Middleport Links - Slip Trail
Slip Trail, was a project involving the creation and installation of a large-scale ceramic artwork on the bank of the Trent and Mersey Canal at Middleport. The work was commissioned by Middleport Matters and Appetite. Sarah Fraser (British Ceramic Biennial) led the co-production with members of the local community connected with Middleport Matters, the Clay Comrades, and BCB volunteers.
The vision for this work was to create a space that celebrates the people within the local community and the heritage of Stoke, and provides a point of rest that holds the attention of passers-by, whether they are walking or cycling along the path, crossing the canal over the bridge, or floating by on a barge.
The design developed by Fraser and the Women’s Wellbeing group from Middleport Matters Community Trust, integrates planting areas bordered by individualised slip-decorated bricks and tiled elements. Drawing on the heritage of the area, the colour and forms of the design are inspired by the surface patterns of Charlotte Rhead, Susie Cooper, and Clarice Cliff
After the initial design and making phase, the project was opened out to the wider community with making events at Middleport Matters youth club, eco club, and monthly activity days on the Green. Members of the Clay Comrades and volunteers stepped up production in a series of making sessions at the BCB Studio on the Spode Site.
Sustainability was a key aspect in the planning of this project. All of the clay used to make the tiles was reclaimed from previous BCB projects. The planting was selected in consultation with ecologists and is predominantly native wildflowers to create seasonal colour and encourage wildlife. On the day the planting was completed, we were visited by butterflies and bumblebees, which was a triumph.
The execution of this project would not have been possible without all the people who got involved and supported it. The volunteers included Steve Harding who brought his bricklaying knowledge to the project and the Canal and River Trust who were instrumental in supporting the installation. BCB supporting artists Zeba Imam, Natalia Kasprzycka, and Joanna Hejmej worked with community makers and on the mammoth task of installation. Ibstock Bricks in Chesterton donated unfired bricks. Clay College provided workshop space for the initial sessions.
