Professor Peter Davies
Professor Peter Davies has been Team Leader for Glass & Ceramics at the University of Sunderland since 2003. He studied at: Swansea School of Art; Goldsmith's College, University of London; University of Wales, Cardiff; and the Royal College of Art. After graduating he lectured at Western Michigan University and then at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where alongside teaching he was responsible for an extensive Visiting Artists' programme.
Returning to the UK he was appointed Visual Arts Officer for Northern Arts (1974-1992), the then regional arts association for the north of England. In this time the foundations for much of the infrastructure, services, arts projects and support schemes, which helps support the present rich visual culture and environment was established. Artist's support schemes were developed, such as: artists grants; residencies (e.g. Durham Cathedral, Sunderland Football Club); Exhibition Payment Right; Percent for Art; Travel awards; and Interest Free Purchase Loans. Artists support and facilitating structures and organizations were supported: Artists' Newsletter; Artists' Agency; Sculpture North; Northern Print; studios; artists groups; crafts; public art posts, and so on. Grizedale Forest Sculpture, Art in the Metro, Projects UK and Gateshead led the remarkable public art programme. The gallery infrastructure was gradually built up, which was to gather pace later with Lottery Funding for capital projects helping to achieve Baltic and the National Glass Centre, Sunderland, where the University of Sunderland's Glass & Ceramics is based.
After successfully bidding for the UK Year of Visual Arts 1996, Peter Davies left Northern Arts in 1992 to devote time to his own art practice and to work as an art consultant, commissions director and curator. Peter Davies worked on a number of contracts such as: Commissions Director, Cardiff Bay Art Trust (1994); Maternity cover as Director of AXIS; Commissions Director, Tyne & Wear Development Corporation (1997); Head of Visual Arts, Arts Council of Wales (1998-1999); and since 1993 has undertaken over 30 major art consultancies. He is committed to the development of contemporary practice and the engagement of the artist and society, which was acknowledged by his National Art Collection Fund Award for 'an outstanding contribution to visual arts'.
Appointed as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sunderland, 2000, he set up the Research Development Unit to stimulate a cultural change in Art and Design by realigning research to external funding, collaborative approaches and development. In his role as Team Leader in Glass & Ceramics he is seeking, through attracting inward investment, to establish unique programmes, activities and workshop facilities which will support and extend education, research and reach-out/reach-in. Cross-over offers many benefits, not least through extended artists' access schemes and by creating new research fellowships.
Peter Davies was a C.N.A.A Fine Art Adviser and was on the University of Northumbria's Research and Consultancy Committee, 1981-1985. He has been a member of various Validating and Review Committees: Wimbledon School of Art (MA Site Specific Sculpture); Glasgow School of Art (MA Fine Art); Dartington College (BA Art in Social Contexts); University of Northumbria (BA Hons); and Dundee University (MA and BA Hons Fine Art). He was External Examiner of the University of Sunderland, MA Art & Design in Context, 1994-98, the University of Northumbria (Newcastle College BA) 2007 and a PhD External Examiner, Gothenburg, Sweden in 2006.
Currently Peter Davies is External Examiner of Moray College (BA Hons) 2007. He is supervising a number of PhD students and with Prof.. Kevin Petrie has been involved with the growth of Glass and Ceramic research student numbers. In 2007 he co-organised the national AHRC funded 'Parallels and Connections: A Ceramics and Glass Research Student Conference'.
Current projects
Locus+ Archive, housed in the University of Sunderland, traces the history of performance, installation and sited works from the Basement Group, Projects UK to Locus+ over the last 25 years.
2004. Peter Davies undertook the Locus+ Review and has been involved with developments since this time, particularly as it relates to the Archive, research training and research students.
2006. Two AHRC Collaborative Doctoral studentships with Locus +, were awarded for research centred on non-gallery practice.
2006. 'This would not have happened without you', The Locus + Archive exhibition, supported by a major ACE grant toured to the Universities of Newcastle, Ulster and Southampton, with the same named title published by The University of Sunderland Press, ISBN: 978-1-899377-25-1.
2006. An AHRC Archive Research Training programme (grant c£50,000) results from the collaboration of the Universities of Ulster and Sunderland and Locus +.
2007. A Creative Industries Partnership placement scheme with the Locus+ Archive, led by Peter Davies, is supported by the NE Regional Development Agency.
Art Editions North (AEN), co-directed by Rob Blackson and Peter Davies, is a publishing house of monographs for artists working in this region. AEN is now in partnership with the University's Vardy Gallery the imprint capacity has doubled. The artist-led publications, with commissioned essays, result from collaborations with international/UK galleries associated with an exhibition. Some 22 books, distributed world-wide by Cornerhouse (www.cornerhouse.org), have been published since 2001. Presently an editioning programme is being addressed.
Research interests
The main research interests focus on:
- contemporary glass and visual arts developments, notably in the exhibition form, engagements with publics and the market place
- artist support and access to new technologies, resources and facilities
- glass workshop production issues, especially as it relates to sustainable environmental concerns, the carbon agenda and energy savings, and how this will impact on future use and practice.
These research interests are investigated through development of his own practice, exhibition curation, publication, establishing models of practice, and undertaking consultancies and projects.
Selected Awards and successful grants include:
2007. EU Interreg 3c Regional twinning with Valencia.
2006. AHRC. First national Ceramics and Glass Research Student Conference.
2006. Leverhulme Trust Visiting Fellow in Glass (Scott Chaseling).
2005-06. Two five year RCUK Academic Fellows in Glass (Cutler and Sarmiento).
2004-06. Major grants include: ERDF and Single Programme for capital project enabling SME access.
ESF for short course training LIFT and MA bursaries.
HEIF for staffing and reach-in access.
SRIF grants for Light Lab.
2003. Art Editions North. ACE £60,000 grant to establish the publishing company.
2001. Digitise'. New Opportunities Lottery Fund (c£100,000). 'Gateway to Glass'.
1999. Foundation for Sport and the Arts, Three Rivers Residency.
1991. Prudential Arts and Visual Arts Awards - Grizedale Society.
Exhibitions, curation and projects include:
2006. 'New British Glass' Institute of Contemporary Arts Singapore. Earl Lu Gallery, Curator.
2005. 'Wheel and Water grind an EDGE', National Glass Centre. Curator.
1996. Bill Viola. 'The Messenger' Durham Cathedral. Project team 1996.
1993. 'A Bottle of Notes'. Claes Oldenburg / Coozie Van Bruggen sculpture, Middlesborough.
Programmes include:
1976-1990. Grizedale Society. Grizedale Forest Sculpture. 1976-1990.
Established and curated the residency programme until 1986. Artists included: Richard Harris, David Nash, Ken Turnell, Keir Smith, Sally Matthews, David Kemp, Michael Winstone, Colin Rose, Andy Goldsworthy, Kimio Tsuchiyo.
1997. Art on the Riverside Commissions Director for Tyne and Wear Development Corporation Received £3.6m Lottery Fund grant for major urban integrated regeneration programme of commissions and residencies in Newcastle, North Shields, South Shields and Sunderland.
Consultancies include:
2004. City of Edinburgh Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy and Review.
2004. Locus+ Review, supported by ACENE.
2003. Little Sparta Trust, supported by the Scottish Arts Council.
2003. Visual Arts and Crafts Review, National Eisteddfod of Wales.
2002. East Ayrshire Studio Development.
2002. Portfolo magazine supported by Scottish Arts and Edinburgh City Council.
2001. Hospitalfield House: Visual Arts Review. Hungry Dog Press. ISBN 0-9541412-2-9.
2001. Tate St Ives, Cornwall. Phase ii Consultation and Feasibility Study contribution 2001.
2000. Grizedale Arts Strategy. Commissioned by the Grizedale Society and Forestry Commission.
1999. Review of Open Access Provision and Facilities for Artists in Scotland. A major study looking at the five SAC funded printmaking workshops, the three sculpture workshops and the two photography workshops, as well as film, video and new media. Commissioned by the Scottish Arts Council.
1998. Public Art policy and programme for Tyne & Wear Transport System. Nexus.
1997. Dundee Public Art Programme (DPAP): Development Plan. Feasibility Study contribution.
1997. Artists' Studio Development for North West and Yorkshire & Humberside Arts Boards. Major studio research visiting all of the studios in North England.
1996, Exhibition Payment Right research as part of the Artists Rights Programme for National Artists Association, supported by UK Arts Councils and Regional Arts Boards
Books include:
'Glass North East', 2007. Art Editions North. Contributing Editor. ISBN: 978 1 873757 28 4.
'With Animals' Sally Matthews monograph. Editor. ISBN: 1 899281 00 2. Pedalling Arts. 1994.
'Space for Dreaming - A Different Reality'. Editor. ISBN: 0 9518223 0 6. Richard Harris monograph. Bede Gallery. 1991.
'A World's Waste' Editor with Graham Roberts. Brewery Arts Centre. 1988.
'A Sense of Place' ISBN: 0 904461 85 8 Editor with Tony Knipe. Ceolfrith Press. 1984
