people and communities as it travels along the historic Trent & Mersey Canal, through the city of Stoke-on-Trent.

The city is a place of clay, ceramics, heritage, contemporary arts and crafts and diverse communities, and the moorings, activities and route were planned with this in mind. As the canal winds its way through the unique six towns that make up the city, it provides a green space where people can connect with nature away from the roads and industry just above the waterways. At every mooring there is a connection to be made with the ceramic industry, from historic factories and bottle kilns, so unique to this cityscape, to artists’ studios, contemporary arts spaces and visitor heritage sites.

This year the city of Stoke-on-Trent is celebrating its centenary. For 100 years the six towns have been known as a city, and the canal is a unique and significant part of its story. We are extremely grateful to the artists who are leading the activities and workshops and who are creating opportunities for participants to think about the city and its communities, its craft and connection to nature. The artists are Louise Adams, Stephen Burke, Anna Francis, Anthony Hammond, Juneau Projects, Ruby Nixon and Becky Nunes, all of whom are delivering workshops on board Slow Boat and providing a space for people to be creative and to respond to the cityscape, including the immediate canal environment.

We are two weeks into our journey, which started just south of the city on the canal, where Wedgwood built his model factory in Barlaston, and where V&A Wedgwood is now a museum and visitor attraction. From there we sailed towards Stoke town, the home of the Spode Factory site which produced ceramics for over 240 years, where the Spode Museum joined us for activities as we journeyed to Etruria. Etruria was the location of Wedgwood’s fourth factory, opened in 1769, and named after the Italian district that was home of the Etruscan people who were renowned for their artistic crafts. In Etruria, we were joined in our activities by the Portland Inn Project, a creative arts project in Stoke-on-Trent who are pioneering new community spaces led by artists and communities.

Over the next few weeks we travel further north to explore the canal in the northern part of the city, mooring at Middleport and Westport Lake and visiting Harecastle Tunnel (at 1.6 miles long, one of the longest in the country).

Clay is a contemporary and playful medium and a resource for new activities: the city’s heritage, industry and location is providing much inspiration for the young people and communities participating in this project. Its great to be collaborating with Ikon to provide such a unique programme on the most northern edge of the West Midlands region and we are grateful to Freelands Foundation for their support. Read more about the project here.