We chatted to Naomi & Meredith, the talented duo behind Pottymouth Workshop who will be hosting a 'Make your own Mug' at Town+House by Always Sunday on May 4th 2024. They shared their brands’ origin story, their favourite style of pottery and their sage advice for aspiring potters looking to perfect their technique.
At our hearts we’re just an unruly bunch of creatives who just so happen to have grown up full time jobs. We certainly get to challenge ourselves creatively as part of our roles here (along with all the regular admin that comes with running an independent business of course), but we’re always on the lookout for new art events in Bath that allow us to express a creative outlet; from hosting our own Still Life drawing classes at the Always Sunday pub to joining art clubs in the South West. So when Lottie (General Manager at Town+House pub and lovely human) told us she had been approached earlier this year by Pottymouth Workshop; a two-woman teaching studio based in Bristol, looking for a top venue in Bath to host one of their bestselling workshops; we were absolutely thrilled because it meant we could book tickets ourselves and learn how to do pottery in our own backyard!
If you're a fan of prosecco or pottery (or both), you’ll absolutely love this fun and creative workshop at Town & House on Saturday May 4th 2024. Together with Naomi and Maz, we’ll learn how to make our own ceramic coffee cup from scratch using pinching and handbuilding techniques and at the end, they’ll take your creation to their studio to fire and glaze it and drop it back to Town+House within just a few weeks for pick up. You’ll be enjoying your favourite brew in style in no time.We’re also serving delicious prosecco and hot drinks and our brunch menu will be available in the morning if you want to book your space for that too and really make a day of it.
Here’s three reasons why we think you should definitely come along to the Pots & Prosecco event at Town+House:
- Naomi & Maz are a lovely local business. They’re based in Bristol so they know their way around the South West.
- They adopt an ‘everyone welcome’ approach - from throwing ability to inclusive venues, Naomi & Maz believe that pottery shouldn’t be elitist, expensive or exclusive.
- They’re just seriously lovely to chat to because they love what they do and we love that too!
What is the Pottymouth Workshop origin story?
We started Pottymouth Workshop back in 2022 after meeting at a Bristol pottery studio. We spent a few years teaching side by side before we realised we were ready for a serious challenge. We decided to go it alone and bring pottery to people who may not otherwise access it. It was also the perfect marriage of our favourite things: pottery and pubs! We really enjoy how many new faces we get to meet and how many of those are first time potters- we've now built up quite a list of returning potters and they get better and more confident each time. We absolutely adopt an 'everyone welcome' approach to pottery- it shouldn't be elitist or expensive and we hope that this is reflected in our pricing model with discounts offered to nhs/student and lower income. We also have a super inclusive range of venues to offer as well, so hopefully everyone can find a space they feel comfortable in!
What does a day in the life of a Pottymouth look like?
The day tends to commence with a hot cup of coffee (served in a handmade mug of course). This is usually enough to resurrect us, and give us some energy to begin our day of workshops and preparations. We work our way through some admin. A lot of our time is spent sorting through emails and liaising with venues and customers. As we run private events, we like to make sure everything is perfect for our potters; from the venue, to transport links and sometimes even organising food and drinks too.
Once that’s done, we close the laptop for our sacred 'studio time'. Here we can do what we adore, which is working with clay! It's also a quiet time of sorting through all of the ceramics which have been made during the week and making sure they are fired and glazed- ready to be returned to their makers.
We love that you’re local to the South West like us! Where are some of your top places to visit in Bristol when you’re not in the studio or hosting a workshop?
Coincidentally (or not so) our workshops are hosted in some of our favourite hangout spots. It's so lovely getting to know all the staff in each venue and it makes workshops hardly feel like work at all!
When we're not hosting pottery workshops, we try to find some zen places to hangout in: Mez is a regular at her local gym yoga practice in Bristol and Naomi is usually walking up a grassy hill somewhere.
What style of ceramics are you drawn to generally?
Our personal pottery styles differ slightly from our workshop styles- in our personal practices we tend to go more stripped back with earthy ceramics but the workshops are a fun opportunity to unleash our kitsch and colourful side. The beauty of our sessions are that you can customise whatever you've made to suit your own personal styles and taste.
As you probably might guess, we're pretty much obsessed with everything handmade and our personal spaces reflect that too. Our cupboards are stacked full of gorgeous artisan ceramics, most of which are made by friends of ours which makes them extra special.
What are you fired up for in 2024? Anything exciting in the kiln?
Our little baby business has already flourished so much in the past year and a half, and we are currently on the cusp of our next big milestone which is our brand new studio space! It's filled with natural light, loads of room and we'll even be getting some pottery wheels- it's all a girl (or two) could dream of! We are delighted to be moving in next week and with the new space and equipment we'll be able to offer a whole new breadth of workshops including some throwing classes.
What piece of advice would you give new aspiring potters?
To anyone who's looking to try ceramics, you absolutely must! It's such a thoughtful and relaxing process and has so much to teach us. Just give it a go!
