“It’s buzzing and everyone is so friendly!”

It’s hard to know what to describe first after such an incredible day, but firstly, a huge thank you to everyone who took part, visited or supported the inaugural Clay at the Cut Festival of Ceramics. It was everything we hoped for and more. There are too many individuals to thank, but let’s start with the buzz of over 800 visitors, the sheer quality and variety of the ceramics exhibitors who generously shared their knowledge.

Thank you to Becky, James and Emily from Potclays for travelling from Stoke to support us, sharing their expertise and making the fabulous video below. Thank you to the Northern Centre for Music and Art (NECMA) for hosting us in your gorgeous venue, a place where families felt able to come and stay all afternoon and take part in the clay activities, demos and performances. The fabulous Rosignol Quartet moved some of us to tears with their beautiful music.

The People Who Made It Possible

We could not have done it without the love and commitment from the Clay Mill members and volunteers, and staff who gave so much time and energy to make the day run so well. The Clay Mill members stand, organised so well by Isobelle Hayes (our lead tutor), gave some of our members their first experience of selling their work. We set out to create in clay because we love it, but it’s always nice to know that other people appreciate those efforts and to ask genuinely interested questions. Every photo we have of the day shows people smiling and talking, and soaking up the day.

New Pottery Fans in the Making

We may have made some pottery converts! Here’s an excerpt from a lovely email we received from someone with little prior knowledge of ceramics, but who is now catching up on all the episodes of The Great Pottery Throwdown as a result of their day at the festival.

“We came expecting a pleasant canal walk to a lovely venue with perhaps a little bit of something interesting to look at”

They enjoyed the demonstrations and activities so much that they made several rounds of the exhibitors and bought a few pieces.

“All the stallholders were incredibly informative and friendly. They did not push sales at all but simply wanted to explain how their creations were made and the stories behind the work”

A Creative Finale

And last but not least, thank you to Supriya Nagarjan and Duncan Chapman from Manasamitra for taking the recordings they made of the ceramics making process last year in the studio and turning it into something truly unique and enabling my debut public performance on the wheel as a performance potter! Sneaking a peek and seeing the audience engaged in burnishing their clay pebbles (made by Isobelle Hayes) while they soaked up the music is a memory that will stay with me. A room buzzing with creativity.

Watch the Day in Action