Small Worlds: The Final Pieces, Our Judge, and a Date to Save
The Small Worlds shelves are looking incredible right now. Over the last few weeks we've watched tiny teapots, sleepy foxes, woolly sheep families, mushroom folk, and a whole cast of small, strange, and wonderful beings come to life across the studio. Some are funny, some are tender, some are downright peculiar in the best way — and it's been such a pleasure to see everyone's small worlds take shape right through to these final, decorated pieces.
With so many sweet ideas and characters emerging, we can't wait to see it all come together as one collection.
Announcing Our Judge
We're thrilled to share that Nada Spencer will be judging the Small Worlds challenge. Nada will look over every piece and choose her favourite, which will take home the R500 Clay Corner voucher.
Save the Date: Sunday 25th October
We're marking the occasion with a befittingly small studio social.
Small Worlds Prize Giving
📅 Sunday 25th October
🕒 1:30pm – 3pm
💰 Free — friends and family welcome
Come appreciate, share, and celebrate the small worlds we've all created this term. We'll announce Nada's winner, put out some snacks, and just hang out as a community. No need to book — just come along.
Stay On for a Workshop with Nada
If you'd like to make an afternoon of it, stick around for a special workshop with Nada straight after the prize giving.
Surface Decorating with Nada Spencer 📅 Sunday 25th October 🕒 3pm – 5:30pm 💰 R700pp
Once the shapes are made, the real character comes from what happens on the surface. Nada's bringing decades of hands-in-the-clay experience to a small-group, hands-on afternoon of slip and underglaze techniques — layering colour, mark-making, resist patterns, and the kind of playful mess that leads to genuinely dynamic designs.
Full details and booking here
Timeline: What We Need From You
To get every piece fired and ready for display, here's what we need between now and the big day:
5th October — Term 4 classes begin. You'll have the first two weeks to put the finishing touches on your Small Worlds piece.
19th October — Final deadline for all Small Worlds pieces. If you've already taken your work home, please bring it back to the studio by this date, clearly labelled with your name, so we can fire it in time and start planning the display.
25th October — Prize giving (1:30–3pm) and Nada's workshop (3–5:30pm).
We're already dreaming up how to display the full collection - think doll house -but we'd love to hear your ideas too if you've got a fun one.
Looking Ahead to Term 4
Term 4 won't have a challenge of its own, but we're excited to be turning our attention to surface decorating techniques, with a particular focus on "cracked earth" as our inspiration. Nada's workshop is the perfect lead-in! Book for term for here if you haven't already, spots are filling so don't dilly dally folks.
For now — get those small worlds finished, and we'll see you on the 25th!
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