Topographies of the Obsolete: Think Tank 1

Think-Tank 1 organised by Brownsword, enabled staff and participants from partner institutions to present a synopsis of their recent research activity developed out of Topographies of the Obsolete, phase 1. It also facilitated a space to discuss new ideas, proposals and possibilities for future collaborations that formed the basis of phase 2 of the project and mapped out new post-industrial sites to work with. It was agreed that Phase 2 of Topographies mirrored the experiences, methodologies and outcomes that evolved through phase 1 to other post‐industrial regions in the UK, Norway, Denmark and Germany. Interest from new partner institutions introduced and broadened the scope of this research to other regions in Europe that equally bear industrial histories adjacent to those in Stoke-on-Trent. The existing research strands, plus additional strands that explore the landscape of post-industry as raw material, the contemporary ruin and ruination, and the role of art and artist in a non-art space, constitute the basis of the research context in the different institutions, workshops, seminars and conferences. It was important that these research strands continued to be developed out of individual projects, so that the overriding research questions and discussions are constantly relevant and are grounded in each participant’s artistic practice. It was proposed that existing partner intuitions will apply methodologies of working site specifically uncovered through the project, back to their national/ local context, thus grounding the project in their own research environment and landscape. Brownsword detailed his ongoing research concerning re-activating ceramic intangible heritage in North Staffordshire.