NEWS that Stourbridge will no longer host the International Festival of Glass has been hailed a “massive loss to the local area”.
The biannual event, celebrating all things glass related, has been held in Stourbridge’s famous Glass Quarter for the last two decades – organised by Janine Christley at the Ruskin Glass Centre.
But the baton to host the festival has been handed over to the USA based Glass Art Society which has decided to run the next event in 2026 in St Helens, Merseyside.
The news was announced at the opening of the British Glass Biennale at Amblecote’s Glasshouse Arts Centre on August 22 as the 2024 festival got underway.
The final event to be held in Stourbridge, which has a 400-year history of glassmaking, attracted thousands of visitors to venues including the Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge Glass Museum, Ruskin Glass Centre and others.
Lynn Boleyn, secretary to the trustees of the British Glass Foundation which manages Stourbridge Glass Museum in Wordsley, described the loss of the festival to Stourbridge as “such a shame”.
She added: “The festival has been held every two years in Stourbridge for the last 20 years and has got bigger and better every year.”
Upon hearing the news that Stourbridge will no longer play host to the glittering event, she said: “What a massive loss to the local area. We took around £12,000 over the weekend – that is just one glass venue – not to mention the economic loss to the local hotels, cafes, restaurants and other visitor attractions in the area that people visit whilst they are here – Dudley Zoo & Castle, Black Country Living Museum, Canal & Tunnel Trust etc.”
The British Glass Foundation, the organisation behind the creation of Stourbridge Glass Museum and tasked with safeguarding the borough’s prized glass collection, put in a bid to run the festival going forwards but lost out to America’s Glass Art Society.
When it was confirmed in August 2023 that the running of the festival had been handed over to the GAS based in Seattle, Washington, it was uncertain as to whether the event would continue to be held in Stourbridge so news that St Helens will host the 2026 IFoG came as a shock to many.
BGF trustee Lynn Boleyn said: “The first we knew about this was on the Thursday evening when they announced it, so we are all bitterly disappointed.”
The Glass Art Society has confirmed its first International Festival of Glass will take place at the World of Glass (TWoG) from August 27 to 31, 2026, and the society has said in selecting a location for the event “it was important to GAS that we move throughout the United Kingdom to partner with as many glass artists and organisations as possible and to make glass accessible in every corner of the UK.”
The Glass Art Society’s executive director Brandi P Clark added: “We are excited to partner with the World of Glass for the 2026 festival.
“As the original home of Pilkington Glass and an advocate for contemporary UK glass, TWoG is the perfect partner for a festival completely dedicated to the material we all love. Halfway between Liverpool and Manchester, their location will make the festival accessible for tourists and glass enthusiasts alike.”
Lloyd Stacey, director of Stourbridge’s Riverside House which has opened its doors as part of the glass festival, said: “It’s a shame that the visitors to Riverside House, one of the main headliners of IFoG in recent years, will see the local demise of the festival.”
But he stressed other exciting possibilities lie ahead “as glass isn't the only art and craft form that Stourbridge has to offer”.
Amblecote councillor Paul Bradley, deputy leader of Dudley Council, added: “I'm very sad that Stourbridge will no longer be the main host of these fantastic events and will be joining the campaign for future local festivals in the heart of our region’s 400-year glassmaking history.”
Janine Christley, former director and founder of the International Festival of Glass, acknowledged it has been “sad news to a lot of people in Stourbridge” that the festival is moving away and she added: “It’s been glorious having it here.”
But she said: “I think the GAS is the right organisation to take it on and take it to another level.”
She thanked the Stourbridge community for supporting the event over the last 20 years and said: “It’s been phenomenal.”
And she added that she hopes the festival’s success over the last two decades will galvanise those in the local glass industry and borough businesses and organisations to “step up and do something” – adding: “I suspect something will emerge in its place.”
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