Edward Leaves The Great Pottery Throw Down

15 January 2024

Q&A with Edward:

 

Walking onto the set on the very first day, did you feel nervous or excited or was it a combination of both?

Walking on set on the very first day I was definitely nervous and excited to see what was coming.

 

Was the set as you thought it would be from seeing previous series?

The set was exactly as I’d imagined it would be from watching the previous series.

 

What age or time in your life did you start pottery and who inspired you? 

I started pottery back in 2019 at Exeter Community Centre as a way of de-stressing from my job once a week. The person who ran the evening workshop, Patsy Lang, was the one who inspired me to push what I was doing and to experiment more and more. As a result, I am now one of the Directors of our little pottery group Ceramexe!

 

Can you say something about the best piece of pottery you have ever made, even if it was your first piece - and any memories that are attached to it?

The best piece of pottery I’ve made is my sink. It’s the first thing I’ve made to fit into our new house that we are renovating.

 

Where do you make your pottery, do you have a shed or a workshop that you share?

I work in my garden room and I share this with a lot of plants and occasionally my partner Nyk who likes to make pottery too.

 

What is your favoured technique – hand built or thrown – or both and give reasons why?

My favourite technique is a combination of both hand-building and throwing. I can make the main structure of a piece and then alter this with pieces I have hand-built.

 

Pottery is usually a relaxing hobby and a lengthy process so what was it like to be working under quite strict time constraints that first week?

Working under time pressure was strangely liberating. It really helped me to focus in on my designs.

 

What is your favourite piece of pottery that you make for friends and family, and do you get any special requests around Christmas or birthdays?

My favourite piece of pottery that I always get requests for is definitely vases. We have a lot of houseplant enthusiasts in my family and they’re always needing new ones as the plants get bigger!

 

Biggest personal disaster for you making something and did it hit your own bucket of doom?

Strangely, I love a disaster – in the kiln or on the wheel. It’s part of my process and helps me to reevaluate and adjust my design.

 

Which celebrity or someone from the entertainment world would you most like to make a piece of pottery for and why?

If I could make a piece of pottery for anyone, it would have to be Nigel Slater (cook/author). I absolutely love his recipes and he is someone who loves ceramics.

 

Are you a messy potter or do you keep everything clean and tidy?  What was your apron like by the end of the first episode?

I’m a messy potter, no question. My apron on the first episode was definitely not the cleanest!

 

What was the camaraderie like between the Potters on set and off set?

I was so lucky to have had the chance to spend time with such a lovely group of potters on and off the set. Any time one person wasn’t feeling great, the other potters were there to pick us up.

 

Which Judge did you want to impress the most [or both] and why?    Did you find Siobhán a great support when the going got tough?

I wanted to impress Rich the most out of both the judges I think. I connect more with his own work outside of the show. Siobhán was definitely a great support when things got tough. We could rely on her to help ease the tension in the room.

 

Did you enjoy being in the midst of pottery country in Stoke, and filming at the Gladstone Pottery Museum - did it inspire you?

I have a love of old bricks (no seriously), so coming to Stoke and being surrounded by the bottle kilns and historic buildings was really inspiring.

 

How hard was it to keep a secret?

It wasn’t particularly difficult to keep the show a secret. My friends know that I have a tendency to disappear into things I’m doing a lot.

 

Are the potters good at keeping in touch, and what do you think bonds you so well?

We set up a whatsapp group from the start and it’s meant we keep in contact a lot since the show’s finished. We all bonded together over our mutual stresses and triumphs on the show.

 

What was your best and worst moment overall in the series, and why?

My best moment of the show was seeing my main plate for episode one come out without a crack. Worst moment was easily seeing my fish jug in pieces after the biscuit firing.

 

How did you feel when they announced your name you would be leaving and how did the other Potters, Judges and presenter help you get through it?

I knew it was coming the day beforehand and I’d prepared myself for it. I was genuinely happy with leaving at that moment and it was obviously the right choice.

 

Favourite challenge of the whole series and least favourite?

Favourite challenge had to be speed throwing as many side plates as possible. Least favourite was the blindfolded challenge.

 

What is the one piece of Pottery you would like to make now after spending some time with the professional Potters?

Definitely no more fish jugs! I would just like to make larger and larger items now.

 

Would you do it all again, as now you feel you have learned a bit more about the process.   And how soon did you get used to the cameras and producers always being around?

I would one hundred percent do it all over again, now I get it and being used to the cameras and producers.

 

What do you feel you learned the most from taking part in the series and what will you take away from your experience on The Great Pottery Throw Down?

The show really pushed me to formalize my designs in a more coherent way, which was unexpected. Before the show, I never drew anything I was going to make down.

 

What is next for you, and what are your hopes and ambitions in the world of pottery?

I’ve got an exhibition with the Thrown Contemporary Gallery coming up and a number of smaller shows.   My ambition for my work is to really lean into my style of making and have fun experimenting more and more.