Our In the Window Installation for Pride in Liverpool showcases the work of local ceramic artist Simon Dredge, as part of the celebrations for Liverpool Pride. Simon’s plates are made in both porcelain and architectural clays, he uses ceramic body stains, underglaze, acrylic inks, acrylic paints and spray paints on his work.The window installation and selling display at the Bluecoat Display Centre runs from 1 July – 31 July 2024, to coincide with Pride in Liverpool celebrations.
Bluecoat Display Centre has been awarded funding by the Ulrike Michal Foundation for the Arts to enable this window installation. Liverpool based Simon Dredge is an English ceramic artist whose work explores the impact of history in shaping our cultural understanding. For the Pride window Simon wanted to celebrate the diversity of the gay and queer community in Liverpool and the wider Merseyside area.
Liverpool has a long history of being inclusive to this community and over recent years this inclusivity has become stronger and more prominent. From having the first LGBT quarter in the country to having one of the largest Pride festivals in Europe. Simon wants to bring distant and unheard voices to his work so for this collection he wanted to include both historical figures interwoven with more modern and well-known people. For Simon including people who were trailblazers and forward thinking for their time is so important as these are the people who made living now as open and proud LGBTQIA++ possible.
This collection is colourful and bright and a true celebration of a culture that has given so much to the world. Liverpool is and was so important to giving the world so much of this culture. From the use of Polari, a secret language used by the community for many years to pubs and clubs that people may remember, and previous Pride festivals, this collection seeks to highlight an important history and recognise how we should always appreciate what the past has given this community.
Read more about the inspirations behind Simon’s NATIONAL HANDBAG, 1967 & BONA (below) plates by following the links.
Join us for an informal afternoon where you can come along and have a chat with Simon about his work and have some refreshments with us.
This is a free event; booking is not required.
