In October 2016, we welcomed three new early career ceramicists onto our Starter Studio programme: Giles Kozdan, Lisa Dakin and Josephine Gomersall. These artists have joined our two year programme which offers them the opportunity to develop their skills and creative enterprises in a supportive environment, access to shared workspace and equipment, technical and mentor support, business advice and occasional commission and exhibition opportunities.

Giles gained his Degree in metalwork and Jewellery at Sheffield Hallam University. Using a high level of engineering and maths to design items of Jewellery and other products such as drinking vessels. Giles suffered from Bell's Palsy, a form of facial paralysis resulting from a dysfunction of the facial nerve causing an inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Using this as a starting point, Giles communicates in his work how a simple line could be manipulated into a complex shape, the same way as atoms, DNA and the body’s nervous system can be manipulated in human being and how the misplacing of just one part can have catastrophic consequences.

After graduating with first class honours in metal work, Lisa has been focusing on hand spun enamelled functional and decorative homeware. Her style is influenced by mid-century modern colour palettes and she take decorative inspiration from textile pattern as well as the colour and shapes of landscape and nature.

Josephine has a Diploma in Surface Pattern design, an Honours Degree in Textiles Design and a Master of Arts degree in Design.

Her work combines print and pattern design with jewellery and matalworking skills to produce narrative mixed media jewellery and object collections for the contemporary craft sector.

The theme of her most recent work explores ideas connected to Provenance, meaning a place or source of origin.