13 Sep September 2020 Update

Hello

It has been a very strange year, so far, and it’s bound to get weirder!

I watched the Coronavirus, with some fear, as news started to come out of China in early January.  I even made a pinch pot “response” to it, enamoured with it’s spherical nature and spikes, a shape I have explored for some years in my own practice.

It was a little like voyeurism, watching the virus, feeling safe on our green isles, far away from the orient.  However, by the end of March, far from being the most productive year yet for Sundragon, we cancelled our courses, and shut the door to members.

We quickly acted and lent out almost all of our studio wheels, to those who had space at home to house them.  We delivered clay to people stuck at home, so they could join in with our zoom sessions, and many of us were able to make safely at home.

We, meaning Ian Gwynne, kept our kilns going, which in turn, meant members were getting their work fired.

Even so, in the middle of the pandemic, I was still getting calls everyday.

“…when are the classes starting again?”

“…how do I become a member?”

Sometimes I was left wondering whether people realised that we were in the middle of a pandemic!??

You may have noticed, on our Instagram feed, that through lockdown we have been working with Public Health England, in the Coventry and Warickshire area.  We were commissioned through Coventry and Warwickshire Creative Health Alliance, to deliver the amazing therapeutic benefits of working with clay, to people in their homes!  We have achieved this only because of the amazing team at Sundragon, who tirelessly packed almost 300 boxes with clay, and all the tools needed to create a series of projects, divised by our tutors.  These boxes have gone to those sheilding, isolated and vulnerable through the pandemic.  We know working with clay, dissolves many worries and relieves stress.  The packages have been very well received.

We mooted the idea of a “Friends of Sundragon” subscription, which I will write about on another post, offfering our kiln firing service to people, who can buy their clay from us and make at home, then deliver finished pieces to be fired.

We also spent lock down doing some work on our members studio, up-grading wheels and kilns.

As the school holidays approached, lock down restrictions eased, pubs opened, cinemas opened, and we decided to promote some Autumn courses.

Sadly, this weekend we emailed all the course attendees to let them know that we have cancelled their bookings, and that they will be refunded in full.

We look forward to a time when we can relist courses, and welcome new students to Sundragon Community Pottery again, and we will, when the time is right.

Until then, please do keep following us on Instagram and Facebook.  Keep an eye on our website.  We will be listing Clay Boxes, to purchase online, for those of you who can’t wait for ‘In Real Life’ classes to start again.

Until next time, keep yourselves safe and well,

Happy Potting

becky