Touching History
The Minton encaustic tiles of Stoke-on-Trent
About this project
A sensory heritage project about the Minton encaustic floor tiles of Stoke-on-Trent, the patterned tiles you walk over, perhaps without ever looking down. We made them worth a second glance, and for some people, a first touch.
What we noticed
Part of gratitude is noticing the place you're actually in. Stoke-on-Trent made these tiles. They were laid in floors and entrances all over the world. Yet the people who live in the very city that produced them often pass them every day without a second glance.
What we did
We built a sensory exhibition around the tiles. Visitors could:
- see original Minton encaustic tiles up close;
- handle 3D-printed tactile versions, co-designed with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) so that blind and partially sighted visitors could experience the designs by touch, not just by sight;
- explore the archive material and contemporary design work that grew out of the project.
The point was to put the heritage back within reach, literally, in the case of the tactile models.
The exhibition was hosted at CLAYHEAD, a pop-up venue built from modified shipping containers in the former loading bay of Winkhill Mill, a historical tile works on Swan Street.
The project was developed in collaboration with the Tiles & Architectural Ceramics Society (TACS), Ceramic City Stories, Wavemaker, and The Firing Line.
The book
We made a book about what we found, featuring the first ever Minton & Co. tile designs.
Thanks to Our Funder
Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thank you to the National Lottery players who made this project possible.
