Seven emerging artists from across the UK are taking part in British Ceramics Biennial’s (BCB) 2026 Mentorship Programme, which supports makers who face barriers to building a career in contemporary ceramics.
Based in The Potteries and delivered online, the programme runs from October 2026 to February 2027. Each artist, chosen through an open call, receives one-to-one mentoring from leading artists, curators and arts professionals, who were also selected through an open call. Each mentee will have a bespoke film made about their practice and experience, as part of BCB’s commitment to widening access to contemporary ceramics.
The mentees are Tom Allan, Kiana Azizmohammadi, Ruby Cheng, Adam Conway Cowdrill, Bao-Yin Hall, Leah Jelf and Rhian Lewis.
Addressing barriers to access
The barriers the programme addresses can include financial circumstances, education, class, ethnicity, disability and other protected characteristics. They often have little to do with talent and a lot to do with access to the right advice at the right time. Alongside their mentoring, the artists form a network of peers and receive ongoing support from the BCB team.
“From our work with artists, students and industry partners, we’ve heard a heartfelt passion for creating a more equitable future where anyone, whatever their background, can build a career in contemporary ceramics. The programme is one action we are taking to increase applications from artists who are under-represented in our exhibitions and biennial programme.”
Priscila Buschinelli, Artistic Programme Manager at BCB
Meet the 2026 mentees
Tom Allan (he/him) is a self-taught sculptor who developed his technique through play, research and trial & error. Inspired by how enigmatic and abstract the human form can be, he uses figurative sculpture as a vehicle to explore emotion, cognition and the inner world of the mind.
Kiana Azizmohammadi (she/her) is an Iranian interdisciplinary artist based in London, working across ceramics, installation, analogue photography and moving image. Her practice explores memory, migration, presence and absence, and the experience of living between two geographies.
Ruby Cheng (she/her) was born and raised in Hong Kong before moving to the UK to study BA Ceramic Design. Since graduation, she’s relocated to Norwich and works in education while developing her ceramic practice, specialising in community engagement and storytelling. She seeks to preserve human stories and memories with the permanent medium of ceramics.
Adam Conway Cowdrill (he/him) learnt how to throw on the wheel at a pottery studio in Sheffield. This process changed the trajectory of his life as he built up his artist practice. He has become increasingly interested in the more sculptural and painterly possibilities of ceramics, seeking to evoke an emotional response from the viewer.
Bao-Yin Hall (they/them) uses ceramics as a material language through which they explore the body, ancestry, grief, spirituality and identity. Their practice reconnects them to ancestry, both of blood and queer/transcestors of history. Bao’s work explores themes of play, their Hakka Hong Kongese and British heritages, disability and grief.
Leah Jelf (she/her) is a Heritage Crafts listed practitioner of a critically endangered craft. Leah’s practice introduces modern imagery and text into the heritage process of medieval encaustic tile-making, exploring the tension between an old craft language and contemporary life.
Rhian Lewis (she/her) is a Cardiff-based artist working primarily with ceramics to explore disabled embodiment, vulnerability and humour. Her practice combines slip-casting, slab-building and the alteration and assembling of forms. Colourful, playful surface decoration hides underlying darker themes.
Mentees choose their mentors
The mentees led the matching process, choosing their mentors from established artists, curators and arts professionals committed to supporting someone early in their career. Mentors offer insight and perspective to help mentees work through challenges and find new opportunities, with each mentee asking for guidance on specific aspects of their professional practice.
Mentoring works best when the matching is right. Here is what Ruby Cheng had to say about being matched with her mentor, Caroline Jackman, for the 2026 cohort:
“Caroline is a working artist with extensive experience in the creative industry and charity sector. I am a ceramic artist and educator specialising in community engagement, so we share similar interests in our work. I especially admire how she uplifts other artists through creative business consultancy and charity work, and I am looking forward to further developing my creative specialism under Caroline’s mentorship!”
Mentor/Mentee pairings:
Stella Arion (she/her) Ceramic Artist, Educator and Mentor – paired with Tom Allan
Fernanda Cortes (she/her) Sculptor and Industrial Designer, Technician in Casting and Ceramics for the University of Leeds – paired with Bao-Yin Hall
Richard Edwards (he/him) Trustee of the Crafted Art Foundation, previously the craft specialist at Arts Council England, London office – paired with Leah Jelf
Sarah Fraser (she/her) Associate Artist at British Ceramics Biennial, Co-director, Manchester Ceramics Collective – paired with Adam Conway Cowdrill
Caroline Jackman (she/her) Founder of Creative Business Growth, freelance business consultant, coach and trainer for the creative industries – paired with Ruby Cheng
Joshua Lockwood (he/them), Curator and Exhibitions Manager at the Hub, Sleaford – paired with Kiana Azizmohammadi
Matt Smith (he/him) Artist and Curator – paired with Rhian Lewis