Artist Feature – BCB Mentee Crunch Willoughby
BCB Talent Development Mentorship programme
British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) delivered a mentoring programme between September 2024 and February 2025. It supported seven early-career artists who have faced barriers progressing in their career and accessing a professional network in the field of contemporary ceramics.
A key part of the programme was the opportunity for a bespoke artist film by renowned filmmaker Gordon Watt. Each film introduces the mentees, shares their work and studios, and offers an insight into their artistic practice.
About the artist
Crunch Willoughby is a self-taught ceramic artist incorporating wild clay embellishments into their functional thrown pieces. She sources her own native materials, which have a strong connection to place and provenance. Though she has previously believed herself at a disadvantage due to a lack of classical training, she has realised that the self-reliance and resilience required to learn these skills and establish a practice speaks volumes to their enthusiasm and capabilities as an artist.