The British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) is seeking volunteers to support the delivery of the 2023 biennial

This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with the single largest contemporary ceramics event in the UK. It’s a prestigious event, attracting significant local, national and international attention and showcasing artworks from the UK’s leading ceramicists alongside work by international artists. Joining the BCB team as a volunteer offers unique insight into leading artists and their work, as well as a range of leaders and influencers from key arts and community organisations. We hope that our volunteers will stay in touch with us well beyond the 2023 biennial. We expect that the connections you make with BCB and our network will be both enriching and long-lasting.

See more about the exhibitions for the 2023 biennial here.

Volunteering placements total a minimum of 30 hours over a 6-week period (6 x 5-hour days). You must be 18 years of age or over to apply.

Placement details

• A minimum of 5 hours per week for 6 weeks
• Taking place Monday to Sunday between 25 September and 5 November
• Based in All Saints Church, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent
• Varied manual, administrative and customer liaison tasks to support the preparation and efficient running of the biennial
• Some evening and weekend availability will be required
• As much as possible we will schedule volunteering times in advance, however scheduling can be flexible to work around the needs of individual volunteers

About the role

You will be allocated a Placement Manager who will be your main point of contact and support during your volunteering period. You will receive an informal placement induction and progress review and workplace mentoring session during your volunteering period. Your Placement Manager, or equivalent BCB representative, will also act as a referee for a period of two years from the date of your placement. This is an unpaid role. Volunteer expenses can be claimed to cover the costs of transport and lunch during all volunteering days of four hours or more. These will be capped at a maximum of £10 per day for transport and £5 per day for lunch and are repayable on presentation of the relevant tickets, receipts and mileage claims.

Equality and diversity

We strive to ensure that opportunities to work and volunteer for BCB are open to all. All applications are treated equally, regardless of age, disability, gender identity or gender expression, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, relationship status, pregnancy or any other equality characteristic. We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as being Black, Asian, LGBTQIA+, d/Deaf, disabled, neurodiverse, from a lower socio-economic background or those with long-term health conditions as people from these groups are currently underrepresented in the cultural sector. We understand the paragraph above isn’t holistically reflective of the rich community in which we live and work and if you don’t feel this speaks to you and you would like to support how we communicate this in future please get in touch with us: info@britishceramicsbiennial.com

How to apply

Please supply a brief CV and covering letter. Please include in your letter the skills and experience you have which might be of particular support to BCB and the placement opportunities you are most interested in. Skills and experience might include events management, filming and photography, hospitality and retail.

Please send this to Nigel Bellingham (nigel@britishceramicsbiennial.com) or post your application to Nigel Bellingham, Head of Business Services, British Ceramics Biennial, L416 Flaxman, Staffordshire University, College Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2DE. Applications will be reviewed as they are received and suitable applicants will be invited to an informal interview.

Interviews will take be scheduled on an individual basis after application. We will aim to respond to applications within 1 week, and to interview within 2 weeks.Confirmation of a placement should then take place within one week of the interview date. Successful candidates will be asked to sign a simple volunteering placement contract.

Key dates

22 September 2023: BCB launch, based at All Saints Church, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

23 September – 5 November 2023: Biennial running, based at All Saints Church, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

6 November to end November 2023: Biennial deinstall, based at All Saints Church, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent