Charitable Connections - making a difference

Moorcroft and the Charitable Sector

It goes without saying that the charity sector is full of people who are fueled by a desire to truly make a difference. They work with organisations who are dedicated to a cause that is meaningful to them. In much the same way, our designers are driven by a creative force that wishes to enhance people’s lives through visual pleasing, tactile, fine art pottery.

When defining art, there is a large set of things to be categorized, of which art pottery is only one form to be considered. Painting, sculpture, craft, drama, music, dance, and more have all been historically been considered to be art. In short, the list does not fall far from the list the Arts Council created to define the parameters of its funding. Moorcroft fell securely into the category of craft with our heritage techniques but also, Moorcroft can be seen as art through surface decoration and shape. In the Pandemic, Moorcroft were among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund.

Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England said:

“We’re pleased to be investing in Moorcroft through the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. This funding will offer this highly-acclaimed pottery centre the opportunity to plan for the future and prepare for reopening in the coming months. From showcasing the history of the craft at the heritage centre to creating new, world-renowned ceramics, Moorcroft continues to make a huge contribution to the cultural scene in Stoke-on-Trent.”

In truth, not everyone is convinced that a definition of art is appropriate, or even necessary. Morris Weitz, an American philosopher of aesthetics, argued that art cannot be defined. Moorcroft, as an Arts and Crafts pottery sits well with designs emanating from the natural world, stunningly seen in our designs for the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and for the RSPB, who choose to give nature a home. Just like nature, Moorcroft’s art is continuously evolving, developing and changing and cannot be simply defined. At Moorcroft design creativity can flourish and design meetings can certainly unveil some surprises!

Since 1897, Moorcroft is an art pottery fired by design and consequently, our Managing Director, Elise Adams, also holds the post of Art Director. Elise states that:

“Undoubtedly, it is a privilege to work with our charitable partners and become part of a force that changes people’s lives and, in some cases, outdated misconceptions. Art has the ability to speak a thousand words in a way in which words alone cannot master.”

Not long ago, Moorcroft worked with The National Autistic Society and the NSPCC to use design to convey meaning more effectively than mere verbal description and to also contribute something beautiful to a home environment. In short, some designs, remind people about why they support a particular charity and drive a fresh impetus to aid them in their endeavours. Proponents of Aesthetic Cognitivism, a theory about the value of the arts, consider art not simply as sources of delight, amusement, pleasure, or emotional catharsis, but consider art as a source of understanding. As Nelson Goodman put it in Ways of Worldmaking (1978), “the arts must be taken no less seriously than the sciences as modes of discovery, creation, and enlargement of knowledge in the broad sense of advancement of the understanding.”

Please take a while to consider the charities listed in these sections, with links to their own websites and much more. Should you have a charity which you would like Moorcroft to support, please contact Moorcroft Director, Catherine Gage on catherine.gage@moorcroft.com