As part of the lecture programme, we have a special PhD symposium chaired by Dr. Jo Dahn author of New Directions in Ceramics: From Spectacle to Trace (2015). Invited students are given a weekend ticket for the Festival and asked to give a 10-15 minute presentation (Powerpoint) about their research. Course tutors are asked to put forward any interested PhD students. Please contact Sarah Morton aafstaff@aber.ac.uk for more information.
Details of participants in the 2017 The PhD symposium:
Pippa Galpin
“I live in Malvern, Worcestershire where I have my studio. I have been a self-employed ceramist, exhibiting, undertaking residencies and teaching since completing my degree in Art and English in 1981. I am currently part of two artists research exhibiting groups, Space Place Practice and F.O.D.O. I am a senior lecturer in Fine Art and Art and Design (part-time) at the University of Worcester, where I have worked since 1997. In 2008 I obtained my MA in Design-Ceramics from Bath Spa University, where I stayed to study for my PhD, entitled;‘Ceramics and the haptic: a case study sited in Worcester Cathedral.’ This I completed in October 2016.”
Jillian Echlin
Jillian began working with clay in a high school ceramics programme. Her teacher encouraged her to pursue further studies in art, and after a BFA in studio Arts and an MA in Art Education, she taught junior and senior high, as well as community education programs. Travel to studios and a study abroad programme in the UK provided the opportunity to explore the rich history and community of potters which motivates her today. After deciding to return to York for further graduate studies, she completed an MA with distinction in History of Art, medieval studies and medievalisms focusing on the application of craft in Victorian restoration and is now pursuing a PhD in contemporary ceramics.
Zahed Taj-Eddin
The Syrian sculptor, Zahed Taj-Eddin is an artist, archaeologist and scientist whose sculptural practice operates across disciplines. His fascination with ancient technology led him to study and practice a variety of specialisms including ceramics, glass and metal work. He has degrees in Chemistry, Fine Art, an MA in Archaeology and PhD in Archaeological Science and Sculptural Practice. This multi-disciplinary expertise comes together to inform Zahed’s artwork, which often employs ancient themes, techniques and materials to explore important contemporary issues with meticulous craftsmanship and precise scientific methods. In his latest work Zahed demonstrates the unique characteristics of Egyptian faience (a ceramic-glass made from crushed quartz, coated with alkaline glaze) through the creation of his Nu-Shabtis. Through precise experimentation and analysis he rediscovered the exact recipe for this bright material prized by the Egyptians, shedding light on this enigmatic 6500 year-old material and contributing to the fields of Archaeology and Contemporary Art.
Prof. Jeffrey Jones
I am Emeritus Professor of Ceramics at Cardiff Metropolitan University and I am experienced in supervising and examining PhDs in Ceramics. My first degree was in Fine Art and I later completed a Master’s degree in Ceramics. I am retired but I maintain my links with the university through the ceramics archive which I established at the School of Art and Design. This is actively maintained as part of the special collections of the university library service and I work with library staff to engage students with the archive material. I was a founder-editor in 2000 of the electronic journal Interpreting Ceramics www.interpretingceramics.com and joint editor with Jo Dahn in 2013 of the print publication Interpreting Ceramics: Selected Essays. My book Studio Pottery in Britain 1900 -2005 is a major survey of the field. In 2009 I was a visiting Research Fellow at the Henry Moore Institute, Leeds.
Leah McLaughlin
I am an applied researcher working at the intersection between the arts and social sciences. Currently I am the social care research officer at the Wales Kidney Research Unit http://kidneyresearchunit.wales/en/social-care-research.htm and the research lead on the ‘Organ Donation Study’ – evaluating the impact of the new Act (deemed consent) on family attitudes to organ donation in Wales. http://organ-donation-project.bangor.ac.uk/
I have a BA in fine art and an MA in ceramics and research methods. My PhD developed methods to capture and better understand artistic practice in ceramics. From 2013-2015 I worked at the Centre for Applied Research in Inclusive Arts and Design, CARIAD in Cardiff Metropolitan University. During this time I developed many new projects working with the third sector, charities, local SME’s and other organisations working with vulnerable groups and in sensitive environments. These experiences especially help me to work a range of stakeholders including; special need teachers, artists, carers, community workers, development officers, academics, scientific researchers, NHS, NHSBT, social workers and businesses including them in the research process.
I work for Bangor University, School of Social Sciences and am based at the Heath Hospital Cardiff, Wales Kidney Research Unit.
Dr. Jo Dahn
Jo is an independent writer, researcher and curator with a background in academia and a special interest in Ceramics. From January 1998 – May 2013 she was Senior Lecturer in History and Theory of Art and Design at Bath School of Art and Design, Bath Spa University (BSAD), and from September 2013 – September 2014, Senior Research Fellow at BSAD. Jo has supervised and examined PhDs in Ceramics practice and was BSAD Higher Degrees Tutor, with responsibility for the management of all doctoral research in the School. She has published widely on Ceramics and is the author of New Directions in Ceramics; from spectacle to trace London and New York: Bloomsbury 2015 Jo’s current interests include The Button Project.
