| A
bid to rescue The Leach Pottery |
|
|
 |
| Caption |
|
|
Fears
that the historic Leach Pottery in St Ives could be lost unless 1
million pounds can be found, has prompted a number or organisations
to back a rescue plan. |
|
|
|
|
A
steering group has been set up to find 1 million pounds to save
the historic Leach Pottery at St Ives. Many of the original features
built by the artist, Bernard Leach, in the 1920s, are crumbling.
Now a number of organisations, including the V&A in London and
the National Trust are backing a rescue plan. St Ives is already
popular with art lovers because of the Tate and the Barbara Hepworth
museum.
 |
| Bernard
Leach |
The
Leach pottery was set up by Bernard Leach -
one of Britain's most influential artists and
his colleague from Japan, Shoji Hamada when they came to came to
England in 1920 and built a climbing kiln..
Bernard's sons - David and Michael Leach worked with their father
until 1955 when they both left to set up their own potteries in
Devon. In
1956 Janet Leach came to St Ives and married Bernard, continuing
to work in the pottery up until her death in 1997.
Alan Gillam - a retired businessman from St Ives and his wife, Sally,
bought the site over 4 years ago at a time when both the pottery
and the adjoining cottage were faced with an uncertain future and
he explains they have taken the venture as far as they can.
"We have now reached a stage when we can't do any more for
the site ourselves although the potential of the place is enormous."
"The site has been in production now making pots for over 80
years and it really should be one of St Ives main attractions and
it's importance to the Studio Pottery movement and pottery education
in this area can't be over-estimated."
"We're not potters. We feel it needs somebody with specialist
input to take it to the next phase".
We have now reached a stage when we can't do any more for
the site ourselves although the potential of the place is
enormous.
|
| Owner
of the Leach Pottery, Alan Gillam |
Joanna
Wason (who has worked at the Leach Pottery since the late 80's alongside
Trevor Corser and assisted Janet Leach until her death in 1999)
agrees;
"I think the working atmosphere would benefit greatly from
having a kind-natured, top class potter, generous enough to discuss
ideas and experiment in a cheerful hard working and creative atmosphere."
Joanna feels that the site would benefit greatly from investment.
"The pottery is phsyically falling to bits, equipment needs
replacing and the place could do with a right old clean up."
She has since been joined by Amanda Brier who joined 3 years ago
and the two of them are currently the only employed potters working
on site.
The chairman Lady Carol Holland says they have ambitious plans which
could
improve St Ives as a cultural destination.
"At
the moment this is a combination of a working site and a tourist
attraction with a shop and a museum and we hope to retain both parts
of these in the future.
We want
to create a permanent collection of really important work of pots
here and we also hope to build up more than there has been in the
past the educational side of it."
Lady Holland sees positive links with St Ives' other artistic centres,
especially the Tate gallery and the Barbara Hepworth museum.
"Bernard Leach had an importance as artist as well as as a
craftsman, he was a designer almost more than a potter actually.
His design input became very important subsequently, but one of
the things which we hope is that in the future this will be part
of a reactivated and very vibrant artistic community which has crafts
as well as the arts represented."
It's estimated that 1 million pounds could be needed to buy and
renovate the site and improve public access and facilities, bids
are being prepared for Heritage and Lottery sources.
|
|
|
|
|
|
