Great Pottery Throw Down judge Rich Miller awarded honorary doctorate

Zoe Gater

The Great Pottery Throw Down judge and ceramicist Rich Miller has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University for the Creative Arts, recognising his contribution to ceramics and his role in championing craft.

The Great Pottery Throw Down judge and ceramicist Rich Miller has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), recognising his contribution to ceramics and his role in championing craft.

The Surrey-based ceramicist, who was born in West Sussex, received an Honorary Doctor of Arts (DArt) during the university’s graduation ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Friday, July 10.

Accepting the award, Rich encouraged graduates to embrace creativity and curiosity.

He said: “I congratulate you for choosing the Arts.

“Creativity has the unique power to communicate complex ideas, to challenge the status quo, and to stand at the forefront of shaping the society we live in. Use that power wisely.”

Rich graduated from UCA in 2003 with a degree in ceramics, where he was taught by internationally renowned ceramicist and UCA Chancellor Dame Magdalene Odundo.

Reflecting on his own journey, he said: “I grew up in an environment in the early eighties where being a minority often meant being made to feel ‘less than.’ Had UCA and teachers such as Chancellor Dame Magdalene Odundo not taught me to question ‘why’, I wouldn’t have had the tools to unpack that. Curiosity gives you perspective, so keep asking questions of everything, stay open and say yes to the things that scare you.”

Rich’s early career saw him establish bespoke stoneware tile company Froyle Tiles, which he ran for 19 years. During that time, he worked on major architectural collaborations including 24 Savile Row and the Tate St Ives Pavilion, as well as projects for clients including the BBC, Nando’s and Marks & Spencer.

He joined The Great Pottery Throw Down as a technician before becoming a judge alongside Keith Brymer Jones when the programme moved from the BBC to Channel 4. The series has since been credited with inspiring a new generation of potters across the UK.

More recently, Rich held his first solo exhibition, Fired Legacies, at Watts Gallery in Surrey, exploring his heritage and British colonial history through ceramics.

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