Workshops and demonstrations took place at Southwell Library, a short stroll from the Market Square, in The Bramley Centre, King Street on 27 August 2017 and each lasted for approximately 1 hour.  Places were booked on the workshops (with a non refundable donation to Adopt a Potter of £3) via Susan Morton via admin@ceramicsinsouthwell.org.uk or telephone 01636 815788.

Each workshop was restricted to a maximum of 12 participants.  Children had to be at least 6 years of age & accompanied by an adult.

10:45  Workshop for children.  Katie Braida, making unexpected creatures!  Participants created their own magical, mysterious and unexpected creatures. With slabs of clay detail could be added & texture applied using a variety of tools.  Work was made from air drying clay and could be taken home at the end of the session.

12:00  Demonstration.  Carl Gray, throwing square pieces of clay.  Carl’s recent body of work includes bowls & plates thrown from square pieces of clay giving rise to interesting rims which show off the unique properties of clay.  Carl talked through the process as he made square plates & bowls.  Time permitting, he aimed to make a finished soap dish.

13:15 Workshop for adults (age 16 & above).  Jo Keogh, working with sectional moulds.  Participants could construct a sectional plaster mould and use this to slipcast a unique ceramic vessel.  To have your finished vessel fired and posted to you there was an additional cost of approximately £8.

14:30  Demonstration.  Trudy Weir, working with mixed clay.  Mixing clays of the most diverse colours can produce extraordinary decorative effects. Depending on how the clays are layered and worked, the decorations can be unpredictable and surprising, or carefully arranged and calculated.  Often described as nerikomi, neriage or agateware, it is similar to glass millefiore but it is probably more easily thought of as akin to seaside rock manufacture, where the pattern goes all the way through.  Trudy showed a technique whereby different stoneware clay bodies are combined to make a patterned slab from which a ceramic piece can be produced.