Driving Creek updates:

DCR Anagama Crowdfunder

Driving Creek is building its first anagama kiln, and to help make the project possible we have launched a crowdfunding campaign through PledgeMe. Supporters can pre-purchase pots by master potter Aaron Scythe, Callum Trudgeon and the Driving Creek production team, or simply make a contribution towards the build. With a limited number of pots available, this is an opportunity to secure a piece from the kiln before it has even been built.

Driving Creek currently operates two fast-fire wood kilns, the Phoenix and the Rollo. Our new anagama will offer a very different approach to wood firing.

Designed by Aaron Scythe in collaboration with the Driving Creek team, the build will require thousands of bricks and many hands to bring it to life. The project reflects our desire to expand our wood-firing practice and create a new resource for the wider pottery community. The scale and collaborative nature of anagama firing make it a natural fit with Driving Creek’s history of bringing potters together.

The PledgeMe campaign runs until October 9, with a limited number of pot rewards available. If you would like to support the build and secure a pot from Aaron, Callum or the Driving Creek production team, the Pledgeme page for more information.

Construction will take place through October and November, with the first firing planned once the kiln is complete. Initially, this will be a staff firing as we learn how the kiln behaves, but we hope to offer firing opportunities, workshops and community firings in the future. Our vision is for the anagama to become a shared community resource, fired approximately four times a year.

Barry Brickell’s sketches of different wood kiln designs from “A New Zealand Potter’s Dictionary” (1985). Top: cross-section of a fast-fire kiln, similar to those currently used at Driving Creek. Bottom: An anagama kiln.

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Two Week Woodfiring Pottery Course with Callum Trudgeon

Only two spaces remain on Callum Trudgeon’s Two Week Wood Firing Pottery Experience this November. This immersive course focuses on wheel throwing and explores a range of decorating techniques, including slips, before culminating in a wood firing in the Phoenix soda kiln. With over a decade of experience, including eight years apprenticing and working at the Leach Pottery in St Ives, Callum brings extensive knowledge and experience to this hands-on course. If you’ve been considering joining, now is the time to book.

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Recent Residents

In July we hosted artists Chora Carleton (Pōneke), Seo Son (Ōtepoti), Tara Zahn (Ōtautahi) and Mads Wainwright (ACT, Australia). Read more about our residents at drivingcreek.nz/journal.

We are currently accepting applications for residencies between April and June 2027. Applications close 30 September. For more information and to apply, visit drivingcreek.nz/artists-in-residence.

Ngā mihi nui, The Driving Creek Pottery Team