A new bronze statue is set to give recognition to the women who shaped Stoke-on-Trent's pottery industry.

The plans, which will go before the city council's cabinet on Tuesday (22 July), also include the relocation of the 'Steel Man' statue currently outside the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery to engineering firm, Goodwin PLC.

Women made up around half of the workforce in the pottery industry locally at the start of the 20th century and the city council says the statue will honour the vital role of women in the creation of ceramic products, which were exported around the world.

Under the plans, the council would loan 'Steel Man' to Goodwin PLC for public display at their site for 100 years and in return the company would provide £90,000 towards the creation of the new statue.

The 'Steel Man' statue outside the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Hanley. (Nub News)

It is anticipated that the new statue will be a bronze representation with a key focus on women in the pottery industry of and "potentially a selection of the different industries associated with Stoke-on-Trent". 

Steel Man was created by artist Colin Melbourne in 1974, commissioned by the Shelton Steel Action Committee.

It's expected the statue honouring the women of the pottery industry will be unveiled in 2026 as a 'centenary legacy project' at the current location of the Steel Man statue in Hanley.

Cllr Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: "This is about giving recognition to a part of our history that has too often gone unrecognised.

"Women were often the backbone of the ceramics industry – decorating and finishing some of the world's most iconic pottery, often without the recognition or pay that men received.

"For every Clarice Cliff or Susie Cooper, there were hundreds of women whose names we don't recognise but whose skill and labour made this city what it is. This new statue is a proud, permanent tribute to their work and their place in our history.

"I'm also pleased that there are plans for Steel Man to return home to the foundry where it was originally cast. It's a proud symbol of our industrial heritage and it will continue to tell that story in a new setting."

--------

Free from clickbait, pop-up ads and unwanted surveys, Stoke Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our city.

Subscribe to our FREE weekly newsletter email HERE - just click the 'SIGN UP' button.

Please consider following Stoke Nub News on Facebook, X or Instagram.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.