Austell Ceramic – Our ambition is to turn the centre of St Austell and its clay country into a giant cultural site. We want to create a sense of place based on our heritage and the unbounded potential of china clay, creating a cultural argument for visiting and living in St Austell Bay and its clay country. St Austell will become a hub where people can learn ceramic art skills and be inspired.

In 2016 the Whitegold Project was set up by a small group of ceramicists and dedicated locals who live amongst the china clay pits of St Austell. Proud of an amazing heritage, and wanting to see a better future for the area, this group of artists, business people and others wanted to make something different from the clay – a sustainable, creative and resilient place where people wanted to live, work and play. Now the Whitegold Project is part of Austell Ceramic, a major programme of creative projects working collaboratively across all of the Austell Project pillars.

In our first steps we have created opportunities for local people to work with clay, and to tell their own stories about clay. We want young people, all people, to feel pride in St Austell and to build their future here. The second step has been to invite established and emerging artists from Cornwall, from Stoke on Trent, and from all over the world to St Austell to make work and share their skills, leaving behind a legacy of publicly accessible work for all.

In the next phase of the Austell Project, we will focus on transforming outdoor spaces, strengthening local community engagement with ceramic activities and facilitating the building of creative hubs in collaboration with existing educational and creative communities.

Click the images below to explore our journey so far….

Austell Ceramic

The Whitegold Project

Our aim is to work with creative people, to make innovative and activated public spaces that use art and gardening to celebrate…

Ceramic Commissions

Age of Aquarius

Three Ceramic Paintings for St Austell, Channelling Bernard Leach in The Age of Aquarius.

Austell Ceramic

Bringing a creative spirit to St Austell

Bringing public engagement to visually deprived areas of the town to build pride in our built environment

Ceramic Commissions

David Mach, Earthly Delights

David Mach is appealing for your ceramic memories.

Ceramic Commissions

Seed Bank

Created by artist Cleo Mussi, one of the best known and well respected mosaicist working in the UK

Whitegold International Prize

The best of the best 2019

Professor Neil Brownsword is the winner of Whitegold’s International Quartz Prize

Whitegold International Prize

Feldspar award winner 2019

Tana West is the winner of Whitegold’s International Prize, Feldspar Award.

Whitegold International Prize

A WALK ON THE WILDSIDE

Keep an eye out for the Clay Cornish Choughs who will be landing on the fruit trees on Edible St Austell's tree…

Whitegold International Prize

2020 International PRIZE FINALISTS

The artists shortlisted for the Whitegold International Ceramic Prize 2020 have requested an exciting change in the way the Prize is delivered.

Whitegold International Prize

2020 International Prize Convivial Clay

We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Whitegold International Ceramics Prize 2020

Brickfield

Brickfield 2021

Brickfield have three exciting new projects for 2021 and they are really pleased to be launching their first publication

Brickfield

Private: Brickfield BUILD

Find out about Brickfield BUILD, an exciting Heritage Lottery funded project for 2021.

Brickfield

Brickfield Guide to Cornish Brickmaking

Whitegold Festival

2020 Whitegold Festival Programme

Dive into the archived programme of films that was available for the online 2020 Window into Whitegold Festival

Whitegold Festival

THE WHITEGOLD FESTIVAL – AN OVERVIEW

The Whitegold Festival started off in 2016 with a simple idea – to persuade people to get that clay under their nails