1000 Bells is a large-scale installation for Sydney Festival’s Parramatta Program that embraces the diversity of Sydney’s communities through the hand-making of 1000 ceramic bells. Artists Lauren Brincat and Bree Van Reyk will host workshops to create simple pinch-pot bells with local community groups throughout Sydney, from October to December. Eventually the bells and their creators will reunite in a mass performance and installation in Prince Alfred Square in January.

Parraclay Studio is hosting 1000 Bells on Thursday 5th November. Come from 11am, or drop in at any time throughout the day to make bells, for all to enjoy!

Ages: Adults and young people ages 12+

Ages: Adults and young people ages 12+

Facilitators: Artists Lauren Brincat and Bree van Reyk

Enquiries: ma*******@****************rg.au

http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/info/1000-bells

MAKE AND PLAY CERAMIC BELLS IN A COMMUNAL MUSICAL EXPERIENCE

1000 BELLS

Cnr Church Street and Market Street
Parramatta

8–24 January
8 January from 6.30pm
Tue-Thu & Sun, 2pm–8pm , Fri & Sat, 2pm–10pm
Closed Mondays

 We will be making and decorating clay flowers to celebrate the life and beauty of this young woman whose untimely and violent death has impacted the community of Parramatta. 

When: Friday 30 October and Friday Nov 6

Where: PCAI Studio & Gallery @ Shop 5, 10-14 Hunter Street Parramatta

Time: 5 -8 pm

Cost:  $5 per person

Please Bring; a snack to share 

Wear covered in shoes.

For more details contact Di Turner 0415414589 

If bringing children please ensure that they are well supervised

Please email us if you are a community worker who would like join our distress and chill out sessions. Once we have enough people we’ll start Bookings: Pa*******@***il.com;

Ph Di: 0415414589

So far two significant events have seen ceramic arts play centre stage. The first was for National Sorry Day in May. At this event participants from culturally and diverse backgrounds, painted messages in many languages on hand made plates. The messages were reflections of our Indigenous Australians plight as well as participants own feelings and experiences of loss of culture, land and identity.  The Sorry Day ‘Bring a Plate’ project culminated in an event with key Indigenous speakers to celebrate diversity and forgiveness at Auburn Community Centre. Delicious CALD food was served on the plates with messages being revealed once the food was eaten. The beautiful hand painted plates were on public exhibition for 2 weeks at the Auburn Central Shopping Centre.  

The 2^nd Project for Bring a Plate was similar to the first, only this time the focus was about sharing and respect for others as in the spirit of Ramadan.  It fostered an understanding between participants and the wider community at the Iftar celebrations in Auburn Community Square about the Muslim religion, Ramadan and the significance of the festival. ACDN’s facilitator Barry Gamba said the ceramic project was about teaching participants about art and community development.

“I think it’s brought the community together and enhanced respect and understanding for communities and given people an idea of career paths,” he said.

See links for photos of plates and more details http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/parramatta/food-drumming-art-and-a-performance-part-of-iftar-celebrations-in-auburn/story-fngr8huy-1226990833866#.U8fOMSGWRIE.facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Parraclayarts?hc_location=timeline

Next Bring a Plate Project:

UPCOMING WORSHOPS & CLASSES

AUBURN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NETWORK (ACDN)

 Free ceramic workshops to create lamps and plates 

for AUBURN DEEPAVALI – a community event 

Workshop dates: Fridays 22 & 29 August, 5 &12 September 2014

 Time: 10am – 1pm

 Place: Parramatta Clay Cliff Creek Studio, 

145A George Street Parramatta 

(Approx 10 minute walk from Parramatta Train Station)

 All welcome

 To book a place in the workshops, email Auburn Community Development Network on ad***@******rg.au or phone 02 9649 5559 Monday to Friday between 9.30AM and 12.30PM

‘Auburn Deepavali’ is part of Auburn Community Development Network’s

‘The Art of Hospitality: Bring a Plate’ project , in partnership with Parramatta Clay and Arts Inc. funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services through the Diversity and Social Cohesion Program. For more information, visit www.dss.gov.au

Owen is a renowned ceramic artist with many years of experience.  His works can be seen in collections in Australia and overseas.  Owen shared his tips on woodfiring, and his life time journeys in ceramics.

He grew up in the snow country of Cooma which acquainted him with chopping wood with his father; from this he gained an understanding about fire and wood. He lives at the tip of Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, in a beautiful but windswept natural environment. Here he has plenty of wood, open space to fire, an amazing vista of colourful scenery, wild life, weathered and textured machinery whose influence is clearly seen in his work. Owen as the retired Head of Monash University’s first Ceramic faculty has taught many well known Australian contemporary ceramic artist.  Rye has travelled the world studying and presenting ceramics. He worked for the Smithsonian Museum, USA in the 1970s and this work saw him travel to Jordan and Palestine to document the work of indigenous potters.

In the 2 day workshop in July, in our Clay Cliff Creek studio, Owen demonstrated his techniques on making very large and tiny refined pots.  As most of his work is wood fired he explained that the best results of the firing occur perhaps only on one section of the pot. His logic, which proved to be correct, is that if you make a tiny pot (6 cm tall) then the whole pot gets that special spot or flash of colour!  In his demonstration of making large pots “easily “his pot was made in sections. That is, the first section was thrown and allowed to stiffen. 5 or so thicker coils were added by hand and re thrown. In between adding each coil, Owen used a gas burner to fast track the stiffening process. This was fascinating as well as a bit scary to watch as the flames licked around the pot in our studio.

Owen stressed that turning the wheel slowly is crucial to refining work. “Too many potters speed up as if they are in a hurry to get somewhere fast “he said.  He finishes his work using tools easily found, such as bits of wooden dowel, bits of broken pallet ,  to make impressive indents at four pints on the top of the pot , and hand models and grinds his metal turning tool’s to make them sharp and long lasting.

The residency was only possible through a partnership with PCAI and Parramatta City Council’s Artist Studios (PAS) that provided accommodation for Owen for 2 weeks. In addition Owen was featured during the Parramatta Artist Studio June Open Day as Artist in residence where he gave a pottery demonstration on the wheel, making tiny pots from “off the hump “technique.

Owen also presented at the Parramatta Artists Studios Evening Talk. The topic was “Mould Maker “The importance of ceramic residencies”. He was joined by some of Australia’s finest ceramic artists as they discuss their practices and the impact of ceramic residencies. Speakers included Owen Rye, Somchai Charoen, Merran Esson and Di Turner from PCAI.

A highlight for us was to share Owen, not only with PAS, and the workshop participants, but with participants in a current partnership program with Auburn Community Development Network (ACDN). This project is called “The Art of Hospitality “. Di Turner has been the ceramic tutor for this project along with co –facilitators Paula Abood and Barry Gamble from ACDN. 

Owen spent 2 evenings meeting and observing the development of the ceramic “Bring a Plate project, some of plates were generously made and donated to the project by Owen during his Clay Cliff Creek residency ready for painting by participants and Iranian calligraphy master Shaia Kaia to paint.  He was able to reflect on his time in Jordan with Shire.

These were colourful evenings, spent in the company of writers, artists and high profile community workers such as Dr Paula Abood and members of the Human Rights Commission. The debates were lively and political, supported by sumptuous Lebanese bread and homemade soup with lashings of Labnah (youghurt), heated on portable electric hotplate and of course served out of pottery soup bowls and mugs.  Paula Abood, an award winning writer and community development working supremo, makes a wicked pot of Lebanese soup

As our first Master program presenter, Owen Rye will be a hard act to follow. Our sincere thanks go to Owen, and Parramatta City Council Artist Studios and manager, Sophia Kouyoumdjian for this great partnership, hopefully the start of an ongoing annual ceramic residency program.

Sat 5 & Sun 6 July

Learn from a master potter

in this 2-day masterclass at Clay Cliff Creek Studio.

Owen Rye is best known for his beautiful wood-fired work that has been exhibited in Australia and internationally.

This exciting masterclass will include demonstrations,instructional talks and hands-on wheelwork.

Cost:  $250 per person

Venue: Clay Cliff Creek Studio

145a George St, Parramatta

Bookings essential:

Email or phone Di Turner on

pa*******@***il.com / 0415 414 589

On street parking available, 10min walk from

Parramatta ferry, train & bus terminal

For a special night of art , music and Christmas shopping join us on Opening night, Friday , December 13.

Meet the Clay artists, and visit the Artisans Markets in the Mall.

We want to thank everyone for joining us for the opening . And finally thanks to all of you who have bought tickets for our raffle. Classes will be coming soon, so stay tuned!

Here’s some pictures from the night – pictures are by Lindy Lawler  (her website: http://lindividual.com/)