Pottery lover Carola Lorck is hosting a pottery, art and handcraft workshop on 15 April in Swakopmund at Die Tonfabrik Studio and 17 June in Windhoek at Jacquits Studio.
The workshop is aimed to teach new decorating techniques. Participants will learn skills on how to trace a design onto paper and colour with underglaze and slip, and will then craft their own clay slab, plate or mug which they will print on.
Lorck told VIBEZ! the workshop is important and a valuable platform to transfer information and knowledge to people interested in venturing into pottery crafting to incorporate it into their artwork.
“I thought of sharing my knowledge with others who are interested and it’s always nice to attend a workshop and meet up with other like-minded people, potters or people that are interested in the creation of pottery making and pass on the knowledge,” she said.
Lorck is a potter and teacher for 23 years and has been offering workshops to Potters Association of Namibia members, but other Namibians are welcome to join. These workshops are hosted in Swakopmund and Windhoek throughout the year.
She offers pottery classes twice a week to 16 students and once off monthly classes to adults and children. Lorck also runs a pottery supply shop to aid people get access to all the equipment that they need for their work.
Moreover, she highlighted that unemployed youth can gain and utilise the techniques from the workshop which can be turned into a business and help generate income.
“The biggest challenge is the increase in the cost of materials, the goods and everything needed for the workshops,” she said, adding that the materials are imported from South Africa.
Lorck further shared that transport is another challenge due to high transport fees they pay for materials to get to Namibia but this will not prohibit them from pursuing their passion.
“My vision is to grow my business and the love for pottery with like-minded people and enjoy it while having fun creating something with your hands,” she said.
Participation is N$500 and it is only limited to 12 people. The participants should come with their own lunch, clay, tools and templates for creating the slab, plate or mug. The workshops will run from 09h00 to 17h00 for both events.