Museum of Royal Worcester

The Museum of Royal Worcester was awarded a £1,500 grant in 2022 from the WCF’s Arts & Mental Health Fund which helped support the ‘Teapot of Stories’ courtyard sculpture.

On 16 September 2023, Mayor of Worcester, Councillor Louis Stephen, cut the ribbon to unveil a beautiful new sculpture of a giant teapot in the Royal Porcelain Works courtyard in the regenerated ‘porcelain quarter’ and, the museum held an all-ages celebration day of creative activities. The sculpture is a visual focus and talking point for celebrating Worcester’s porcelain heritage. It was created by artists Ron Thompson and Julie Edwards of Planet Art with the design having been shaped from a day of workshops involving pupils from local primary and high schools.

The celebration event involved Royal Worcester workers, residents and community groups meeting the teapot sculpture artists, tea tasting, and getting hands-on with artist-led creative activities in their Pop-up Museum, designing a paper toy teapot, modelling a clay teapot and decorating a coaster. Oral history producer Julia Letts, gave a talk on ‘Anecdotes from the Archive’, sharing stories and memories from former Royal Worcester workers. Worcester City Council’s Life Stories team were involved sharing photographs and memories from ‘Know Your Place, Worcester’, the interactive website platform. Author and local historian, Colin Millett launched and signed copies of his new book on Royal Worcester painter, Harry Davis. As part of Worcester Mela’s Melting Pot project, Balbir Singh Dance company performed the story of ‘Tea Leaves’, and visual artist, Louise Grimsby sketched a teapot full of stories and painted with tea.

Established in 1946, The Museum of Royal Worcester is an independent charitable trust. Their aim is to look after and celebrate the largest collection of Worcester porcelain in the world and its unique archive, in the place where it was made. For further information see https://www.museumofroyalworcester.org/