Common Ground: Wild Clay Workshop

We wish to invite participants to contribute to this ongoing body of work where we have explored the materiality and tactile relationship to landscape through craft, documentation and sculpture. While creating Common Ground we participated in walking workshops using materials direct from the land, to enhance our investigations into the two main rock basins of the national park- the White Peak (carboniferous limestone) and the Dark Peak (millstone grit). Therefore we’d like to invite you to build upon these findings and develop your own relationship to this magnificent landscape that envelopes Greater Manchester. Arrive from 12pm to view a screening of the Common Ground film.

During the workshop you will be given a ball of fireclay, responsibly sourced from Greater Manchester, and the artists will guide you through creating a sculpture drawing from the reference material of the project, as well as imagery from the Peak District Image Archive. Once your sculpture is complete, it will then be processed and you will be able to come back to view your piece displayed in the cabinet showcase as part of the wider exhibition.

All equipment will be provided in the workshop, please book onto the session in advance to confirm your place.

About the Artists:

Common Ground brings together three artists and designers – Abbie Fowler, Freya Boothroyd and Joab Harrison – with the aim of connecting people with nature during the global climate emergency. They have been collaborating and developing this body of work since January 2025 where they hope to translate the tactile experience of the landscape through materiality, sculpture and abstraction.

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Host or Publisher Manchester Craft and Design Centre