Clay Coven Studio

Hello,

I'm Aimie Brown, a member of Clay Coven. Along with the talented ladies Kirsty & Lillian and your valued support we are looking to achieve our goal of opening Clay Coven, a studio space in Edinburgh where we can develop our ceramics practise and offer the clay experience to the local community. We want to provide a relaxed, open learning space for all and home clay kits for those unable to attend a studio.

We will be be donating 10% of any funds raised to The Joshua Nolan Foundation. To find out more about this charity go to: https://www.joshuanolanfoundation.org

With your support we want Clay Coven to become an inclusive pottery studio where we can share our skills, with the intention of making ceramics accessible to all who wish to learn and create, whilst supporting the three main ceramicists with their own craft. 

Who are Clay Coven?

Clay Coven are three friends that came together through Edinburgh Ceramics Workshop with a love of ceramics.

Lillian Shipton - Ceramicist and Facilitator 

Lillian is a ceramicist with a Bachelor of Design Art from the Australian Academy of Design and recently graduated with a MSc in Art Psychotherapy form Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. Lillian specialises in wheel thrown ceramics, her pieces are bold and colourful each with their own practical use. She works with children and young people who have experienced trauma and adversity as well as women with complex mental health difficulties. 

Aimie Brown - Ceramicist and Facilitator 

Aimie is a Ceramics Edinburgh College of Art graduate, she now works as a ceramics teacher with experience in specialist skills teaching pupils with learning difficulties and complex needs. She specialises in handbuilt and wheel thrown ceramics with unique, textured and lively pieces.

Kirsty Anderson - Ceramicist

Kirsty is a full-time ceramicist selling her works in a number of shops, markets and online locations. She is an accomplished wheel throwing ceramicist, making refined and beautiful homewares. Kirsty graduated with a textiles degree from Grays School of Art in Aberdeen, her ceramics are inspired by nature and the path it leaves behind on the landscape. The vessels themselves are simple shapes taken from my interest in the aesthetics of past objects - milk churns, chemistry beakers and enamel wear. 

What will the Clay Coven Studio offer?

• Classes for adults and children.
• Claycation Home Kits.
• Clay as Therapy Sessions.
• One on one lessons.
• Individual making sessions/open sessions.
• Kiln Firing Service.
• FUN FUN FUN!
  
  

Supported Ceramics.

We want Clay Coven to eventually become a creative hub for people to express themselves. It’s going to be a welcoming space to bring people together. Relaxed and creative pottery workshops will provide fun and educational ceramics for various age ranges and abilities. Creative workshops hosted by professionals from various creative fields will provide a space for artistic exchange and shared inspiration.

Classes.

The Clay Coven teachers Aimie and Lillian want to provide safe spaces with the correct social distancing classes for:

• Children.
• Vulnerable Adults.
• Safe Spaces for learning to feel comfortable.
• Private Group Classes/team building workshops.
• One to One lessons.

What happens with another lockdown?

With the reality of another lockdown happening we are launching our Claycation home kits, for those who can not attend classes or feel safer to use clay in the home. It is important to be able to create for positive mental health. We will offer a firing service to go with the clay kits and drop off or possible collection of work for those makers based in Edinburgh. Information booklets will provide supported learning. 

Make a pledge to receive a reward.

FEATURED REWARD - KIDS 'MONSTER' AT-HOME CLAY KIT
An at-home 'monster' clay kit for the little people in your life to create their very own clay monster at home! Everything you'll need comes in the kit including step-by-step instructions!

Claycation kit £25.

You can either pay a kit forward to someone that needs it or one for you if you are in the Edinburgh area.The Claycation kit will provide. 

• 1 kg of clay
• Various tools for shaping and sculpting.
• Instruction sheet.

Palm Cup by Aimie, £22, @marbelfawnceramics.

A travel mug in black and white with a silicone lid by Lillian, £24

A Teal mug by Lillian, £24, @lill_pots_.

Palm Cup and Pourer Set by Aimie, £65, @marblefawnceramics.

 A single Blueberry Mug or a pair of Blueberry Mugs by Kirsty, £24/£45, @kjastudio.

A Black and white watering can made by Lillian £100 @lil_pots_

A ring vessel vase by Kirsty, £100, @kjastudio.

A gorgeous four piece dining set by Lillian, only one available.

Pay it forward class, you can give the opportunity of a free supported class to someone that is unable to afford it.*

Why £10,000?

It seems like a lot of money and it is however pottery is expensive in the beginning the machines that we use to make and fire the clay will take up the brunt of the funding.

Items your support will go towards:

• Shelving and storage.
• Chairs, workbenches.
• Ventilation, studio and safety equipment.
• Drying racks.
• Clay for classes.
• Materials and tuition to offer free classes.
• Glazes and equipment for it.
• Heat guns, banding wheels.
• Tools for hand building.
• Kitchen items to host private events.

What is our timeline?

Soon we will be moving into a temporary space for six months where we can make our own work socially distanced in the event of a winter lockdown and will start to roll out the Claycation kits and the rewards. This should give us time to find a suitable space in Edinburgh and with your support we will be able to open our Clay Coven Studio, then we can start to grow the studio, offering clay experiences and a safe space for the community to use and enjoy clay.

Risks and rewards.

The risk involved with this project is that we don't raise enough to buy our kiln which would then mean it will be difficult to  fire the Claycation kit work made by yourselves or whomever you buy a kit for. However we have a back up plan and can hire space in someone elses kiln should this be the case. Obviously this is not ideal in terms of keeping costs down and working to our own timetable so fingers crossed we reach our goal! 

All the rewards you have bought will be made/honoured no matter the outcome of this campaign. We are committed to keep making and working towards our studio goal.

*clay experiences that are paid forwards by your generosity will be honoured once we move in to our own studio in the spring of 2021 . In the event our studio move is delayed we will offer the clay experiences at an alternative location.

Other ways to support us...(free)!

Thank you for the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to listen to our story. You can share our Crowdfunder by going to our Instagram sharing the link to this page on your social networks, emailing to a friend or just telling people to search Clay Coven Studio on the Crowdfunder website.

@clay.coven

@marblefawnceramics

@lil_pots_

@kjastudio

#claycovencrowdfunder

#claycoven

We are supporting the @joshuanolanfoundation with 10% of the money raised going to their charity.

Crowdfunder is making it 100% free for community and charity crowdfunding projects during the coronavirus crisis. The Covid-19 epidemic could affect millions of people in the next few weeks.

These are unprecedented times but together, we are stronger, and the response is coming from communities across the country.