The Women’s International Glass Workshop is a unique professional organisation with global representation that provides a specialist network for women practitioners who predominantly work alone.

The Women’s International Glass Workshop is a unique professional organisation with global representation that provides a specialist network for women practitioners who predominantly work alone. The workshops promote the practice of glass-making through exhibiting work, conducting workshops and developing contacts throughout the world. 

The Women’s International Glass Workshop have been meeting biennially since 1989 and this year to honour the UN Year of Glass have created and launched a new website to celebrate. This archival website will give a timeline and insight into who has been involved, how they have maintained their alliance and developed friendships whilst continuing their individual art=practices in glass. 

These activities are expressed publicly through open exhibitions, symposia and accompanying publications. Members sometimes give talks about The Women’s International Glass Workshop, the most recent was at the British Glass Festival in Stourbridge, in August 2022. Founding member Sigridur Asgeirsdottir (Iceland) and Chris Bird-Jones (Wales) gave the opening talk at the festival presenting an overview to launch the website. 

Wales has a strong presence in the workshop with Amber Hiscott and Catrin Jones, also members from Wales. They have been involved from the first workshop meeting in Iceland and hosted the second workshop, in Swansea, in 1991. Our workshops have been held throughout the world with the last in Jaipur, India, in 2020. 

The regular meetings and support of The Women’s International Glass Workshop has been a keystone in many of the careers of our artists and the fact that this process has continued for so many years, is testament to its strength and importance. 

Please visit our website for further information -www.womensinternationalglassworkshop.com 

Chris Bird-Jones Sept 2022