Michael Stewart

Fashion Designer and Creative Director of Standing Ground

Michael established Standing Ground as Creative Director in 2021. His London-based atelier operates as a site of technical research, where experimentation in cut, construction, and material is pursued through sustained collaboration with highly skilled pattern cutters and seamstresses. Over the past five years, this atelier has evolved into a rigorous environment dedicated to advancing craftsmanship, where innovation is inseparable from technical mastery. This commitment was recognised in his receiving of the inaugural LVMH Savoir-Faire Prize in 2024, awarded for excellence in craftsmanship and technical innovation in the service of creativity and sustainability, and included a collaboration with Maison Vermont (an embroidery atelier within the LVMH Métiers d’Art).

Previously, Stewart was selected as a finalist for the 2025 International Woolmark Prize, where he developed a project that drew upon wool’s historical significance and prevalence in mid-century haute couture. In 2023, he was awarded the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland’s Future Makers Award, a distinction that celebrates innovation and excellence in contemporary craft practice across all disciplines. Alongside his studio practice, Stewart continues to contribute to the transmission of knowledge through teaching and mentorship. He has delivered masterclasses and lectures at institutions including the Royal College of Art, London, and the Fashion Designers Association in Hong Kong, with a focus on draping and innovation in cut. His technical expertise has also led to consultancy work luxury houses, particularly in the development of evening wear through advanced draping techniques. He received an MA at the Royal College of Art in 2017.

Julia Ravenscroft

Curator and Creative Producer

Based in London, Julia graduated in Fashion Journalism, PR and Marketing at the London College of Fashion before studying Arts Administration at Birkbeck College.

Julia was Exhibition Officer and Manager at the Crafts Council London from 1999-2006, working with their collection and managing their international exhibition programme. Since then, she has established Collect Open, worked with the Jerwood Foundation curating the Jerwood Applied Arts Prize touring exhibitions, overseen the permanent collection display at the new Design Museum, Kensington and led on exhibitions and events working with many talented artists and designers for the Royal Academy of Arts and a range of arts organisations around the UK.

Julia was a member of the Migration Museum’s Peoples’ Panel 2022 -2023 and a member of the Lewisham and Greenwich Hospital Trust Arts Steering Group 2024 – 2025. In 2026 Julia curated the Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s presentation at the Collect Art Fair, Somerset House.

Photo credit  – Victoria Siddle

Leah Capaldi

Artist

Leah is a London-based artist celebrated for her pioneering work at the intersection of sculpture and performance. Inspired by the seminal performance art of the 1960s and 70s, she investigates the complex interplay between object and subject, using her practice to provoke reflections on surveillance, spectatorship, gender, and identity. Her works challenge audiences to reconsider their experiences both within gallery spaces and in their everyday lives. Capaldi is represented by Matt’s Gallery, London, and is a Senior Lecturer in Sculpture at Camberwell College of Art, University of the Arts London.

An international reputation precedes her as she pushes boundaries in contemporary art, creating new environments that demand innovative curatorial approaches. Capaldi’s thought-provoking statement, “I question how far you can perform an object before you become one,” underscores her compelling exploration of media, environments, and the role of spectatorship in modern art.

Brankica Zilovic

Artist and Educator

Born in Serbia, Brankica is a French-Serbian visual artist and educator based in Paris. Her artistic practice spans contemporary art embroidery, installations, multimedia, painting, and drawing, while her educational focus centers on creative processes in textile art, fashion design, and contemporary art. Zilovic’s works have been showcased on both national and international stages, with exhibitions and projects spanning France, Germany, Italy, China, Senegal, the USA, and Serbia.

Over the past 17 years, she has collaborated with art galleries, institutions, museums, French contemporary art centers, cultural organizations, fashion magazines, and advertising agencies, frequently combining exhibitions with workshops and lectures. Zilovic is currently represented by ONIRIS Gallery in France and November Gallery in Serbia. Among her achievements, she has received the second prize for painting at the Antoine Marin Painting Award in Paris and the 1st MAUTO Award for installation. She is also a member of EUROPEANA’s Crafted Project board.

Zilovic holds degrees from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts of Paris (DNSAP) and the Faculty of Fine Arts in Belgrade, demonstrating her dedication to advancing both artistic innovation and education.

Jack Doherty

Potter and Ceramic Artist

Jack was born in Co. Derry and studied Ceramics at the Ulster College of Art & Design, Belfast. On graduating he worked at Kilkenny Design Workshops before establishing his first studio in Co Armagh and then in Herefordshire. From 2008 – 2013 Jack was appointed as the first Lead Potter and Creative Director at the refurbished Leach Pottery in St Ives, where he established the new production studio and training facility. He currently works independently from his studio in Penzance, Cornwall.

Jack is a selected maker in the DCCI Portfolio; Critical Selection and is included in the first Irish Contemporary Ceramics Collection at the Hunt Museum, Limerick. He represented Ireland at the European Ceramics Context exhibition in Denmark. He has been involved with promoting ceramics on many levels; as a lecturer, curator and facilitator but primarily as an artist and maker. He has travelled extensively as an artist in residence including Mashiko, Japan, Australia, China, Taiwan and the United States. He was Chair of Craft Potters Association for 12 years, a founder of Ceramic Art London and was guest editor of Ceramic Review magazine. Jack was made an Honorary Fellow of the CPA in 2019.

His work is exhibited internationally and is in many public collections including Europe, UK and Asia. In 2016 he received the Janet Mansfield Award for his innovative work in the field of soda firing. He led the first international soda-firing Festival at Fuping, China 2019. Recent group exhibitions have included Vessels, Mashiko Ceramic Museum, Japan, Material Landscapes, at Make, Hauser & Wirth Gallery, Somerset, Landmarks, Ceramics Ireland. Solo exhibitions include Beaux Arts Gallery, Bath, Mon-o-ha Gallery in Seoul, Korea and the Contemporary Ceramics Centre in London 2026.