insideKENT Magazine Issue 25 - April 2014 | Page 29

Gallery

Student at work

Open Day for Children

Billy and Alan

Large garden pots

Pottery Main Studio & Gallery

If you're feeling inspired and want to get involved,
why not sign up to one of Aylesford Pottery's fabulous
courses?
Aylesford School of Ceramics: 10-week Pottery Course
Start Dates for 2014

Monday 21st April – 7-9pm
Tuesday 22nd April – 10.30am-12.30pm / 1-3pm / 7-9pm
Wednesday 23rd April – 7-9pm
Thursday 24th April – 10.30am-12.30pm / 7-9pm
Monday 15th September – 7-9pm
Tuesday 16th September – 10.30am-12.30pm /
1-3pm / 7-9pm
Wednesday 17th September – 7-9pm
Thursday 18th September – 10.30am-12.30pm / 7-9pm
One-day Pottery Experience

Saturday 12th April
Saturday 10th May
Sunday 11th May
Saturday 14th June
Sunday 15th June
Saturday 12th July
Saturday 13th September
Saturday 11th October
Sunday 12th October
Saturday 8th November
Sunday 9th November

Alan encapsulates their work perfectly:
“We get asked to produce a variety of
things commercially. The challenge is to
translate a design into something which
can be made in clay, and then turn that
into a process that allows for a commercial
production run. That is not always easy."
Billy goes on to add: “Last year we were
asked to make a series of historic chimney
pots for a manor house. Each one used
85lbs of clay.”
Passing on their skills in the trade has
always been a central philosophy and one
of which led to a visit back in 2013 by the
director of ceramic design, Kathryn Hearn,
from London's international Central Saint
Martin's College of Art and Design.
After a day watching and talking to Alan
and Billy about how they run Aylesford
Pottery and just what has been achieved
so far, Kathryn invited them to the college
to conduct a masterclass for second year
ceramic design students.
One of the other activities the pottery offers
is team building for businesses – a

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challenging, but fun day. While, at the other
end of the spectrum is the work they do
with local schools and intern ceramic
students. What is fantastic is that they
justly see themselves as being very much
part of the Kent community.
Summing up the work they do, Billy
explains: "Today craft potters are
considered to be artists in their own right.
You only have to look at the deserved
success of people like Grayson Perry to
see why. Owning a beautiful object and
knowing who made it and where it was
made is central to the new drive of
international ceramics."

Aylesford Pottery
The Friars
Aylesford
Kent
ME20 7BX
Open 7 days a week
01622 790796
www.aylesfordpottery.co.uk