where
Canberra Potters, Watson Arts Centre
1 Aspinall St Watson, ACT, 2602
DATE & TIme
Saturday 10 August 2024
3pm to 8pm
Cost
Entry by gold coin donation (card accepted).
Some additional paid events, pre-bookings required.
program
Download the 2024 program of events below
About the Festival
Fired Up 2024 Feedback Survey
Help us make Fired Up 2025 even better! Click here to provide feedback.
Fired Up is Canberra Potters’ annual winter festival celebrating Canberra’s ceramics community.
The celebration promises an enchanting evening under the winter night sky, where visitors can immerse themselves in the vibrant world of ceramics and connect through clay in the heart of Canberra.
Start the afternoon by discovering your creativity through a variety of pre-booked clay experiences. With the guidance of experienced potters, delve into the hands-on “Have a Go, Have a Throw” wheel-throwing sessions or explore the art of hand-building at designated stations. You can also witness the magical alchemy of raku firing, where you can glaze pre-made ceramic sculptures and watch them get fired right in front of you! (Please note these experiences require pre-bookings, coming shortly).
For those who prefer to observe, resident artists will open their studios doors, and professional potters will give demonstrations throughout the afternoon, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the maker’s world. Browse the Ceramics Market and Shop, where local artists will offer a broad range of wares for sale.
Food and drinks will be available to purchase from selected vendors, and visitors are invited to buy handmade bowls and have them filled with delicious homemade soup for free.
As the evening unfolds, be enchanted by live music, captivating performances, and mesmerising fire twirlers. Cap off the night with the grand unveiling of the custom-built petal kiln, a breathtaking spectacle not to be missed.
“What is flux?!” you might be thinking? Flux is a crucial component in ceramic glazes which helps to lower the temperature they melt at - sometimes resulting in dynamic drips and funky pots - just like this year’s logo design.
Getting to Fired Up 2024
We are excited to be working with beam to provide a park & e-Scoot option to get to Fired Up this year. There will be limited parking on site at Canberra Potters so check out the other options we’ve organised on the map.
Thank you to beam and the Watson carpark owners for working with us to make this part of the event possible.
Experience Bookings
The button below will take you to our Humanitix page to see any upcoming bookable events.
Our popular “Have A Go” user experience sessions allow for visitors to try handbuilding, wheel throwing or glazing their own raku piece under the guidance of our expert potters!
Have a go at Raku Firing:
Raku firing is all flame, smoke and excitement. A fast-firing process that can produce beautiful finishes.
Choose a raku piece and glaze it with help from our experienced volunteers, then watch while our Raku Firers put it through a firing. You will be able to take your piece home to enjoy!
Raku pieces are purely decorative. Pieces are NOT suitable for fresh flower arrangements, food or drink.
Book for yourself or a group. Suitable for adults and children over 7 years of age.
Bookings are essential for this event. As sessions are time sensitive late arrival may result in loss of your booked session.
Have a go at Handbuilding:
Spend some time hand building your own small creations with clay. Enjoy the tactile and creative alchemy of clay with a potter to guide your experience.
Sessions allow for 20 to 25 minutes building with a 5 to 10 minute clean up.
These sessions are suitable for adults and children over 5 years of age.
Book in for yourself or for groups of up to 8 each session.
Places are limited so bookings are essential for this event. Failure to arrive on time may result in the loss of your booked session.
Have a Go, Have a Throw (Wheelthrowing):
Always wanted to have a go at throwing clay on a potter’s wheel? Here’s your opportunity! As part of our Fired Up Winter Festival book into a session and try your hand at throwing on the wheel.
You will receive three balls of clay to throw on the wheel with help from a potter. These timed sessions are 30 minutes with 20 minutes of throwing and ten minutes to set up & clean up between participants.
Book in for yourself or a group. Suitable for adults and children over 7 years of age.
We will not be firing work made at this event. All clay will be recycled to use again.
Bookings are essential for this event. Sessions are time sensitive so please arrive 5 minutes ahead of your session. We may not be able to accommodate you if you arrive after your session has commenced.
Ceramics Market
Join Canberra Potters for a small market with giant rewards! Enjoy part of the festival experience by finding some unique, hand-crafted ceramic pieces for yourself - or as early Christmas gifts.
Meet some of Canberra’s finest potters and ceramic artists and buy original, handmade ceramics including planter pots, tableware, sculptures, jewellery, vases and more, directly from the maker.
Participating stallholders:
Ash Green Art | Bendy Pots | Bia Ceramics | Blackburn Studio | Braidwood Clayworks | ByKate Ceramics | Colette Steindl Ceramics | imPAWfect Creations | Josephine Townsend Ceramics | Pottermade | Stephanie Johnston Designs
Petal Kiln
We’re thrilled to be bringing back the petal kiln to our 2024 event.
A petal kiln is a unique, site-specific kiln that offers a captivating and dramatic experience for viewers. The name “petal kiln” derives from the design of the kiln. It is composed of individually hinged panels, reminiscent of the petals of a flower. These panels are carefully fabricated in such a way that they can be opened, like the petals of a flower, once the kiln reaches the desired temperature - revealing a handmade sculpture glowing at an impressive 1200°C.
Our petal is a wood-fired kiln which has been designed and constructed by Canberra Potters workshop staff.
The petal kiln will be fired by skilled staff and volunteers on the day of Fired Up 2024. Late in the evening, visitors will be treated to the dramatic opening of the kiln, revealing the glowing sculpture bathed in intense heat and vibrant colors. Don’t miss this captivating centerpiece and unforgettable experience at Fired Up 2024.
Demonstrations & Open Studios
Guest Demonstrating Artists will delve a little deeper into their practices, showcasing their skills in hour-long demonstrations: a unique chance to see what these artists do and ask them about their processes.
Featuring: David Ray (VIC) | Fenja T. Ringl (ACT) | Ian Jones (NSW) | Maryke Henderson (ACT)
Canberra Potters’ Studio Tenants will be opening their doors and demonstrating what it is they do! This is a brilliant opportunity to see how pottery and ceramic art is made and discuss the ins and outs with the maker.
Featuring: Sue Peachey | Julie Pennington | Maricelle Olivier | Everything Flows Studio
Potter’s Lounge:
Looking for something a bit more relaxed? Why not take a seat in our Potter’s Lounge, where staff from out Canberra Potters’ Teaching Team will be showcasing quick demonstrations of all things clay!
Food, Drinks & Entertainment
Food & Drinks
Our ever-popular “soup and a bowl” event is back! Visitors are invited to buy handmade bowls by Canberra Potters members and students, and have them filled with delicious warming home made soup for free. We also have a “mug and mulled wine” deal: you buy a mug from our shop and we’ll fill it with warming mulled wine for free!
Soup and mulled wine not your thing? Sylvie & Bruno Coffee will be providing all of your coffee, tea and hot chocolate needs (and Poffetjes!), Le Petit Breton Crepes will be serving sweet and savoury crepes and galettes, The Hot Skillet will have curries and rosti, and Tumut River Brewing Co will have a range of tasty beverages!
Entertainment
Local musicians Will & Annie and the Dylan Slater Duo will entertain the crowds, and light-up dancer Jazida and fire twirlers from Not Another Circus Group will add to the firey atmosphere and keep you entertained all evening.
Chook Raffle
Our chook raffle is back for Fired Up 2024!
Get your raffle tickets to be in with a shot at taking this lovely lady home. She has been lovingly made by local artist and Canberra Potters member and teacher, Jackie Lallemand.
Please note, we are card only, no cash.
The winner of our beautiful Fired Up Raffle Chook will be announced during the week following Fired Up 2024. The winner will be called, so keep your phone handy!
As voted by our community, she has been named Yolk-o Ono!
Instagram Competition
Instagram Competition!
Win 2 beautiful handmade ceramic jars ♥
Post a photo or reel related to Fired Up 2024 on Instagram and win two beautiful, handmade jars! Your post could be a picture of your favourite pottery piece from the market, a video of a pottery demonstration, a snapshot of the kiln firing, or anything related to the event. The content must feature something from the event itself.
To enter the competition, participants must
- follow the Canberra Potters Instagram account @canberrapotters
- tag @canberrapotters in both the image and the caption
- include the hashtags #WhatTheFlux #FiredUp2024 and #CanberraPotters in the caption.
Entries must be posted between 3pm and 12am on Saturday 10 August 2024, or during Fired Up 2024.
The winner will be reposted and announced on our Instagram feed on Wednesday 14 August.
Address
1 Aspinall Street Watson
Canberra Australia.