Recovery Through Ceramics

Time

During Shipley open hours, Tuesday - Saturday, 10am-4pm

Price

Free

Recovery & Ceramics is a partnership between the Shipley Art Gallery, Recovery Connections and Bensham Grove Pottery. 

Funded by a Gateshead Community Mental Health Grant Fund, the group meet every Friday either at the Shipley Art Gallery or Bensham Grove to create their own art and craft, inspired by the Shipley’s extensive and nationally important studio ceramics collection. The programme works with people in recovery to develop new skills and knowledge, not just in creating their own ceramics, but in displaying and interpreting ceramics, both from the collection and their own creations. 

Working with ceramic artists, Lisa Delarny, Clare Cantwell and Christine Constant, participants have learnt ceramic techniques, from simple coiling, slabbing and pinch pot making, to more complex techniques such as using a potter’s wheel, glazing, smoke firing and raku.  

The work they made over the programme can be found in the main gallery and in our Design for Life community cabinet, in the room to your right. Alongside making their own work the group have co-curated a display of ceramic pieces from the John Christian ceramic collection. This can be found in our new exhibition, ‘Makers in Clay: British Studio Pottery’ to your left, alongside work from the Christian collection.  

Recovery Connections members are Ali, Caz, David, Dionne, Jamie, Joe, Karin, Kelly, Robbo, Sam, Steve, Thomas and Trudy. 

Funded through a Gateshead Community Mental Health Grant.