Episode two is about DOING THE WORK y’all! And that means slowing down, decentring yourself, centring the community, challenging the status quo and constantly reflecting on your organisational structures and being open to your blind spots. This conversation flits between Watershed Centre for the Ceramic Arts in northern rural Maine and Black Hound Clay Studios in Philadelphia. And whilst the concerns of rural v city are obviously specific and different, the ideas that underpin how to run these spaces are not so. They are both heavily invested in building community through education, providing spaces for those who can’t access higher ed, and the importance of place and making people feel welcome and like they belong.
What emerged many times during this trip was the idea of administration as an act of care and as a container for creative practice. That the labour involved in running these spaces was as important as the work that was created in them. Within that is a shift in the idea of learning, away from short term, once-accessed exam-based institutions, and towards a life-long embedded practice, creating places people can access throughout their lives. Obviously financing this is a massive issue, but we touch on that too – ever thought of sliding scale financing? Redistribution? Mutual aid? This episode is all about how we can do things better, and the importance of having a reflexive practice as an organisation, to ensure that you serve the entirety of your community, not just the ones who can pay. Contributors:Black Hound Clay Studio https://www.blackhoundclay.com/Watershed Centre for the Ceramic Arts https://www.watershedceramics.org/
Clay Commons was written and produced by Eva Masterman, editing supported by Travis Roush. This podcast was supported by Newcastle University, and the Northern Bridge AHRC Consortium. Artwork created by Kelly Jade
Audio credits:
- "Ambience, Children Playing, Distant, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org
- "Ambience, Seaside Waves, Close, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org
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