Latest news with #pottery
BBC News
19 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Portmeirion pottery boss 'optimistic' about industry's future
The boss of a pottery firm has said he is "cautiously optimistic" about the industry's future, provided government support is Raybould, CEO of Portmeirion - which also owns the Spode brand - said despite recent difficulties, he believed there could be a bright future for the wider ceramics costs were among the biggest problems facing pottery firms, he said, and he urged government do more to help in order to "level the playing field" with other firm's wares are currently sold in about 60 countries globally. "What we find, with our brands, they are loved around the world," he said."People respect the 'made in the UK', the 'made in Stoke', the heritage that goes with that, the love and the craft that this city has in spades."He added his firm was launching a fresh push this week to highlight its own originated in 1770, he said, and he wanted people who worked for the firm to feel proud that their wares had been made in the city.A new logo and backstamp for his company's products would ensure the firm's origins were made clear, he said. 'Huge opportunity' "Stoke-on-Trent was the centre of the UK ceramic industry for a reason, and a leader for 100-200 years, so we have to believe it's important."We have a skill base in this city that is second-to-none, and we've got to cherish that."Although more than two thirds of his products are sold abroad, Mr Raybould said there was a "huge opportunity" to increase the industry's footprint further in other countries if it received the support it needed."We really, really hope that this time the government recognises the importance of Stoke-on-Trent and the UK ceramics industry," he said."Clearly it's been a tough four or five years for the consumer around the world in terms of the cost of living crisis."But really it's cost inflation – in particular energy costs. Soaring energy costs in this country have been a real problem, I think, for the industry generally." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
26-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Frugal tech: The start-ups working on cheap innovation
For Mansukh Prajapati, childhood in the western Indian city of Morbi began before sunrise, with a six-mile walk to collect clay for their family business."My father was a potter," he he would wake up to the rhythmic sound of his father at work at his potter's wheel."My mother and I would get up at four in the morning and walk for miles every day to get clay."Used for storing water, clay pots were a common item in Indian households in the the income from making pots was meagre and the profession also came with social stigma."Nobody wanted to their daughter married in a potter's family," Mr Prajapati says. "They feared she will be burdened with endless labour." Aged 31, a natural disaster marked the turning point for Mr Prajapati. The devastating earthquake that hit Gujarat in 2001 destroyed his family home and left a pile of smashed clay pots in the courtyard."A local reporter wrote that 'the poor people's fridge is broken'," Mr Prajapati says."Clay pots keep water cool in the summer, so they are just like a fridge. The thought got stuck in my head. So, I decided to make a fridge out of clay that doesn't need electricity."With no formal training, Mr Prajapati started experimenting with designs and materials."I first tried to make it like the modern fridge and even added a water tank, but nothing worked', he says."At one point I had $22,000 (£17,000) in loans and had to sell my house and small workshop. But I knew I had to keep going."It took four years of tinkering to come up with a design that worked - a small clay cabinet with a water talk on the top and storage shelves water trickles through the cabinet's porous clay walls, it naturally cools the Prajapati says it can keep fruit and vegetables fresh for at least five days - no electricity needed. He named it MittiCool or the clay that stays $95 its affordable and now sold through 300 stores in India and exported to countries including the UK, Kenya, and UAE."Fridges are a dream for many poor families," Mr Prajapati says. "And such dreams should be within reach." Mr Prajapati's innovation is part of a growing wave of grassroots entrepreneurship in India, driven by Anil Gupta who runs the Honeybee Network, a platform for supporting such ventures, call these "frugal innovations"."It is a mindset," says Prof Gupta."Frugal innovation is about making solutions affordable, accessible, and available. Many of these innovators don't have formal education but are solving real world problems."It's difficult to put a number on such businesses, as there has never been an in-depth Gupta says such start-ups are crucial because they provide jobs in rural areas and start a cycle of economic example, Mr Prajapati now employs 150 people in his workshop and has branched out into cookware, clay water filters and is experimenting with homes made of clay. Another start-up that's hoping for similar success, is run by Bijayshanti Tongbram in the northeastern state of lives in Thanga village which is home to one of India's largest freshwater lakes, lotus flowers bloom in abundance."People in my village use the petals of lotus flowers for religious offerings. But their stems often go to waste and that's what I wanted to change and thought of doing something sustainable," she says.A botanist by profession, Ms Tongbram developed a way to extract silk-like fibres from the lotus stems and now leads a team of 30 women in her village who spin the threads into a yarn and weaves them into unique scarves and garments."It takes two months, and 9,000 lotus stems to make one scarf," she Tongbram pays the women $80 a month."This isn't just about fashion. I am giving women in my village a chance to do something other than fishing and earn money," she many small business owners, she wants to scale-up and find new markets, perhaps overseas."Funding is the biggest challenge," she says. Prof Gupta from the Honeybee network agrees."There are government schemes and small grants, but rural entrepreneurs often don't know how to access them."Even venture capitalists who are looking at IT innovations rarely invest in these kinds of start-ups because of high transaction costs," he innovators continue to spring Karanataka's Vijaynagar, Girish Badragond is working on a device to help blind and partially-sighted device, described as a smart farming stick, uses soil sensors and weather data to guide its users about the crop conditions and harvests through audio messages and vibrations."There are so many blind people in India who want to farm but they can't trust others to guide them. This will help them become independent and empower them," says Mr has sourced mechanical parts from different shops and is hoping to gain support for commercialising his project soon. For now, he is doing rounds of government exhibitions."It's a prototype but I am hopeful that people will support me to change lives of others," he says.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Take a peek inside this pavilion-style home on the lush island paradise of Bali
Almost two decades ago, husband-and-wife team Marcello Massoni and Michela Foppiani moved from Italy to Ubud in Bali to develop their hand-thrown pottery brand, Gaya Ceramic. Fast-forward to today and the company has a team of more than 100 local craftspeople who create one-of-a-kind ceramics, hand-thrown using a variety of natural materials such as porcelain, raku clay and stoneware. Clients include Armani/Casa and Bulgari Hotels. The couple's home – set in the middle of a rice field surrounded by jungle and a creek – consists of two large Limasan pavilions (traditional Indonesian houses made without walls). One features a lounge, kitchen and dining space. The other contains the TV area, bathrooms and bedrooms, the only enclosed spaces in the house to give protection from the wild animals that roam at night. All other areas lead seamlessly outdoors. In the open-plan dining area, a stainless-steel kitchen is framed by glass windows and teak columns that both insulate and support the space while allowing uninterrupted vistas over the landscape. A handpainted trompe l'oeil mural, based on the work of artist Henri Rousseau, wraps and zones the kitchen area. The concrete countertops and flooring absorb heat from the sun during the day and store it for cool nights. A traditional decorative bull head – found in homes in the Tana Toraja region of Sulawesi island – hangs above a handmade dresser in the entranceway and a gallery wall displays pieces collected from friends and family down through the years. 'Everything in our home has a story,' says Michela. The downstairs bathroom is adorned with ceramic leaves made by Michela to reflect the surroundings, and shelves throughout are stacked with the brand's ceramics. There is no such thing as a 'failure' at their studio. 'If we can't sell it or it doesn't work out the way we planned, we usually take it home or upcycle it,' says Marcello. 'It keeps things evolving and interesting.' This is an edited extract from The Reimagined Home: Sustainable Spaces Created With Joy by Nicole Gray, which will be published on 29 May by Quadrille, £35. To order a copy for £29.75 with free delivery until 8 June go to or call 020 3176 2937
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent Spode pottery developer set to be appointed
Plans to regenerate a historic pottery site are set to move forward after councillors were asked to approve the appointment of a City Council hopes signing up Capital & Centric will "unlock new opportunities" at the former Spode pottery in the council's cabinet is to consider allocating £6.5m to the firm from its Levelling Up fund, as part of a wider scheme for the developer has already taken on the Goods Yard site, also in Stoke, and is also set to redevelop the Midway car park in Newcastle-under-Lyme. A new deal at the Spode works would allow Capital & Centric to bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to bring the China Hall, a vast space in the old factory, back into operational use, the council would be subject to planning permission, with work expected to include demolition of some buildings with no heritage value and the development of new suggested partnership does not include the whole site, which will continue to host a range of tenants. Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for regeneration, said the authority would be proud to work with Capital & Centric again."Together we'll make sure Spode continues to be a success story, not just for the creative industry in the city, but for heritage regeneration too," he have previously expressed frustration over the slow progress of plans for the Spode was acquired by the council in 2010, two years after the factory closed and went into 2022, the authority secured £10m of Levelling Up cash to invest in the site and bring it back into August 2024, it has been working to remove asbestos in some heritage buildings and refurbishing two units to provide more space for the Spode Museum.A decision on the partnership is expected be made at a cabinet meeting on 27 May. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
News24
18-05-2025
- General
- News24
He waited 40 years for his dream: The unexpected story of a Garden Route pottery teacher
News24/PaulHerman Anthony Noble spent 40 years educating young minds in East London and later along the Garden Route as a primary school teacher. But in the back of his mind, he held on to a dream: To one day own his own pottery school after a chance cleanup of a studio in 1980. Three years ago, he retired and took the dive to turn his front lounge into his own space, despite 'knowing nothing' about business. Now 64, he boasts 12 wheels, five kilns and stories for days as he pours his faith into a learning, tactile experience for his guests. What is your dream? For Anthony Noble, it was merely to do the thing he loved every day, and that thing was to teach pottery at his own pottery school. He even knew what he would call it. But it was a dream he had to wait 40 years for - only once he retired as a primary school teacher in George on the Western Cape's Garden Route. Anthony loved teaching. But a chance encounter in 1980 while studying, where he was forced to clean up a pottery studio, sparked an unexpected love that endured for decades. 'When I was at college in Gqeberha, I was forced to do art. I didn't want to do art,' the 64-year-old told News24. 'I was in the unfortunate situation where I had to clean up a classroom where a 600-litre drum of clay fell, and cleaning up the clay gave me an affinity for the stuff. 'So instead of going home for that March holiday, I stayed in college, and I sat at a pottery kick-wheel and started throwing.' Fun Fact: Throwing is the term used for the process of forming clay into shapes on a potter's wheel. Anthony would qualify as a teacher and would spend the next 42 years teaching primary school English and high school art, first in his native East London, and then in George – where he still lives. Throughout this time, he had kept up his unexpected hobby of throwing. He bought his own wheel and kiln for a combined R3 000. He also picked up a love for painting, and hobbies remained hobbies for four decades. The terror of impending retirement Then, like all things, the chance to make a forgotten dream a reality came only when facing uncertain fear – in this case, the terror of impending retirement. When I retired in 2021, the first three months were terrible, because you'd break from your routine of waking up in the morning, going to work, whatever you have to do… to not having purpose almost. Anthony Noble 'I realised that I had forgotten about my dream. And then I realised, but hey, hang on, I've got the time now to pursue the thing that I really wanted to do. For 40 years, I did what I had to. Now I can do what I want to.' And so Anthony threw all of his passion and faith into making his dream a reality at the ripe age of 61. By his own account, he 'knew absolutely nothing about business', and he faced some other hurdles as well. 'I knew then what my school would be called, and I tried to find a place to rent, but couldn't. All of the owners of the buildings I approached, when they found out what I would be doing, they turned me down. 'And then my wife said to me: 'Let's use the lounge.' I made the tables myself, I made the shelves myself. I'm not much of a carpenter, but the tables are here,' he laughs. Anthony had six wheels at the time and two kilns – and could finally use the name he'd been holding onto: Perisos – which means 'super abundance' in Greek, and taken from the Gospel of John, 10:10. A marriage proposal, a blind man and life lessons Today, Perisos Pottery has doubled to 12 wheels and five kilns. He has around 25 regular customers who come fortnightly to his home in George and around 50-80 once-off customers every month – ranging from tourists to passers-by to locals holidaying along the coast. Every session, people from all walks of life come into his studio unaware of what they are doing and leave with a life lesson from an experienced teacher told over 10 sessions, if they so choose. One instance involves a young man so moved by Anthony's lesson where he as the Potter joins two types of clay to make something new but beautiful – a metaphor for marriage - he chose to come back and propose to his girlfriend in the presence of both families. 'I gave them the same lesson and he gave me the engagement ring and I pushed it deep into her piece of clay. As she was working with it, she said to me, 'something is hurting her fingers'. I said, 'No, couldn't be'. 'And then I said 'take it out', and she took out, and he ran across to her wheel and knelt before her, and asked: 'Will you marry me?' 'Everybody started crying. Obviously, she said yes. It was very special.' The couple came back two weeks later and made engraved candle-stick holders for each of their wedding guests marked with their names. Another example is best seen through the work of a blind man. 'Clay is tactile. When you sit at the pottery wheel, you are in control. You feel and you touch, and you know,' he said. 'I've taught a blind man to do pottery, and I said to him, 'now feel what you're doing'. And then he said, 'I can see what you're saying'. His mother started crying because here's a blind man saying, 'I can see what you're saying'. 'So, with clay, you can see with your hands. I see with what I feel.' Protecting your dream from the dream killers Anthony has found his passion. He has taken his 64 years of life and everything he believes and throws it into valuable lessons for his customers who can leave with something tangible they've made, from clay he sources himself in the surrounding area. For him, he is living out his creed through the work of his hands. 'I'm a piece of clay telling other pieces of clay who the Potter is. If a piece of clay is hard, you can't do much with it. But when a piece of clay is soft and pliable and surrendered to the Potter, it becomes a vessel worthy of having the Potter's name on it. 'And that to me is a very practical and visual lesson. If the clay decided it's had enough, how can the Potter chase it and bring it back to the wheel? It's got to surrender completely, and that's basically what I have had to do with my life.' Finally, Anthony believes everyone should have a dream, and this is his advice for those chasing theirs, however small. If your dream does not frighten you, dream over. Your dream must be bigger than you. It must involve other people. It must not be easily reachable, or it becomes a goal. A dream is much bigger. 'I had no clue where to start, I'm not a businessman. But here I am in a, well, I say a successful business, because it's achieving the purpose for which it was intended. 'Lastly, guard your dream. If you tell too many people, they can be dream killers. You'll find your dream being aborted on your behalf. I didn't listen to that, and here I am.' Bonus Fun Fact: Anthony also teaches another love: painting. He shows his guests how to paint a landscape in under 10 minutes using only one brush - and does it upside down.
