Simeon Featherstone

This experimental course is designed for those that are interested in working with clay in a variety of methods and processes and have little previous experience of the material. The course will explore the potential of making in clay, its inherent properties and producing well-built forms that can be taken home once fired. The course will appeal to students and professionals looking to increase their knowledge of materials, processes and also to widen their portfolio.

Students will learn how to construct forms using hand-building techniques, create colourful and decorative surface patterns and also experiment with slip-casting, a process that requires working with plaster to create a mould. Students will be encouraged to bring materials and research during the course that contributes to their learning and practice. Work will also be glazed and fired on site but students will be expected to collect their work after the course is complete to ensure the pieces are given time to dry out before they are kiln-fired.

Simeon Featherstone creates ceramic artworks for different communities and the cultural sector. Working within a site-specific context, he offer ceramics in a unique and tangible way that draws people in to connect once more with their surroundings. Simeon works in the ceramics department of CSM and also runs clay workshops for different ages and abilities. He has recently finished working with the Crafts Council on the Firing Up project, an initiative to revive clay knowledge in schools.