After some years lying dormant and mostly abandoned, The Leach Pottery was revitalized as the Bernard Leach (St Ives) Trust Ltd in 2007 with the assistance of the Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. The original property has been restored and expanded with new workshops and an exhibition space. A research centre, now being planned in an adjacent building, will house a library and study rooms for students and researchers. This research centre will also provide online access to films, recordings and documents from other organizations including the St. Ives Archive Study Centre, Dartington Hall Trust and the Crafts Study Centre in Farnham in the East of England.
In Japan, the Nippon Mingei Kan – the Japan Folk Craft Museum – is the most important repository for works of the Mingei Movement. It remains a vibrant institution, exhibiting and preserving key collections and works of its founders.
Neither The Leach Pottery nor the Japan Folk Craft Museum has any filmed materials related to their origins and the lives of their founders. The successful completion of this project will provide both organizations, as well as researchers, craftspeople, students and the general public, with a rich legacy.
There are still people in Great Britain, America and Japan with direct knowledge of the history of this important period of intellectual and artistic exchange. It is vital that we consult them and record their histories.