Clayground Collective

Firing Up session at Stoke

Clayground Collective — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:38:43 +0000

Clayground is creative adviser to the UK Crafts Council’s Firing Up national programme aimed at bringing redundant kilns back into use and to reviving clay skills. We have written a handbook for teachers and devised a creative project exploring how personal stories, local or family histories can inspire development of clay skills and celebrate connections to specific places. We firmly believe, if clay is to be put back in the art-room, it has to be liberated from those confines to renew its central role in broader cultural and civic life. We have now led Firing Up creative sessions for teachers and artists in partnership with Higher Education institutions in Plymouth, Liverpool, London, Sunderland, Bath and Stoke-on-Trent with Manchester coming up in February.

All sessions have incorporated a visit to a local museum collection and presentations from artists who will be working with schools. This last week for example, the Firing Up session was held at the Wedgwood Museum in Stoke at the heart of the UK region known as the Potteries. This gave the opportunity to delve further into the history of Josiah Wedgwood and take on board what an extraordinary contribution he made to cultural and scientific knowledge as well as bringing exceptional ceramic and design innovations to the public. Alongside his economic achievements, his humanity shines through as a virtual autodidact with insatiable curiosity for the world around him, an affectionate father and committed anti-slavery campaigner. As if this was not sufficient, he also had his leg amputated while fully conscious, securing his reputation as an all round hero. For more information: http://www.wedgwoodmuseum.org.uk/home

Josiah Wedgwood (1730-1795) by Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792)

The session also enabled Duncan Hooson (Clayground Co-Director) to contribute to revival of clay skills in his home city Stoke where his own family history is bound up with the history of the Potteries.

CLAY FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Clayground Collective — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 17:14:18 +0000

A selection of the world's clays gathered to date

Clay diggers and bearers continue to source clay from around the world. Champion clay bearer, Terry Noel, has brought clay from Austria, Norway, Trinidad, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. Collected from countries where he and his band, the BT Melodians, travel to play steel pans.

Terry Noel and Cristo Adonis collect clay in Arima, Trinidad

Most recent clay arrivals have been relayed to London by retired medics Bruce and Sarah Noble from a pottery in Marginea, Romania. The clay was exchanged for a drawing by Bruce of the potter, Corneliu Magopat.

Corneliu Magopat at the wheel. Ceramica Marginea, Romania

Owners of Terra-Delft gallery have been inspired by Project Clay to get townspeople digging in another city built on clay with amazing ceramic traditions. They presented us with Delft clay at the recent Collect exhibition in London. Builder, Pete Schaming dug clay in Hannacroix Creek, New York State. This was carried to London and presented to Clayground by geographer, Barbara Heinzen.

Pete Schaming and Barbara Heinzen, Hannacroix Creek, New York State.

Next year, we are hoping to connect with athletes’ families sending representatives to the Games and to encourage them to bring clay to London. The Economist Intelligence Unit has asked its contacts in many different countries about how to source clay from the less visited countries.

What on Earth is Clay? Schools across London shape their own enquiry

Clayground Collective — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 15:20:04 +0000

Clayground has just completed a marathon exploration of the creative potential of clay with 11 schools across London, from Southall in the West to Rainham in the East, Enfield in the North and Lewisham in the South. Clayground specialises in working with artists and experts with different specialist knowledge. All points of the compass on clay have been covered: we have dug and refined, developed making skills and explored the history and potential of clay through archaeology, story-building, sculpture, film animation, geography, maths, even movement and dance. Children have exchanged information and artefacts with schools in other countries including South Africa and USA. What on Earth is Clay? was funded by A New Direction, an organisation that provides ways for young Londoners to access arts and culture.

Working with film-maker, John Horabin, students have created their own films, working out how to achieve certain effects to create their own clay Olympics. Scroll down on the link below to view clay sessions and animations made in just a day at Keir Hardie primary School in Newham and Scargill Infants school in Rainham.

http://www.anewdirection.org.uk/content/313/Clayground-Collective