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The importance of funding alternative pathways of professional development can be understood in a cultural and historical context.

1967

‘Nowadays, our craftsmen potters are able to have a sound general education in ceramics, for the teaching standard is extremely high… though the educative process with which to work upon an apathetic and commercially minded public remains an all-embracing problem. Every aspect of our habitat calls for re-appraisal, and in the use of ceramics in our homes and public buildings the impact of the potter can be considerable.’
The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 6/1, 1967 Editorial by Wanda Garnsey

2013

‘In Australia over the preceding sixty years, the visual arts and crafts sector has enjoyed a relatively stable and vibrant cultural terrain, underpinning the growth of ceramics courses, practitioners, galleries and museum collections. More recently, the viability of ceramics education has been the ‘elephant in the room’, its future exposed and threatened by university course closures and recent cuts to the TAFE sector.’
The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 52/2, 2013 Elephant In The Fortress – Ceramics Education in the Time of Indifference by Rod Bamford

2026

‘For ceramics more broadly, I’d like to see more recognition from outside the ceramics bubble. Architects, designers, institutions, and funding bodies often see the finished object, but not the years of technical knowledge and material research sitting behind it. I’d also like to see ceramicists brought into conversations earlier. We have a lot to contribute to discussions around materials, waste, locality, and sustainability, but we’re often treated as the people who make the thing at the end rather than helping shape the thinking at the beginning. Clay sits at the intersection of geology, design, manufacturing, and environmental thinking. I think the future of ceramics is much bigger than pottery alone.’
The Journal of Australian Ceramics Vol 65/2, 2026 A Day In The Life Of with Kate Bowman