History at the Dinner Table
- Visiting information
- Open 10am-5pm Wednesday-Sunday (last admission 4pm)
Closed to the public Monday and Tuesday
The festival is closed to the public Mondays and Tuesdays.
Please note, last admission is at 4pm.
About History at the Dinner Table
As a little girl growing up on the island of Jamaica, Jaqueline Bishop’s grandmother had a large mahogany cabinet where she kept some of her most prized possessions: her bone china crockery. These delicate pieces were painted with bright, cheerful images of palaces and carriages and were only used on special occasions.
As beautiful as these china dishes were, they often hid a violent history of slavery and colonialism by European countries. In ‘History at the Dinner Table’, Jaqueline changes the story by showing the legacy of slavery on the dishes instead. Despite their violent history, Bishop is also seduced and charmed by the delicacy and beauty of bone chinaware and she has sought to produce dishes equally as beautiful as the ones made by major European centers of bone china production. The work is exhibited in mahogany cabinets as mahogany was once a major luxury import from Jamaica to England.
Exhibiting Artist
Jaqueline Bishop
Jaqueline Bishop website link.
Curator
Ellie Dobbs
Supported By
This exhibition is commissioned by SETSPACE and funded by Arts Council England.
Related content
-
Just Be There
Johnny Vegas and Emma Rodgers present a new body of work addressing the beauty and transience of physical contact and interaction.
Exhibitions Read more -
Sweet Terrain
Sweet Terrain is a landmark public artwork by designers Bahbak Hashemi-Nezhad and Rafael El Baz that connects construction waste, placemaking, industrial heritage and traditional craft.
Exhibitions Read more -
Slip Tales
Slip Tales provides an insight into BCB’s year-round programming. This community project focused on exploring and appreciating the heritage of Staffordshire slipware. Within the…
Exhibitions Read more -
University of Staffordshire
University of Staffordshire presents the work of the 2025 cohort, who have developed and expanded their practice on the Ceramics MA.
Exhibitions Read more -
Fresh Talent 2025
Fresh Talent presents the new work of the five winners of BCB Fresh Talent 2023 which included a residency with a partner organisation.
Exhibitions Read more -
Playscape
Playscape uses rammed earth – a sustainable, ancient construction technique – to explore how clay-rich waste materials can be transformed into a joyful, playful and creative public space.
Exhibitions Read more