A symposium in Swansea on 24 November 2023 provided an opportunity to reflect on the remarkable achievements of staff and students of the Architectural Stained Glass department over recent decades. Dr Reinhard Köpf, an expert on German post-war stained glass, came from Düsseldorf to speak about the influential German artists who taught at Swansea in the 1970s and 80s as visiting artists. A panel discussion with some of the major figures in British architectural stained glass – Alex Beleschenko, Amber Hiscott and Rodney Bender – recalled their time in Swansea College of Art and the German artists who were invited over to Swansea by Tim Lewis, head of the stained glass course from 1972 until 1995.
An impressive display of stained glass panels, drawings and archive photographs from the college collection was set up by Christian Ryan with Owen Luetchford and Stacey Pountney of the Architectural Glass Centre. The afternoon presented an opportunity to assess the research potential of this archive along with others in Wales. We were joined by the curator of the Stained Glass Museum, Dr Jasmine Allen, Kim Collis of West Glamorgan Archive Service and Felicity Grey, Archives and Records Officer for UWTSD.
After our day considering the stained glass archives at Swansea College of Art and the legacy of the teaching of architectural stained glass at Swansea College of Art, a visit to Coychurch Crematorium presented an opportunity to see the extraordinary collection of artworks made by staff and students of the college for one of the most remarkable Modernist crematoria anywhere in Britain.
Several artists spoke about their involvement designing and making stained glass for the crematorium, the first of which was completed in 1970 by Roger Hayman. Roger was able to join us, as well as Rodney Bender, who worked on the windows by Ludwig Schaffrath, Johannes Schreiter and others. Alex Beleschenko brought along some of the original drawings for his set of panels around the door to the chapel, and Christian Ryan spoke about his series of windows in the chapel.
Roger Hayman speaking about his windows in the Chapel of Remembrance. 
Reinhard Köpf, Rodney Bender and Christian Ryan looking at Johannes Schreiter’s window, which was made by Rodney Bender in 1980. 
Alex Beleschenko, with some of the panels that he made to the side of the entrance to Chapel Crallo. 
Christian Ryan
New works in glass have recently been made by Rodney Bender for a new exterior courtyard, so the series of commissions in glass at the crematorium span a period of more than fifty years.
Grateful thanks are due to Joanna Hamilton, the manager at the crematorium, for providing the opportunity to visit, and Christian Ryan for making arrangements. I will be preparing a book on the stained glass at Coychurch Crematorium in 2024, collaborating with other experts and artists.
Stained Glass from Welsh Churches 