Potters Market 2025

The Rondebosch Potters Market was a wonderful experience for us. Dawn arrived before most of us were ready for it and still we gathered at 5:30am with crates, tablecloths and a small current of nerves. Every potter knows this early hour. It is a kind of initiation... figuring out table positions, wind factors, careful pot positioning, last minute pricing and then suddenly the first feet roll in and the day springs off...

Our students did wonderfully. They sold well, but more than that they moved through the day together with an easy sense of comeraderie as they took the first step into the world of pricing, display and the steady rhythm of selling.

The real learning for our students happened in the small exchanges when strangers paused to lift their pieces and consider them. You could see understanding form. Why the big blue vase drew admiration but stayed on the table. Why the small pink bowls kept disappearing into paper bags. Why the tiny blueberries sparked such quiet delight. A market reveals the truth of an object in a way no studio shelf can. Watching our newer makers absorb these insights was a quiet joy. It is one thing to shape a piece in familiar surroundings and quite another to witness someone unknown weigh it in their hands and respond with recognition or pleasure.

I spent most of the day at the demo wheel. It felt good to work in the open, asking the crowd for prompts. How tall should this be? What shape do you see? Should we keep going or should we let it collapse back into itself? People watched the clay move and then looked again at the finished work on the tables. The connection between process and result became visible and that felt worthwhile.

We were fortunate to be beside my dear friend Alila and her wood fired pieces. Her table had a quiet strength to it and her presence made our corner feel well anchored.

By late afternoon we were all spent. The kind of exhaustion that settles into the bones but carries no regret. We packed up slowly, full from the day.

There was a surprising amount of interest in kids classes which has us wondering if it is time to open that door a little wider. If you have thoughts on this we would love to hear them.

Bookings for Term 1 2026 are now open and Clay Circle membership is running steadily with spaces available in January.

A good market leaves you touched by the ordinary magic of people choosing handmade things. This one did exactly that!

Shout out to everyone who came to support! It was such fun! Shall we do it again next year?