Mad Hatters & Teapots: A Round-Up of Our Term 2 Challenge & Tea Party

Well, that was a day to remember!

This past Sunday, our Clay Hands courtyard transformed into a wonderland of creativity, community, and—true to theme—a parade of utterly marvellous hats. The Mad Hatters Tea Party Challenge was a joyful celebration of the work our students poured into their tea sets this past term, and we were completely blown away by the turnout, the teapots, and the spirit of the day.

We kicked things off with a very special teapot demonstration by the legendary Hennie Meyer. The room was packed with rapt eyes. Hennie, with his years of knowledge and his signature maker’s humour, captivated us all. He showed us how he builds teapots and milk jugs using a press mould former—shaping multiple forms from a single tool like some sort of clay alchemist. It was magic before our eyes!

Following the demo, we gathered for the grand tea party: scumptions spreads of sweet treats, pots of tea steaming, and a festive blur of tea bags, flowers, top hats, and teacups. Our students really brought it—the hats were bold, the vibe was playful, and the community spirit was strong. Some potters even matched their teapots!

The Challenge Recap

We had an incredible 25 entries in the tea set challenge—far exceeding our expectations (we were guessing five or six!). Hennie had the very tricky task of selecting standout pieces. His short list was nearly two-thirds of the works, which says a lot about the level of craftsmanship and creativity on display.

🎉 The winners:

• Kyra Antobus’ hand-built teapot was selected by Hennie for its fresh, crisp feel—“like a spring day,” he said. The glaze complemented the form beautifully and carried the story all the way through. She was awarded a R500 Clay Hands voucher.

• Bavani Chetty’s thrown milk jug and sugar pot set stood out for being well-thrown and beautifully cohesive. Another R500 voucher went her way!

We also held a crowd vote, with a lovely poster created by Val. The people’s choice went to Samantha Ma for her stunning black teapot. Hennie agreed—if he were to take one home, it would have been hers. Samantha took home a bag of our favourite Walford White clay.

But really, we all walked away feeling like winners. It was a heart-full gathering, shared with friends, family, and the wider Clay Hands community. A huge thank you to Hennie Meyer for sharing his time and knowledge so generously, and to our incredible teaching team for guiding and encouraging students through the challenge.

To our students—thank you for showing up so beautifully. You made this experiment a roaring success, and we can’t wait for the next one.

In our next blog post we'll share pictures of all the teapots that were made in the challenge!

Looking Ahead to Term 3 & Beyond

For Term 3, we’ll be focusing on demonstrations around altering forms, but we’re pausing the student challenge for now. Don’t worry—we’ll be back in Term 4 with a new creative adventure!

Got an idea? We’re collecting suggestions! So far we’ve heard sculptural forms and musical instruments—what would you love to create?