Young people to create their own Arklow pottery
YOUTH GROUP AND ARTIST TEAM UP FOR NEW PROJECT
AN exciting new project which aims to reconnect the history and heritage of Arklow Pottery with today’s young people got under way in Arklow this week.
Funding was granted by the National Youth Council of Ireland under the Youth Arts Programme and Arklow-based artist Peir Leonard of Solace Studio Pottery successfully secured an artist in residence grant for the project. The Arklow Pottery Youth Project was then developed in collaboration with East Wicklow Youth Service (EWYS) and supported by the Arklow Chamber of Commerce.
Over the past seven weeks, Peir has been working with two groups of young people teaching them the processes pottery making – from using the potters wheel, to glazing and decorating.
‘The project gives the students a great grounding in pottery skills, plus they gain an insight into the important place this craft has in our local community. We hope this will be start of a new generation of Arklow Pottery,’ said Peir.
Arklow Pottery, established in 1934, formed an integral part of the social and economic landscape of the local area for many years, and still lives on through its former employees and the stories they have to tell.
Several of these former employees are being brought into the project to share their valuable first-hand knowledge and skills with the next generation.
Two such men are Robert Ward, who worked in glazing and decorating and John Byrne, who worked in the clay department.
Both men have fond memories of working in Arklow Pottery for many years before its closure in 1998.
Over the coming months the students, under the guidance of Peir along with Fiona Creedon and Angeline Pluck from EWYS, will develop a range of next generation Arklow Pottery which will be packaged, reproduced and offered for sale at the end of the process.
To assist with the final stage of selling their items, Allison Ryder of eConsult.ie will help the students decide on packaging design and how they will market and promote their finished product.
Fiona Creedon of East Wicklow Youth Services said ‘We are delighted that the students will get a rounded view of how an item is made from scratch – designed, decorated, packaged, and finally brought to market’.
The students involved in the project are thoroughly enjoying the experience of being exposed to a new set of skills too.
Wike, aged 13, said: ‘It’s challenging, but fun, and exciting to make a piece of pottery with the wheel’.
The finished items are due to be available by June this year so keep an eye on the Solace Studio Pottery Facebook page for more details.