Expanding Horizons glass Discovery Days – book now

Building on the success of our 25^th Anniversary year, in 2023 the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) is reaching out to more people than ever, to educate and inform and provide access to the remarkable experience that is the amazing material of glass.

From April to December, we are taking contemporary glass into the community through a series of Expanding Horizons Discovery Days, which are open to all and located in interesting and inspiring locations around the UK.

The programme for each day features four fascinating speakers, including both established artists and young, emerging makers. One speaker is an international artist who will join us virtually by Zoom. Speakers range from upcoming and developing talent such as Anthony Amoako Attah, Joshua Kerley and Joanna Manousis, to established artists such as David Reekie. International speakers include Galia Amsel, from New Zealand, and Kristiina Uslar, from Estonia. We aim to present the best of the world’s contemporary glass artists, to excite and inspire audiences.

At each venue, makers can take part in a ‘Show and Tell’ event, explaining the techniques and ideas behind a piece of their work. In addition, there will be demonstrations of the many techniques, old and new, that are used in the production of glass work.

The first Discovery Day is being held at De Montfort University in Leicester on 29 April.

Speakers are:

• Bethany Wood – past Leicester student and founder of Blowfish Glass, a leading hybrid hot shop and exhibition space in Stourbridge
• Joshua Kerley – one of the UK’s leading pate de verre artists
• Anthony Amoako Attah – a Ghanaian student, who brings a whole new colour palette to kiln forming
• Laura Donefer – lamp worker extraordinaire, who will be Zoomed to us from Canada.

Lunch and refreshments are included in the ticket price.  For more details and to purchase a ticket for this first Discovery Day, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cgs-discovery-day-tickets-556878858657

The Discovery Days are sponsored by The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers Charity Fund, with the Discovery Day at De Montfort University sponsored by Kilncare Ltd.

Further Discovery Day venues include the National Glass Centre, Sunderland (20 May 2023), the Hepworth Gallery, Wakefield (17 June 2023) and Oriel y Parc, St David’s, Wales (29 July 2023). Other locations for later in the year include the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the World of Glass in St Helens, and Arts University Plymouth.

Every event is available to all – glass artists, glass collectors, students, young people and the public. We also hope to live-stream each Discovery Day.

More details will be published about each event in due course. For the latest information, contact Pam Reekie via admin@cgs.org.uk

Image: ‘Filter I’ by one of our international Discovery Day speakers, Kristiina Uslar.