The Model Workers

Ian Hankey was born in Liverpool in 1964. He was brought up in the cultural no-mans land of Rainhill on the outskirts of the city, where the accent changed and trouble between scousers and woolybacks ensured the odd beating from both factions who couldn’t figure out which side he was from. His education was less about knowledge and more like crowd control. Armed with a CSE in metalwork he left the smoking remains of his school in 1981 (which burnt down so often that a couple of years later they finally demolished it and relocated to a nicer part of town).

Ian was lucky enough to talk himself into an apprenticeship in engineering craftsmanship at Pilkington glass, were he excelled in the acquisition of practical skills. In 1987, he returned to education in order to meet girls, play in a band and go to parties. After graduating from Buckinghamshire College with a BA (hons) in 3D Design, Ian went on to the Royal College of Art were he was awarded a Masters Degree in Ceramics and Glass. He was awarded a commendation for his thesis 'The Acquisition, Application and Relevance of Skill'. He was awarded a distinction on his postgraduate degree at The London Institute for his research on tacit skill, reflective and technical rationality. This remains a major part of Ian's work and he speaks on the subject of tacit skill and knowledge at national and international conferences. His glassware has received loads of awards over the years and his new work, available from this site, is his best to date.

Ian is guitarist and vocalist in the band 'The Model Workers'.