So far, Create Berwick’s Create Your Future programme has funded paid work placements for 11 young people from the town. They have worked in photography studios, cultural venues and micro businesses, giving real-world experience of working in a creative role.

Poppy Rudge is completing a placement with pottery studio Ravn Clay, which is run by Keith Webster.

How would you describe your experience with Ravn Clay so far?

I’ve been at Ravn Clay for almost a month, since I finished my A Levels. I’m doing two or three days a week and it’s been a really good use of my time after my exams.
Every day we have a list of things to do, like unloading the kiln, and matching up items that people have made during workshops with their paperwork, so we know if something is due to be picked up or if it needs to be glazed. I also help prepare items like the handmade mugs which are sold here and I’ve had the opportunity to make some of my own pottery as well.

What are some of the things you have learnt?

I’ve learnt a lot about how the business works and how successful a creative business like this can be. Keith runs Ravn Clay on his own so seeing how he does it, and how things like location can affect the business has been really interesting. For example, three years ago Ravn Clay was based near Heatherslaw and moving to the current studio in Ford, just outside Berwick, has been a real step up.
One thing which has surprised me is the amount of tea we can drink every day!

What have you enjoyed the most so far?

I really like unloading glazed items from the kiln after they’ve been fired. Seeing pieces go in one colour and then seeing the final product is one of my favourite parts. I also enjoy hand glazing, which is more intricate than dip glazing. Hand glazing is more detailed, and you have to choose glazes that will work well together.

What will you remember from this experience?

Something that’s really stuck with me is watching people come into the studio and look around for the first time. There’s a realisation people have when they’re not used to seeing handmade pottery, that everything is handmade and glazed by one person in this one building, and that they can come in and make their own pieces too. It’s quite special to watch people discover that for themselves.

Has the experience had any influence on your future career plans?

After my A Level results, I’m planning to take a gap year to try out more things that I’m interested in. The placement has definitely opened up lots of different options for me. It’s helped me see the wide range of things you can do and the kinds of places you can end up working – and that they could be the places that you’d least expect.

We also spoke to Keith Webster, who runs Ravn Clay, about why he offers placements through Create Your Future.

Why did you want to get involved in the Create Your Future programme?

I came to pottery quite late in life, but it was something I’d always wanted to do. I’ve worked as an archaeologist, a bookseller, a teacher… then in 2019 I took a pottery course and here we are! That’s why teaching and workshops have always been a big part of Ravn Clay, and offering work placements felt like a natural extension of that – a chance to give creative employment experience to people who are rurally based and maybe don’t have as many options as people in cities. 
As a micro business I wouldn’t have the funds to take on a trainee without a funding programme like this, so it makes a real difference and I think it’s really important.

What does your business gain from offering placements?

For the business, having an extra pair of hands is a big help. But I also really value the chance to share what I do through teaching, because it stops you getting complacent and stuck in a rut. When someone asks “why do you do it like that?” it makes you stop and rethink.
I learn from my trainees too. I’m keen for them to work on their own pottery, so it’s great to watch how they take what they’ve seen and make it their own – often coming up with things I wouldn’t have thought of myself.
A piece of pottery which Poppy made has even ended up in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. She submitted a hand-built puffer fish as part of a school project, along with a painting, and they were both selected.

Is there anything you’d share with young people starting to think about a creative career?

It sounds like a bit of a cliché, but there’s no perfect time to start. You’ll never have all your ducks in a row, and you’ll never know the outcome if you don’t just give something a go.
I’d also be honest and say that running a creative business isn’t easy. Ceramics is a genuinely challenging career at the moment, with all the costs involved. But on the flip side, you get to do what you love, which so many people don’t get to do. I won’t retire with a fortune, but I come in every day and make pots, and help other people make pots, and it’s incredibly rewarding.

Ravn Clay is a friendly, creative studio where anyone can come and make their own pots and learn about pottery. It includes a studio, which is used for workshops, a kiln room, and a gallery and shop selling items made on site plus a curated selection of work from other local artists. Find out more.

Hear from more Create Your Future trainees

Amber Eden completed a six-month placement with Pictorial Photography in Berwick. Read her story.