Join Megan Elliott (she/her), founder of Clay Wild, for a relaxing queer pottery workshop at The Create Place, St. Margaret's House! The class will be focusing on traditional hand-building techniques using minimal tools and is suitable for all levels.
Location: The Create Place, St. Margaret's House, 29 Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 9PJ
The Create Place is a non-profit space run by St. Margaret's House that is a home for everything arts, wellbeing and community. There is step-free access to the space. For more information, visit their website here. Please note: The space is accessible via underground (Bethnal Green station, 5 minutes walk), Bus (Services: 8, 106, 254, 309, 388, D3, D6) and there should be parking in Victoria Park Square, Approach Road, and other surrounding roads.
There will be chair seating and there may be background music playing during the workshop.
Price: £30; each class, 25% of the spots are discounted by 50% for people with low income. Please only reserve one of these spots if you feel this applies to you. No proof required. If the spots are sold out and you would like to attend but are unable to afford a ticket, please contact me directly. There is an option to add a pay-it-forward donation to contribute towards the cost of these spots and to enable me to offer more low-income spots in the future.
About the class:
Participants will be learning hand-building techniques and will be guided through how to personalise their creations.
Each month there will be a different theme:
March: Make a vase! Your vase will be suitable for decorative purposes or dried flowers.
April: Florals for spring (groundbreaking)! Make pots with floral additions, or embed real dried flowers into your clay.
May: Candle-holders. Make a dinner candle set or pots to pour your own candles into (candles & wax not included).
June: Make a body pot for Pride month! You’ll be guided through how to personalise your pots to make them into bodies - torsos, boobs, top-surgery, bums, hands, faces… anything & everything is welcome! This is a celebration of all bodies in whatever way feels joyful and comfortable for you.
At the end of the class, participants should have 1-2 finished creations to take away with them and tips on how to decorate these at home when dry. We will be working with air-drying clay, so please note the products will not be food or drink safe. However, it can be waterproofed to hold plants.
No experience necessary - suitable for all levels! This is a class prioritising queer joy and creativity!
Your clay will still be delicate upon completion, so boxes/bags will be provided to take your clay home in. You can also bring your own box if you wish to help save materials - a tub or a small box (approx shoe box size) is ideal.
About Clay Wild:
Megan Preston Elliott (she/her) is the founder of Clay Wild, a pottery studio teaching classes and selling handbuilt ceramics. Clay Wild aims to make pottery inclusive and accessible to all. Megan trained in Fine Art at City & Guilds of London Art School, where she first discovered her love for sculpture and clay. Her work is designed intuitively, inspired by play, identity and self-expression. Megan hosts regular pottery classes in Brighton & London in a variety of settings (community, corporate, schools and private events). Outside of pottery, Megan is a writer. She's published articles, poems and short stories on a wide variety of topics including art, love, sexuality, mental health and culture. In 2021, she was a recipient of the London Writers Awards run by Spread the Word. She is currently working on her first novel.
Megan sells her handbuilt creations on Etsy here.
Find Megan on Instagram at @claywildstudio.
Accessibility:
Step-free access to main space
Fixed hearing loop system
Do get in touch if you have any accessibility requirements.
This will be a regular class so if you miss out this time, do come along next month!