COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Group Projects

Everyone can make their mark with clay! We have worked with a broad range of groups in the community and we adapt each of our workshops to suit the participants' individual needs and interests. Our workshops are designed with you in mind: we can tailor workshops to a particular theme or project, providing one off sessions, or projects which teach new skills and develop ceramic art work over time. Clay is a very tactile material which is fun to play and experiment with. We can provide workshops where groups touch and form clay, without firing. Alternatively we can provide workshops covering the whole ceramic process, by firing your work and applying glazes.

Large-scale Coiling

Coiling is the ideal method for building large impressive ceramic forms. In this workshop participants will roll coils as a group and build them up around a supporting structure. Modelled motifs and decoration are added to the surface. The resulting ceramic artwork will be fired and take the form of a large-scale planter that everyone has taken part in making and can be proud of!

This workshop can be adapted for all ages and abilities, and can also be made into sculptural artworks.

Clay Environments

In our clay environment workshops you have the opportunity to change the world around you using clay! We recently created a ‘clay environment’ at Z Arts, Hulme, where participants of all ages rebuilt their personal vision of the city of Manchester out of clay. Some contributed the essential landmarks such as Central Library, Old Trafford Stadium and the wheel, and then town planning went crazy with ships, mermaids, palaces and castles!

This style of workshop is ideal for making an inclusive public clay installation, and can take the form of separate workshops or an all-day open event. See the claymation we made of the Z Arts clay environment.

Ceramic Transfer Workshops

Personalise your own Bone China mug with your own graphic artwork!

This is a mess free activity which might be suitable for locations where using wet materials like unfired clay may not be possible.

Participants will create their own pictures and patterns on bone china mugs. CLAY OK will lead the group in cutting shapes in sheets of coloured transfer material, and guide the group in applying the transfers to the mugs.

It is possible to extend this workshop over two or more sessions. The group may enjoy creating their own transfer design through collaging images and text collected from newspapers, magazines, and second hand books. The collages can be translated into transfers prior to a second workshop, where participants apply the transfers with the help of a facilitator.

Individual Textures Tile

Participants will experiment with relief and mark making, pressing tools and found items into clay to create patterns and textures on their own tile. The tile can be fired and treated with oxide to bring out the textures. Participants can take their own tile home with them.

A nature walk can be a fun way to look for items which can then be pressed into the clay.

An excellent workshop to run prior to the the Textures Tile is a ‘group drawing’ activity where participants use different colours of paint and different sizes of brush to make expressive marks on a giant piece of paper. In the next session the paper is cut up into tiles and the workshop facilitator will help participants to ‘translate’ the abstract patterns into marks on the clay using relief, textures, and coloured slips.

Wall Mounted Planters

Make some beautiful planting solutions for your centre, school or community garden! Participants will learn to make a pinch pot, then learn how to make this into a ceramic wall mounted planter decorated and embellished with patterns.

This workshop can be extended with participants making their own plant pots, learning the coiling technique- or a large group planter, which everyone can contribute to making!