New Pottery at the Pub sessions in Liverpool let you get creative with clay on a night out

New Pottery at the Pub sessions have launched in Liverpool where would-be potters can get creative while they’re on a night out.

The evening workshops are being run in pubs and cafes by Liverpool ceramicist Olivia Rowan.

Olivia, who trained at the prestigious Central St Martin’s College in London, says they’re a fun way to have a laugh and a drink while you try your hand at clay moulding.

There’s no previous experience needed, everything’s provided, and Olivia takes the finished pieces to her own studio in the Baltic to be fired before they’re collected and have pride of place in their new home!

The Pottery at the Pub concept was created by The ClayRooms in Derbyshire who were looking for an experienced potter to bring it to Liverpool.

Olivia, who runs her own business and teaches at City of Liverpool College, loved the idea of getting more people hands-on and interested in her craft.

“I just love making things with my hands and teaching people how to use clay, and it’s one of those materials that you can make anything out of. 

“It brings people together as well, it can be quite therapeutic, and I’ve helped quite a lot of people come out of mental health lows using ceramics,” she says.

“Pottery is something where you can see yourself getting better, and it’s really easy to make something one-of-a-kind that’s actually usable and decorative even if you’re a total newbie.”

26-year-old Olivia, who’s from south Liverpool, held her first two-hour Pottery at the Pub ‘face planter’ workshop in the Three Piggies on Allerton Road earlier this month.

“It’s a way of socialising, you don’t have to book with someone you know, you could come by yourself and be surrounded by other people, have a drink – alcohol or soft drink – and maybe some food so it could become a whole evening event. 

“People don’t need to bring anything with them, we provide everything including aprons, all the tools you need, boards to work on and the clay.

“I take along a couple of examples and I guide everyone through the process using traditional techniques. It’s up to them if they want to be a bit more free with it, some people might want to do animals or shapes instead of faces, which is fine.

“At the end I take the finished pots to my workshop to be fired and then either I drop them back off at the venue for people to collect or, if the venue prefers, I can have them in my studio and people can come here for them.”

The first session attracted a mix of ceramic creatives giving it a go, including groups of mates, couples and mums and daughters.

Olivia says the popularity of C4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down has definitely got people more interested in clay modelling themselves.

Her college evening classes are always oversubscribed, she runs workshops at her studio in Blundell Street and is planning to offer a community membership space for people to use more regularly.

“Pottery can be quite expensive if you’re having to buy the kilns and wheels so if they are being provided it’s a more accessible and easy way to get started,” she adds.

Olivia is looking to work with more local small independent businesses in future to hold Pottery at the Pub nights and the next one will be at Leaf Smithdown on Sunday November 17 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm making quirky face planters. 

To book or find out more, go to the website HERE.

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