Potfest in the Park
Katie Hale
Elaborate vases, intricate centrepieces, and ceramics that combine artistry with craft: Potfest in the Park celebrates the creative possibilities of clay.
Taking place a few miles outside Penrith, in the grounds of Hutton-in-the-Forest country house, Potfest in the Park takes the concept of the craft fair to the next level. One hundred potters, artists and artisans travel from across the world to exhibit at the festival, each displaying their own creative style. You won’t find amateur potters selling their wares at this show; it’s for those at the top of their game, whose work has its own flair, precision and elegance.
A big highlight is the competition, set around a different theme each year, which sees potters creating pieces at the cutting edge of contemporary ceramics, and which are displayed in a special installation throughout the festival, on the lawn of Hutton-in-the-Forest.
On the following weekend, Potfest runs a sister event at Skirsgill Auction Mart in Penrith: Potfest in the Pens.
Potfest in the Pens is the original show, founded by Geoff and Christine Cox in 1994, and takes places in the cattle pens of the auction mart. At the end of July each year, for one weekend, the bleating and lowing of livestock is replaced by the chatter of traders and customers, the clink of ceramics and the excited buzz of festival conversation.
Showcasing a combination of established and emerging potters, Potfest in the Pens has more of a marketplace feeling than Potfest in the Park, created by the bustle of the auction mart and the tradition of buying and selling which is at the very heart of this venue.
The third Potfest show is based north of the border, in the grounds of Scone Palace, Perth.
Potfest in the Park will take place 23-25 July 2021.
Potfest in the Pens will take place 30 July – 1 August 2021.
