What
Pottery sessions at the Cherbourg Historical, Cultural and Community Precinct, trading as the Ration Shed Museum, developed and promoted the skills of local First Nations potters and artists through a series of training and mentoring workshops.
The pottery sessions focused on maintaining a strong culture where knowledge and practice is passed on by recognised and respected Elders and peers.
Hand-building with clay workshops engaged the community in arts practice, skills development and capacity building and covered the full production process – from creation to sales – to improve economic outcomes for workshop participants and Museum artists.
Founded in 2006 by a group of Elders in the Cherbourg community, the Ration Shed Museum includes the original buildings, old photographs and recorded oral histories, integrated into contemporary creative cultural expression and practices, providing an important cultural backdrop for the pottery sessions.
The pottery sessions helped deliver on the Museum’s priorities to revitalize the distinctive Barambah/Cherbourg pottery into an economic strength, developing production and distribution into a wholesale and retail business, and to build on its tourism retail strategy.
By promoting culture through artistic expression, the Ration Shed Museum encourages more Indigenous youth to train as potters and artists, highlighting the economic benefits that can be gained both by individuals and the community
When and where
From 5 October 2020 to 28 May 2021 at the Pottery House in the Ration Shed Museum, Cherbourg.
Key stats
- The project was attended by:
- 70 Aboriginal peoples
- 15 Torres Strait Islander peoples
- 100 regional Queenslanders in total
- 10 people with a disability
- Sale of pottery from the project was $19,770
Arts Queensland investment
$17,000 through the Indigenous Regional Arts Development Fund (IRADF) 2019-2020.
Outcomes
Professional Development
- Two very experienced potters ran most of the workshops –
- Fay Stumm is a master potter who teaches wheel techniques and glazing and firing skills.
- Maureen Addenbrooke led a series of hand building workshops which included using hand building methods, glazes and techniques.
- Workshops extended the skills of artists though techniques including throwing, bisque work, hand-building, clay moulding and glazing, as well as learning about the kiln, firing and marketing.
- Artists also had the opportunity to apply their artistic talents to produce creative and unique items including sculptures and jewellery.
- Experienced participants worked on ways to combine hand building to incorporate into their thrown bowls. Newcomers were able to participate in clay workshop without having any experience.
Elevating First Nations arts
- Promote and develop the skills of the local Cherbourg Indigenous potters and artists through formal and informal training and mentoring.
- Completing the production process involved pricing finished works and marketing them.
- The workshops assisted local artists and potters to produce high quality saleable items.
- Participants were able to work on their own style and observe what designs and forms customers are attracted to.
- The production and sale of the pottery has improved economic outcomes for participants of the workshop and the artists of the Ration Shed Museum.
Activate Queensland’s places and spaces
- The Pottery House has provided the group with a well-equipped space in which to work and create authentic First Nations art.
Driving social change and strengthen communities
- Activated existing cultural infrastructure in a unique way
- The equipment, materials and support from trainers has led to the development of high-quality products that support and promote the Barambah Pottery brand.
- A “Come & Try Day” Workshop was conducted for new and young participants with good outcomes, especially when the young people received their decorated fired bowls.
Share our stories and celebrate our storytellers.
- The core group of artists and potters continue to take advantage of training and assist with sessions targeting new and young participants.
Learnings and reflections
Delivering the project through impacts of COVID
- COVID lockdowns and closures interrupted and restricted project activities.
- Protocols to protect the health and well-being of participants in a high-risk community affected how many people could engage in the training and workshops.
Community Collaboration
- The workshops were designed for a variety of skill sets and participants, ranging from regular core Ration Shed Museum artists to youth and beginners.
- More experienced artists were able to mentor the younger artists and beginners.
Feedback and comments
Aunty Sandra Morgan, Committee Member of Cherbourg Ration Shed Museum, said the project would “strengthen the operational management of the Ration Shed Museum and allow us to broaden our community initiatives, building on what we have already created”.
“The Ration Shed Museum is an integral part of the Cherbourg community, providing spaces for learning, artistic practice, healing and reconciliation,” she said.
What next
Funding of $210,000 was provided over two financial years from 2021-22 and 2022-23 towards the Ration Shed Museum as part of Arts Queensland’s investment in local Indigenous Arts Centres (IAC).
Arts Queensland is working closely with the Cherbourg Historical Precinct Group Incorporated as part of a new approach to realise locally-led investment priorities that will make a positive and long term impact.
The IAC funding will grow the reputation of the Ration Shed Museum as a cultural tourism destination.
Find out more
This case study was first published 30 Nov 2022.