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Central North Island Update – July/August 2025
Driving Creek Pottery
A History of the Residency Programme
Kia ora from Driving Creek Pottery. The winter weather is well and truly set in here, and we’ve been keeping it at bay with regular woodfirings. Our artists in residence have been firing the Phoenix kiln every other week, and it’s always a delight to see them push the boundaries of what you can do with fire and clay.
Driving Creek has been hosting artists since it was first established. When Barry bought the land at 380 Driving Creek Road in 1973, he had grand ambitions for his pottery and railway that his savings wouldn’t quite cover:
“I applied for an Arts Council grant in order to help with building the potteries here and I thought that if I had students here to teach pottery to, they would look on my application more favourably. This is one of the reasons that I have had a number of students over the years learning here under my tuition, using my facilities, but I did not really want to teach pottery.” *
It was a rather loose affair in the early days, with plenty of people coming and going, but there were always potters on site helping with labour on both the railway and the pottery. Towards the end of the ’70s, Barry became more selective about who he accepted and invited to work at the pottery:
“I must try to encourage its use rather more for those who have specific projects or have a deep sense of commitment to their craft rather than just enjoying the lifestyle it provides. This enhanced criticality has more chance of reaching out in other ways into the community and it could also be a much-needed starting point for cultural exchange.” *
Driving Creek eventually became the hub for clay workers and creatives that Barry had envisioned. It has hosted and nurtured many of Aotearoa’s most well-known clay artists, as well as potters and artists from all over the world. While Barry had the final say on who was accepted to work in residence, his time was usually occupied by one of his many projects. It often fell to his supporters, like Wailin Elliott and Helen Mason, to ensure things were running smoothly in the studios.
Resident potters from Vanuatu assist Barry with construction of the original Phoenix kiln, 1983. Photographer unknown, from Barry Brickell’s personal albums, Driving Creek Collections.
After Barry’s death in 2016, there were a few years of reconfiguration, with no clear direction for managing the residencies. During this time, Caitlin Moloney, then working as a collections assistant, saw a need to breathe new life into the pottery. Part of this work involved reinstating the residency programme. Caitlin helped set up the current iteration, which has been running since 2019.
The residency provides basic accommodation and studio space for up to five weeks. In exchange, residents volunteer a few hours each week – helping stack firewood for the kilns, staffing the gallery, or pitching in on odd jobs around the site (because it wouldn’t be Driving Creek without a bit of shared labour!).
We host up to six residents at a time, and since 2019, more than 250 residencies have taken place. While it’s difficult to find official data, we suspect it may be the largest programme by numbers in the country. While we prioritise makers from Aotearoa, in recent years we’ve also hosted artists from Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA.
Like the former incarnation of Barry’s residency programme, it is a melting pot of makers from different backgrounds and at different ages and stages in their creative journey. It continues Driving Creek’s contribution to the clay community in Aotearoa, and we feel it aligns with Barry’s vision for Driving Creek: “to foster the development of pottery and arts within New Zealand,” as laid out in the Driving Creek Railway Arts and Conservation Trust deed in 2008.
In May and June, we hosted eleven potters in residence, all working with clay in different ways, including Ben Pyne (Auckland), Isobel Thom (Auckland), Naomi Allen (Auckland), Andrea Gaskin (Auckland), Sam Dickenson (Auckland), Nicola Shuttleworth (Wellington), Simon Morris (Wellington), Sinclair Bijker (Queensland), Dave Marshall (Granity), Nicole Gaston (Wellington), and Helen Pollock (Auckland). For detailed profiles on these talented makers and to view their work, head to the Journal section on our website, where we post regular profiles of the residents: drivingcreek.nz/journal.
We’re currently accepting residency applications for April-June 2026. Applications close 30 September. For more information and to apply, head to: drivingcreek.nz/artists-in-residence.
Wellington potter in residence Nicola Shuttleworth at work in the upstairs studio in May 2025. Photo by Jessica Lovie.
Upcoming Pottery Workshops at Driving Creek
Our intensive pottery courses have been filling up fast. In September, lead potter Callum Trudgeon will teach a special Two-Week Pottery Experience. Students will spend the first part of the course making pots on the wheel and learning special decorating techniques in preparation for a woodfiring in the Phoenix kiln. We still have spaces available for courses later in the year, including Elena Renker’s Five-Day Kuriniku Course in December: drivingcreek.nz/workshops.
Workshop Schedule:
Starting Sunday 31 August | 7 Day Mud & Fire with Aaron Scythe and Sergei Shatrov
Starting Saturday 20 September | 2 Week Pottery Experience Making and Woodfiring with Callum Trudgeon
Starting Monday 13 October | 5 Day Production Throwing Course
Starting Saturday 22 November | 2 Day Bowl Making Course with Callum Trudgeon
Starting Monday 24 November| 5 Day Throwing Course
Starting Wednesday 3 December | 5 Day Kuriniku Course with Elena Renker
Ngā mihi nui,
The Driving Creek Pottery Team
* Quotes by Barry Brickell from A Head of Steam (1996) by Christine Leov-Lealand
Matariki bowls fundraiser
Everyone had a great time at this event on 22nd June, with 40 members & friends attending. We had a pork boil up with GF fried bread, four other soups and delicious breads and bbq sausages. Bowls were donated by members then as part of the $20 ticket they were gifted a bowl to eat out of & take home.
This was a great fundraiser, so we will probably do it again for the Spring Equinox around September 22nd.
Cat Thompson won the “Super Bowl” with this stunner!
Our AGM is coming up on 23rd August.
In-house members workshops have been a success, focusing on our members’ needs, like Ruth Vickers’ “Beyond the Basics” wheel classes:
The Elena Renker Workshop on 14th & 15th June was amazing!!!
It’s great to see the return of the Kids’ Pottery Classes these school holidays on 9th and 11th July, make a plate or a cat!
And a HUGE thanks to all our lovely volunteers, who keep the studio and the club ticking smoothly!
Feet of Clay Ceramic Show Case
The Incubator Creative Hub warmly invites you to The Pot House Gallery to explore an exceptional collection of ceramics and pottery created by our talented Pot House Ceramic Artists.
Each artist has crafted a selection of pieces that reflects their unique style and technique. This exhibition will delve into the playful and intriguing theme of “Feet of Clay”. Showcasing how each artist takes on the challenge of portraying the theme, confront perceptions, and invite visitors to ponder the imperfections and vulnerabilities inherent in both the medium and the human experience.
The exhibit centres on the significance of Feet of Clay. It offers a conversation about the diverse approaches to contemporary ceramics, viewed through the lens of clay and the essence of being a potter.
Sponsored by Gate Pa New World this exhibition launch preview is Friday 18th July 5:30-7:30pm. Everyone welcome.
On display in The Pot House Gallery, 19th July – 9th August .
Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/events/535572742855255/535572799521916/?active_tab=about
Website link: https://www.theincubator.co.nz/event-details/feet-of-clay-ceramic-show-case
Robyne Dowdall – Yutori
Artist Bio Robyne Dowdall is an emerging multidisciplinary artist based in Tauranga, Aotearoa, with a background in commercial art, photography, garment design and creative direction across stage, film and print now working with clay, creating ceramic vessels. Her work is grounded in a deep respect for nature, a passion for research and a commitment to slow, sustainable making. This sensibility drew her into the world of bonsai, where the discipline’s quiet observation and reverence for natural form led her to notice a need for handmade, useful objects. Dowdall questions the proliferation of the mass-produced and is committed to a zero-waste practice, choosing to create vessels that are functional, unique and made in small quantities.
The exhibition is characterised by unpretentious qualities, humble forms and a natural stone-like character… This is further enhanced by the use of simple, functional designs and clean lines. The beauty of their pottery lies in its simplicity, striving to embrace imperfection and connection to nature. As their practice became more simplified so did the line of the vessels. A key aspect is the appreciation of finding beauty in nature. Showing imperfections of a piece rather than hiding them ….’ making the mark’
Sponsored by Gate Pa New World this exhibition launch preview is 5th of September. Everyone welcome.
On display in The Pot House Gallery, 6th September – 21st September.
Dates announced for Waiclay National Ceramic Award 2025
Entries open 1 August, and close 24 September 2025. Shortlisted finalists will be advised by 12 October.
The exhibition will be held at Te Whare Taonga o Waikato Museum & Gallery 12 December – 22 March 2026, opening and awards 11 December.
We are awaiting visa approval and announcement of this years’ judge. Full info and conditions of entry are on https://waiclay.co.nz/
Entry form will be available soon.
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Inquiries to Janet Smith oakford1951@icloud.com
2023 Premier Award winner Suzanne Sturrock, with judge Greg Daly
