The Academy team
Taz Pollard MA
Tutor/CIC Director/Technician/Person who pays the bills ;)
Taz teaches four of our general pottery classes; Monday afternoons, Tuesday & Thursday evenings and Wednesday mornings plus one-off workshops and masterclasses.
‘I have been teaching pottery for over twenty years from beginner right through to degree level. I was lucky enough to train at both Cardiff and Bath Universities for my BA (Hons) and MA and Plymouth for my PGCE. I started my career as a thrower but have moved on to large-scale coil-thrown work in recent years. My work has been exhibited around the world picking up the odd award along the way. I have been running the Ceramics Academy for the last 10 years. Teaching is my absolute passion and providing a safe and supportive place for people to be is paramount. I love it!’
Jo Blake
Tutor/Technician/Social Media & Digital Marketer
Jo teaches our Wednesday afternoon class, our children’s workshops, our CIC Coffee Pot & Tea Pot sessions along with one-off workshops. Jo is our main studio Technician and Social Media & Digital Marketer.
She is also an artist, children’s book author and illustrator, writing stories to promote social, and emotional learning. From a young age, Jo has loved being creative as a way of expressing herself. With bold colours and photo-realistic pet portraits - she hopes to help people feel those big emotions often masked to fit in and inspire others to take up a creative hobby to promote mental health.
You can see Jo’s art at www.joblakeart.co.uk
Stephanie Buttle BA (Hons)
Ceramics/Design 1st CSM
Tutor
Steph teaches masterclasses and also provides individual tuition for our Open Access members.
Since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2015, Steph has worked as an artist, maker and educator. Her teaching experience includes ceramic tutor and visiting artist posts at Morley college London and CSM. Her teaching style and art practice are influenced by an eclectic artistic life as a former dancer, actress and film maker, these experiences bring a dynamic experimental approach to her teaching, whilst still supporting the required technical skills needed for beginner students through to those who are developing a more advanced artistic enquiry. Although her particular expertise is in wheel-throwing she has wide ranging skills in all surface and process techniques.
Steph has exhibited her work internationally including shows at Hauser & Wirth and Messums, Artist in residence include 2019 British ceramic biennial.
Steph moved to North Devon recently from London and Finland and is delighted to become a new member of the thriving team at the Academy.
What is Joy? The creation born of discovery, (Frida Kahlo 1907-1954)
Sarah Bunyard
Business Manager & CIC Director
Sarah is our Business Manager and also provides administration support for our CIC.
‘I really enjoy working at the academy and being part of a small team. I fell in love with clay when I started lessons with Taz and the natural organiser in me found a relaxing balance through playing with mud! I now make from my small home studio where I enjoy making stoneware birds which are finished in a variety of designs using slip and transfers for underglaze decoration.’
