From 1 May, visitors to the StaffsVerse Fortnite island can get a sneak peek at items from a rare collection of ceramics which is due to go on display in county later this year.
Built in Unreal Engine, StaffsVerse is a virtual recreation of the University’s three main campuses in Stoke-on-Trent, Stafford and London – and even includes the new Student Village which opens this September.
As part of a limited-time event, throughout May players will be able to search for items from the Thornhill Collection hidden across the StaffsVerse and learn about their history.
The collection of rare Oriental ceramics was bequeathed to University of Staffordshire – previously as North Staffordshire Technical College – by Ernest Thornhill for study purposes when he died in 1944.
A selection of the ceramics have been virtually brought to life in the StaffsVerse through the work of Games Art Lecturer Dr Emma Fallows. As part of her PhD research, Fallows used specialist 3D scanning technology to produce digital replicas of the rare artefacts – with the aim of bringing a virtual museum experience and interactive learning opportunities to new audiences.
“This selection of ceramics represents the Thornhill Collection, comprised of 270 pieces, that deserves to be seen and heard,” Emma commented. “It’s a privilege to honour and expand the visibility; to see its platform grow beyond my research and now to StaffsVerse so more people can enjoy and learn about this collection’s fascinating history.”
University of Staffordshire is home to the UK’s largest games department and the StaffsVerse was created by staff and students from a range of games courses as part of the University’s award winning 1UP placement programme.
Professor Chris Headleand, Head of the University’s Games Institute, said: “Staffordshire Day is an opportunity to celebrate the heritage, creativity and community that define our region. As a university rooted in Staffordshire, with deep connections to its history and people, we are proud to bring that legacy to life through a special event in our StaffsVerse virtual campus.”
Associate Lecturer and PhD researcher Callum Roberts is the StaffsVerse project lead. He added: “Having the opportunity to create and celebrate Staffordshire Day within the StaffsVerse has been an incredibly exciting experience for me. We were able to successfully display various 3D scans of the Thornhill Collection, which showcases the cultural context of these historic artefacts. Prospective and current students alike will be able to experience and learn about the ceramic history behind these artefacts within our brand new treasure hunt game!”
The Thornhill Collection contains Chinese wares, along with a small number of Korean and Japanese pieces, ranging from the simple earthenware of the Shang dynasty (1700 -1028 BC) to the richly painted porcelains of the Ming (1368 – 1644 AD) and Qing (1644 – 1912 AD) dynasties.
The collection remained largely forgotten until Professor Flavia Swann rediscovered it in the 1970s, when a colleague mentioned some “dusty olds pots – possibly Chinese” in the store cupboards.
The University recently partnered with Stoke-on-Trent City Council to house the collection at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery (PMAG) in Hanley and exhibit items to the public for the first time since the 1980s.
The collection is being loaned to the PMAG for an initial five years, with plans to display the ceramics in a dedicated exhibition space, with teaching and research facilities. This will follow the completion of the City Council’s extension of the museum, backed by £5m investment of Arts Council funding.
Neil Brownsword, Professor of Ceramics University of Staffordshire, is overseeing the project.
He said: “Bringing the Thornhill Collection into the StaffsVerse is a fitting way to celebrate Staffordshire Day, offering a glimpse of what’s to come as the collection returns to Stoke-on-Trent. Its relocation presents an exciting opportunity to extend its digitisation, enabling us to access and interpret this important historic collection in new ways.
“This virtual navigation will be explored further in the Potteries refreshed museum displays, and will allow us to forge better connections with objects made in North Staffordshire that were heavily influenced by East Asian prototypes.”
To access the StaffsVerse campus, launch the Fortnite computer game and type in the island code 7421-1052-8692.