Community Tile Project
A visit to Middleport Pottery by the young people stimulated their interest in clay work. On a visit to the British Ceramics Biennial at Spode Works the young people were introduced to tile making at The Clay Pit. This led to a bigger, intergenerational project with ceramic artist Alice Thatcher.
Alice led several tile design sessions at The Hub for all members. During the clay sessions everyone created their own individual tile to represent their link with The Hub. This included a varied selection such as Lego, Stanley Head, Coop Community and work with PCSOs.
A keen interest in pottery activities has continued. In 2022 a community project to celebrate the Queen’s Platinumn Jubilee inovcleved people of all ages making crowns and crown shaped plant pots.
One hundred and forty crowns were made. One for people to take home and another to be displayed in The Hub garden. Each crown was numbered with a year of the Queen’s reign.
Members visited Valentine Clays in 2023 to work on individual project making vases and dishes. A second larger project, to celebrate the coronation of King Charles was led by master potter Jon French. It involved families attending The Hub, to make tiles in the style of Minton.
Liz Copper from BBC Midlands Today visited The Hub and interviewed children from two local primary schools about the tiles they were painting to mark the coronation.