05/06/2026
For those wondering what’s been happening with the Pottery Shed… here’s a little update, because while we may have been quiet, we definitely haven’t been standing still.
After 3 years without pottery, we are so excited to say that we have finally completed our fundraising for a brand new kiln and pottery shed renovations, and what a journey it has been!
Behind the scenes, our committee has been working incredibly hard to make this happen. From catering events, waitressing, applying for grants, fundraising and saying yes to just about anything that could bring funds our way, we’ve slowly but surely chipped away to get us where we are today.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, grants and fundraising efforts, we have been able to complete some much-needed upgrades including:
✨ A brand new kiln�✨ Two new windows for better ventilation�✨ New gutters to stop leaves filling the shed�✨ Ventilation for our kiln room�✨ Insulation throughout the shed so pottery can happen comfortably all year round -hot or cold.
And we’re not stopping there.
We are now in Week 3 of our pottery refresher course, led by local Onshore Potter - Cooper Smallman; a pretty special full-circle moment, considering Cooper first learnt pottery in our shed 6 years ago through ARTitude Ravensthorpe Regional Arts Council
Since then, Cooper has built an incredible skillset through mentorships and workshops including:
• Bill Meiklejohn – Willyabrup Dreaming Pottery�• Ian Beniston – Sensei Pots�• Cher Shackleton – Wood Fire WA Workshop�• Eric Landon (Tortus) workshop�• Plus plenty of time learning alongside Cat Tink right here in Ravy.
Cooper has certainly been keeping us busy, teaching some of us old dogs new tricks and others who are starting from absolutely scratch!
Right now, we’re working through how to make this into a strong, sustainable and viable community pottery shed again, one that can be enjoyed by the whole community for years to come.
So, if it’s seemed a little quiet, please know we’ve actually been doing the complete opposite, quietly working hard in the background to rebuild something really special.
A huge thank you to our major supporters Shire of Ravensthorpe Hopetoun Future Fund, and First Quantum Minerals for believing in this project and helping make it possible.
And to everyone who trusted us with an event, whether it was catering or waitressing, thank you. Every event, every dollar and every bit of support helped us get here.
Stay tuned… pottery is coming back to The Fitz. 🏺
