Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council Mayor Joan Baird congratulates Bushmills ceramicist Caroline Getty as she heads off to Breeogue Pottery in Sligo as part of a youth placement scheme organised by Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust under the Économusée Craft Reach project.
‘This is a fantastic opportunity for Caroline. She has a wealth of skill already as you can see from her exhibition. She has been influenced by her study and travels in Denmark and Kilkenny and this placement will further help her to develop a very successful studio business here in her own locality in the Causeway Coast & Glens.’
Caroline graduated in 2016 with a First Class BA Honours in Contemporary Applied Art and a Diploma in Professional Practice. Some of her work, a combination of ceramics and soft materials such as paper and fabric, is currently exhibited at Flowerfield Arts Centre in Portstewart.
Breeogue Pottery takes its name from the beautiful townland of Breeogue, just 4 miles from Sligo Town. Nestled between Knocknarea Mountain and the shore of Ballisodare Bay, in an 18th century stone barn, is Grainne McLaughlin’s studio and gallery.
Grainne produces a high-fired stoneware table-top range as well as contemporary lighting. She applies various layers of different glazes over her simple and uncomplicated pottery pieces. Then in the final firing the glazes react with each other creating new patterns and subtle colours inspired by nature and the surrounding Sligo landscape.
Keen to develop her own studio business and talking about her upcoming placement opportunity Caroline said: ‘Being dedicated and passionate for arts and crafts within the community makes me a suitable candidate for this placement.
The variety of work created from pottery to framed pieces is something I could adopt to a more commercial market. Experiencing first-hand the complete process from the making to the finished product is essential for business development and success.’
Carole O’Kane, Corporate Services Manager with the Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust commented: ‘This phase of the Économusée project, aptly named Craft Reach, has developed three new Économusée artisans in the Causeway Coast and Glens area, Broughgammon Goat Farm, Ursa Minor Bakehouse, Hillstown Brewery and provided support for the existing Économusée artisans – Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil, Scullion Hurls and Steensons Jewellery.
Another aspect of the project is to provide opportunities for young people interested in developing their own craft business. With the funding from this project we successfully sent a young Glenarm ceramicist, Sasha McVey to Quebec in Canada.
The Économusée Craft Reach project is funded by Interreg VB Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme with match funding from Tourism NI, Causeway Coast & Glens and Mid & East Antrim Borough Councils.’
For more information, contact the Causeway Coast & Glens Heritage Trust office www.ccght.org