Change is Clay

Coming Soon!

The Clay Commons is a growing network hub that allows members to explore the potential of clay studios and practice to build emancipatory futures.

Our Mission and Approach

Grounded in practical organising and creative education, we acknowledge clay as a politicised arena. We aim to work collectively with our community to co-create alternative values within the ceramic discipline, that centre clay, not ceramic. This shift allows us to sit in the generative messiness of clay, and to decouple our understanding of ceramics as solely an art or product based material. Instead, clay becomes the common ground that we all stand on.

The Clay Commons invites you to join a growing network of people interested in the social dynamics of clay, centring its transformative potential and developing new liberatory systems for our places of education and community.

What do you gain by joining the network...?

Mutual aid-based resource sharing
Co-created knowledge production around the facilitation, use and value of clay education and engagement.
In person and online curriculums
Co-learning and networking events

Our Values

(These might change, but just so you get the idea...)

Change >>>
In the words of Octavia Butler, Change is Clay. The Clay Commons embraces fluidity as a constant and approaches this work with the understanding that our conditions and our needs will change, and so must we.
Curiosity >>>
Change cannot happen if we are not curious and open, about ourselves, the world and other people.
Co-operation >>>
We cannot do this alone!
Care >>>
To sustain this work we must look after ourselves, each other and our world
Hope >>>
as a practice. We believe that another way is possible and we hope for that and practice that other reality wherever we can, even when that's hard.

What We Do

We will be offering resources and programming that support and sustain clay studios and socially engaged clay work in the U.K.

At the Clay Commons, we recognise that the changing habits of both makers and educators is opening up the discipline to much more diverse audiences. There is an urgent need for new modes of organising, practicing and teaching that serves these audiences, and understands clay as a politicised arena.

Our approach is to provide space for deep thinking and collective practice, to empower the Clay Commons community to create equitable and liberatory solutions, that will ultimately centre clay as an agent for change in society.

Just so you're prepared - we will endeavour to keep this programming as affordable (or free) wherever we can, but, until capitalism falls, it is probable that the Clay Commons will operate under a sliding scale membership and course fees.

Networking Opportunities

Connect with like-minded artists and educators in the clay community to share knowledge and resources.

Co-Learning Events

Workshops, Night Schools, and co-learning events that discuss, imagine and design alternative systems of education, business and practice within clay studios and socially engaged clay work

Night School with the Scottish Sculpture Workshop

To see current examples of what we hope this programming will look like, click buttons in each box

Co-learning with the Scottish Sculpture Workshop

Podcast

A bit of an experiment at this stage, but hoping to settle and continue. Focused on bringing conversations about clay as a force for good into your ears and your studios.

Cross Disciplinary Collaboration

Clay knowledge is held in multiple places and has a wide range of uses in society. The Clay Commons facilitates collaborations and research linking these various sites - such as galleries and museums - with our expanded clay community, and challenging dominant ways of working.

Clay Commons Podcast

Shifting Narratives @ MIMA

Clay & Social Prescribing @ Sunderland University