Gayle Matthias said: “Plymouth College of Art is one of the few remaining Higher Education institutions in the UK where glassblowing techniques can be studied, which makes it vital that we join the international celebrations planned for the UN International Year of Glass. Melting Pot will join a global programme of activities that include congresses, industrial fairs, artistic exhibitions and books designed to highlight and celebrate glass technologies' significant contribution to advancements in the arts and sciences. This is a very exciting opportunity to open our doors and show off some of the drama and beauty of this mesmerising art form.”

Plymouth College of Art’s hot glass workshops and Plymouth Art Cinema at Plymouth College of Art, Tavistock Place, Plymouth, PL4 8AT, will act as the hub for a variety of activities, including hot-glass demonstrations by Elliott Walker and Bethany Wood, as well as live-streamed demonstrations from international glass partners in Italy and the Netherlands.

Melting Pot will also feature regional collaborations in England with the Contemporary Glass Society (which celebrates its 25^th anniversary in 2022), Rhizome (an artist collective which includes Plymouth College of Art alumni), Cornwall Ceramics and Glass Group, and Teign Valley Glass in Devon. Teign Valley Glass, located in the Old Pottery, Pottery Rd, Bovey Tracey TQ13 9DS, will open its studio doors for the weekend to a wide range of glassblowers, who will demonstrate their skills in-situ and via a live streaming link to Plymouth College of Art.

With a range of activities for anybody who would like to see hot glass blowing, from professionals and students to members of the public, some events will be open to walk-in on the day while others such as the Elliot Walker and Bethany Wood demonstrations must be booked on Eventbrite in advance. All tickets will be free of charge, with a full event schedule due to be published on the Plymouth College of Art website ahead of the event: https://www.plymouthart.ac.uk/melting-pot

Make! Craft! Live! is a season of nationwide exhibitions, learning events, fairs, and digital activities that celebrates the value of craft to empower, enrich and connect our society. Running from October 2021 to October 2022, this marks 50 years of the Crafts Council and will be delivered through craft activities taking place at venues across the UK such as craft studios, museums, galleries, schools and community centres.

With a wide range of design studios and workshops that include specialist facilities for glass, ceramics, metal and wood, alongside rapid digital prototyping facilities in Fab Lab Plymouth, Plymouth College of Art offers a range of courses that give students the opportunity to reinvent craft for the 21st century, including BA (Hons) Craft & Material Practices, MA Craft & Material Practices and MA Glass. To tour the facilities and see why Plymouth College of Art is uniquely placed to support a rich cross-disciplinary practice, visit the next on campus Open Days on Saturday 26 March or Saturday 18 June 2022.