Better together

My fingers coated in rich, wet clay, I’m trying to tease something resembling a pot from a lump of warm terracotta. After living in and around Stoke-on-Trent for 11 years, I’ve finally decided it’s time to have a go at making pottery, so I’ve enrolled on a course with a local ceramic artist. It’s a step that has helped me feel much more connected to the heritage of the place in which I live, celebrating Stoke as the UK city of ceramics. And on a more personal level, it’s been a great chance to meet new people, as well as try something different.

‘There’s something really important in connecting with communities and feeling like you’re part of a bigger picture,’ says Nic Gratton, associate