A new community initiative in Chesterfield wants to ensure that the town’s rich heritage in pottery will thrive well into the 21st century. Helen Shepherd reports.
THERE was a time when you could hardly move in Chesterfield without encountering some form of pottery production. The area’s rich supply of clay, coal and water made it the perfect spot for the development of a trade that by the 19th century had become a thriving industry in the town.
Unlike other businesses in Victorian England, community and collaboration appear to have been key to Chesterfield’s success. Pottery owners in Brampton formed their own association, meeting regularly to negotiate bulk buying materials, standardising sizes and setting prices.
Like so many other industries, however, the Chesterfield potteries eventually faced competition from new materials and methods. As mass-produced pottery in the town faded it was left to individual artists – like ceramicist William Gordon, who worked with Briddon Pottery during the 1930s – to continue the town’s heritage as a place of innovation and excellence.
One of those local artists is Clare Gage. Chesterfield-born Clare discovered a love of working with clay as a child after attending local classes with her family. After university, she launched her own successful business, her unique designs combining her two passions of clay and textiles to create cups, plates, bowls, vases and even pieces of jewellery from handmade fabric moulds. Her award-winning designs have been exhibited and sold nationally and internationally, and featured on TV.
In recent years her career has come full circle as Clare has taken on the role of teacher, delivering exactly the kind of classes that sparked her own love of the craft. It’s this role that has led to Clare’s involvement in a new venture; one that she hopes will ensure that pottery has a place in the heart of Chesterfield for years to come.
Clare explains: “Our regular classes are under threat and there’s a real prospect that they may not be able to continue. Yet as a teacher I can see how valuable this kind of creative space is and how much of a demand there is. I want to make sure it doesn’t disappear. So what to do? You can either give up or you can do something about it.”
For Clare and her students, giving up was not an option. Faced with the prospect of losing such an important resource, and perhaps inspired by the spirit of collaboration and innovation shown by the town’s earlier pottery producers, Clare and a group of enthusiastic amateur potters have taken matters into their own hands and launched a new initiative, Creative Community Pottery (CCP).
The group’s plans include a new dedicated space with room for regular pottery classes as well as smaller sessions for those who just fancy giving it a go. Ensuring access for everyone is a key aim. There are plans for subsidised activities for people who may not ordinarily be able to afford classes, and the group hope to open up the space to support mental and physical wellbeing services. Skill levels will be no barrier either. Clare says, “No matter who walks in the room they usually have very little experience of playing with clay. So you don’t need to be an expert to feel the benefits.”
Two of the passionate potters leading the charge are Dan Nightingale and Gwin Kerry, both students of Clare’s and now directors of CCP. Dan says, “It was only when our classes started getting taken away from us that we realised how important they were to everybody, and how devastated we were to potentially be missing out. There are so many people that need access to these classes, or to the community around these classes. We’ve got to do something about it, because if we lose what is left I dread to think of the amount of people who are just going to have this massive hole in their life.”
Gwin agrees. “It was such an emotional time for a lot of people. People were so upset. There are so many different reasons people come to the classes. It’s the community side, the social side, the mental wellbeing side, the getting together. The benefits are just ridiculous.”
The group are currently fundraising for equipment and have launched a crowdfunding campaign, and would love to secure donations and sponsorships from local businesses. They are also on the hunt for the perfect home for their new venture. The long-term aim is a self sustaining, inclusive and welcoming space that will benefit the whole community.
Clare says: “Pottery isn’t low on equipment and it’s not cheap equipment either, so that’s a challenge. We’re also looking for a space if anyone would like to offer us a big building, although that’s a bigger ask! It’s a big financial challenge to raise the funds to get this off the ground, but once we have that we know that the demand for this type of space is there.”
Despite the challenges ahead the group are determined not to give up without a fight, not just for themselves but for everyone in Chesterfield and beyond who could benefit from such an inclusive, creative space.
Dan says: “The clay is just a medium that we work with. The real value is in the social side. Somewhere where people can meet regularly, and have a reason to get out of the house. It brings people together from all walks of life and there are so many interesting people to talk to. Everyone produces amazing artwork in such a wonderful atmosphere. It’s brilliant.”
For Clare, Dan, Gwin and all the others working hard to make the dream a reality, being able to bring such a valuable resource to life, and to continue the tradition of collaboration and community that once underpinned a thriving industry, is all the motivation they need. Clare says: “For me this is a full circle story. For Chesterfield and the local area, pottery is part of our heritage. If I could help bring something of that back to my home town, that would be great.”
Editor’s Note: To find out more, go to www.creativecommunitypottery.com
Phoenix Art Group’s exhibition
THE Phoenix Art Group’s 2025 Exhibition will be held at the Bassett Rooms, Ashover, on Saturday, July 26, 10am-4pm.
The group has been meeting once a month for the past 18 years. The aim from the outset was to recruit members who wished to develop their artistic skills, by not only painting together but by including visits from professional artists. The monthly sessions are divided into ‘free’ days – when any form of media is used – tutor days; an outdoor sketching day; a visit to a gallery or place of interest, which have included the Hepworth Gallery, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the Piece Hall, Saltaire and the Liverpool Tate Gallery; and a Christmas Challenge and lunch day.
The exhibition of the group’s work brings together its achievements in the past year. They have exhibited in Ashover, Bakewell and Cromford in the past but it’s Ashover again this year.
Many of the 12 members have been with the group from its formation, but they have welcomed new members when there is a space.