Glassmakers see little future when centre closes

Brian Jones says he will retire when the National Glass Centre closes

Artists and skilled tradespeople have said they are considering moving or leaving the industry when the National Glass Centre (NGC) closes.

The University of Sunderland plans to shut the centre in the city next July, with a replacement facility called Glassworks, at the former Peter Smith Antiques site in Sunniside, not opening until 2028.

Artists Joanna Manousis and Zac Weinberg, who came to the city specifically for the centre's facilities, said they were questioning if they should stay because there was "nothing set in stone" for the future.

Glassmaker Brian Jones, who has been renting a studio at the NGC since it opened in 1998, said he would retire after the closure.

Mr Jones, 70, who has an MBE for services to glassmaking, said: "It's unfortunate. I'm at the end of my working life, but I feel more for the younger people.

"I would carry on if they can keep it open."

Ms Manousis and Mr Weinberg, who moved to Sunderland in 2020 with their two children, said they were considering setting up something themselves, but finding a suitable space and funding was a challenge.

Some of Ms Manousis's work is on display at the glass centre as part of the Three Artists exhibition

There are plans for an alternative facility in the city during the gap between the NGC closing and Glassworks opening, but no details have been confirmed yet.

"We're questioning if we'll be able to stay or if we should stay in the area because there is nothing set in stone at the moment," Ms Manousis said.

Mr Weinberg, who is American, said the "real tragedy" was for people who were just becoming interested in glass and were looking for places to learn.

Sunderland University announced last year it would also close its glass and ceramics programme in the summer of 2026.

Mr Weinberg added: "To come here and just slowly have the rug being pulled out from underneath us and the community of artists that surrounds this place has been disappointing and extremely short-sighted in terms of the university's decision to do that."

Sunderland University, which is closing the venue because of "unaffordable" building repair costs, said it had been "completely transparent" in its decision.

'World leading'

Some of the pieces Ms Manousis and Mr Weinberg have created while working in the city are being displayed at the NGC until 10 January.

The show, called Three Artists, has more than 100 pieces and also features artwork by Anthony Amoako-Attah.

Ms Manousis, who is from Shrewsbury in Shropshire, said the artists felt "deeply honoured" to have their work showcased.

"It shows the public what can be achieved with the world leading resources offered at the glass centre," she said.

"There's fewer and fewer places for young adults to learn and for important research to be carried out."

Brian Jones said the opening of the glass centre helped him stay in the industry at the time

Mr Jones has been running Wearside Glass Sculptures from the glass centre and said the venue's opening in the late 1990s helped save glassmaking in Sunderland.

"Prior to that we were really struggling. Everybody was.

"A lot of people were closing down, but once we got to the glass centre the work came to us.

"If we hadn't come in here, we wouldn't be working with glass. We might have lasted another year, but we would've had to move on and do other things."

Mr Jones, who started out as an apprentice at Pyrex when he was 15, said the NGC's closure put glassmaking in the city at risk of extinction.

Sunderland Culture, which will run replacement Glassworks, previously said it would work to ensure its facilities are fit for purpose and said there had been "good progress" on the plans.