Artists: Joanne Ayre, Peter Jones, Joanna Hejmej, Anjum Malik, Thea Stallwood & Alice Thatcher.

Participating groups: Haywood Hospital, Jubilee Group, OLGBT Group and local Stoke-on-Trent Schools

Growing Cultures is a collaborative art/science project, with artists, local health organisations, community groups and schools working together using clay to explore the history of penicillin and the impacts of antibiotic resistance today.

A visual prompt and starting point for the Growing Cultures project was a ceramic culture-growing vessel, made in Stoke-on-Trent and key in enabling the mass production of penicillin. During 2019, Studio Manager Joanne Ayre and BCB Associate Artist Joanna Hejmej worked alongside local education, community and health groups to explore narratives of place and production and reflect on how the current use of antibiotics may impact on our health.

For the 2019 British Ceramics Biennial, Peter Jones has created ambitious new work in response to the vessel and myths surrounding early uses of penicillin. The installation at Spode China Hall will also include the work created by the community and education groups and a film of the activity created by filmmaker, Thea Stallwood.