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[July 2009]
Potfest 2009
Now in its ninth year, Potfest in the Park (24-26 July 2009) takes place at Hutton-in-the-Forest near Penrith, Cumbria on the edge of England’s stunning Lake District National Park. Over 100 potters, all with very distinctive styles, will exhibit and sell work to members of the public. The venue is a cultural delight in itself with its walled garden, topiary and woodland walks. The ceramics festival takes place in and around marquees in front of the House, with the potters’ competition pieces on the lawn, juxtaposing ancient architecture and modern ceramics.
This year, 24 potters from outside the UK will be showing their work – many for the first time in the UK. A special feature will be six guests from Hohr-Grenzhausen, an old pottery town in Germany. In the past the town was famous for its salt-glazed ware, but in recent years many younger potters doing more contemporary work have moved into the area. UK based potters from Potfest will be returning to the 2010 ceramic show in Hohr-Grenzhausen.
Potfest in the Pens (7-9 August 2009) is the UK’s oldest potters’ market and is held under permanent cover at Skirsgill Auction Mart, Penrith, Cumbria. This is a much more interactive and open event than Potfest in the Park and, as such, has a special dynamism with potters of international reputation exhibiting alongside recently graduated students. The result is an exciting mix of the sophisticated, the well established and the raw power of the next generation.
As well as giving demonstrations, the potters will offer free hour-long classes for adults to encourage them to take their first steps in clay.
There will be competitions at each show for the exhibitors to enter. Both are on the theme of ‘Cultural Connections - building bridges’. Potfest in the Park's competition is sponsored by Neue Keramik, the top German ceramics magazine – the one at Potfest in the Pens is by Craft and Design from the UK.
“As always, we are very excited about our 2009 Potfest shows,” commented Chris Cox, organiser of Potfest. “Both shows promise to be visual feasts with a mix of cutting edge and more traditional ceramics on show. The strength of the euro against the pound means more international potters are coming to Potfest this year than ever. We are delighted to welcome them all and are especially proud of our links with Hohr-Grenzhausen which promises to be a wonderful exchange programme.”
www.potfest.co.uk
ENDS